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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 12, 2014Roger FedererINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA R. FEDERER/T. Haas THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. He's pretty good for somebody who you look at, age 36... ROGER FEDERER: He's very good. Yeah, not pretty good. Q. Very good. And you knew that coming in. You had to play a special way against him? ROGER FEDERER: Well, what I like about Tommy is just his intensity he brings to the court. Every shot he hits, it's with a purpose, it's with an idea. You just feel that as an opponent, and that's where I think I did a really good job being able to handle that, and then playing my way, as well. I think I served well when I had to, which is very encouraging. It's something I struggled a little bit in Dubai and here's much slower, so I'm very happy how things turned out to be. Q. I know that you have been asked a zillion questions about the racquet and the larger head size, but one of the things I have not been able to find about this racquet is the weight. What is the weight? ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. Q. You don't know the weight? I was wondering if you were also tinkering with that along with string tension? ROGER FEDERER: You do. But honestly I'm not a crazy nut about these little details. I let the experts handle that. I would tell them, I need more weight, more in the head, string tensions. But in the end, what it really is, I don't know. I can find out and maybe let you know, but it's pretty much based on the same weight and balance like the other racquet, I'm sure. So it's not, you know, is something like I have never felt before, and it needs to feel comfortable, and you can always ‑‑those little things you can always then still play with. But it's important to feel like the racquet is giving you what you're looking for. Q. So the weight has never been anything that's been that important to you? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, it is. But honestly, I didn't change weight or balance a whole lot throughout my career. It's stayed pretty much in a very fine line, I'd say. Q. At the start of the tournament, your half of the draw looked very, you know, very stacked. You had a lot of accomplished players. Now a lot of them have fallen off. Can you talk about your thoughts about the draw, like initially when you first saw it and how it's played out so far in your half? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, a lot of the guys in the top 8 have lost, which is unusual. But then again, it's the first Masters 1000 of the year. For some it's still maybe early in the season, and then some other guys play really well. I think the guys who won against those big guys play very well, and it just happened that it all came together here. Now, I mean, I don't overanalyze draws or anything. At this point I need to just focus on my matches anyway. I have been following the other guys, and it's just been good to see good matches, really. I have a doubles now. It's a lot of tennis right now. So then I just hope I can come out tomorrow and play a good match. That's really what I want to do. I do play Anderson, I guess, right? (Laughter.) Maybe I am insecure now where I am in the draw. Stan's not around. So I know how tough he is. He's the best here usually in the States, outdoors on the hard courts. That's when he's had his biggest success. I'm aware that this is not going to be an easy match just because he's not ranked in the top 10. Q. Just on playing Kevin, you know what his serve is like and all that, but while his serve may be affected in these sort of conditions, I would assume you know all the ins and outs of that court that you have played on it so much and won on it here four times. ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, you said it the right way. I know the court very well, better than him. But then again, I think the quickness of the air helps him here, plus the bounce. It plays quite slow once the ball is in play, which gives him more time to get to more balls, and also then set himself up. Sometimes too quick of conditions for big guys is also not great even though you think it helps him serve. But then the return comes back quicker, too, so they have less time. It's for me to find the right balance how I need to play him. First I need to focus on my own service game so that I don't get caught playing a dodgy service game early on in the match in particular. Q. A couple days ago you were asked about your growing family situation. I was wondering, the twins are going to be five, if I'm not mistaken, this year, and they will have to start going to school soon. Have you thought about what that will mean for your traveling setup? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, of course we have thought about it and I have discussed it with my wife. You know, it all depends a little bit how my career looks, you know, how much more I'm going to play or not. Unfortunately I don't have the crystal ball where I know it's going to be two more years, four more years, whatever it may be, you know. So we said we will just go, you know, along as it is. If we have to homeschool them, we have to do that, I guess. If not, I'm happy to put them through school. Where and what and how I don't really quite know how yet, but it's important that we are aware of my situation and that we do what's best for the girls and what works also for us. We are trying to find that balance, as well, as we move along. So we will see how that's going to go and affect me. Q. Stan, when he was in here ‑ he's been pretty upbeat the whole week ‑ said he had great practice and took some time off, but he said today he really got down on himself in the match, more negative talking against himself than usual. Seems to indicate more of the expectations seemed to get to him. You're playing doubles with him. I'm wondering if he asked you for advice, what would you tell him, and are you surprised at maybe some of that stuff from winning a slam is getting to him? ROGER FEDERER: Well, look, you don't feel the same every day. That's the tough part in sports in general. Just all you can do is prepare as good as you can, and then, you know, not say hope for the best, but try your best and then figure things out as they get tougher during the match, you know. I thought he actually looked okay, but maybe he did get a bit down on himself, especially between the points because there is a lot of time to kill. When you're playing well you use that time to relax and get ready for the next point. But when things become a bit more difficult, you use that time to get a bit negative at time times. That's normal for any tennis player for that to happen, but maybe that's the first time this season for him to go that way. He hasn't lost a match. I think you should see the positives out of what an unbelievable start to the season this has been and learn from this match and look, try not to have it happen too often. It will always creep back in. It's normal. So I'd say not get too, you know, negative about the whole day, because also Kevin played a good match, you know. He took his chances, and Stan fought bravely after all. You know, he didn't just give it to him. I'm sure he has regrets, but who doesn't when you lose? Especially at his level. Q. There is this story that's kind of circulating an idea that because of the great reviews of the Tennis Garden this year, someone suggested that maybe that the US Open would consider having the US Open actually here for one year, and not like every other year, but maybe rotate it one year here and then four other years keep it in NewYork. What would be your thoughts of something like that, that they would actually rotate a site for a major kind of like what they do in golf? ROGER FEDERER: I haven't heard about it. I'm totally out of the loop, I guess. Q. It was just speculation. ROGER FEDERER: I'm sure it was a speculation otherwise I would know (smiling). Yeah. I mean, it seems a bit speculation to me. I think this tournament needs to be what it is: big, massive Masters 1000 and a tournament players love to play and love the prestige of winning this and competing in this. And the US Open, it is what it is with its history. It's changed venues there a few times. US Open has just announced a bigger, better facility as well with roofs and everything. So it's very exciting for tennis right now. Especially here in America, it's important this market, which is a big one, remains a strong market and produces tennis players and has great events. It's nice to see the US Open and Indian Wells investing a lot of money into great facilities for you guys, for the fans in particular, and then also for the players. Something like that, honestly, I don't think will ever happen, but it's important to make it the best tournament possible for yourself. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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