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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPSJune 13, 2014Radek StepanekLONDON, ENGLAND R. STEPANEK/K. Anderson THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You must be very pleased with how you performed after the first set. RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah, definitely. It's always more important‑‑ it's great to beat a top guy, but it's even tougher to back it up with a win again. I had a slow start, but I wouldn't call it a slow start because Kevin played ‑‑the first set, it was a perfect game of tennis. For a half hour I really had no chance. He hit every shot perfectly. You know, I just had to wait until the first weaker moment is going to come and take my chance, which happened in the first of his service games in the second set. I got in front, and, you know, ran through those two sets pretty comfortably. Q. You spoke yesterday about the benefits of experience. Did that come to bear again today in terms of holding your nerve almost and waiting for the opportunity? RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah, definitely. I have been through matches when, you know, I played incredible two sets, you know, beating the other guy, killing him, and, you know, I end up losing 9‑7 in the fifth. I know what it takes. I know when you play so perfect that it's so difficult to, you know, to keep that level for the whole match without, you know, one small gap in your game. I was waiting for it, you know. I knew that if he keeps it for two sets, shoots me out of the court in 45 minutes, 6‑1, 6‑1, then I can just shake his hand and say that he played too good. But as I said, it would be too perfect. Q. Are there many matches when someone's hit 15 aces at you and you've won that way? RADEK STEPANEK: (Smiling.) You want to hear a good stat? I won a match and I faced 78 aces. Q. 78? RADEK STEPANEK: Yes. Q. Who was on the other side? RADEK STEPANEK: Ivo Karlovic, Dr.Ivo. Davis Cup in Croatia '09. 2009 Davis Cup semifinals in Croatia. 78 aces. Six hours exactly. Q. Do you have that kind of memory for all your matches or just the ones that stand out like that? RADEK STEPANEK: All of them. Q. That must be really useful. RADEK STEPANEK: It is. Somebody has it in the computer and all the stats. I have my computer here. Q. Some players do have that kind of memory and some seem to blank. RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah, I love to ‑‑we have Vittorio Selmi on the tour who remembers everything from Wimbledon, everything for past I don't know how many years. And we ask him, How many sets did those guys play in the second round, quarterfinals, you know, what happened in that match? He remembers absolutely everything. You know, I remember what I do. Q. When you're remembering it, are you seeing it, too? RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah, I'm seeing it, too. You know, when I think about some match, I know exactly how the day was, what was going on, if there was something going on. So it comes‑‑ you know, for me it comes automatically. Q. Does it help you plan how to win future matches? Do you use it that way? RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah, I'm getting ready for every single match, you know, day by day. But definitely it helps to take out these memories and, you know, go back to the matches and knowing what you did good, what you did wrong. But also when there is a gap between a player who played three years ago, then I know a lot of change since then. So there is always some basic things, what you know about the player, but then still you have to, you know, improvise on the court. Q. Is the game a little bit like chess in that way, that you remember moves and counter‑moves and what to do next? RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah. You know, a lot of players, they have their favorite shots in favorite situations, especially when the pressure comes into the game, especially‑‑ you know, everybody sticks what they like. We all know that. We all know that. That's why we have our coaches who are, you know, checking the other player, seeing the matches, you know, the day before you play them. That's I think same like in every sport. Q. In that way, is it sometimes tougher to play the unpredictable players even if they're not at the same level? RADEK STEPANEK: Yeah, definitely, because you don't know what to expect, you know. When you're on the tour like me for quite a few years, then the guys who are there with you, you know them inside out. But when you play‑‑ for example, when I played first round this year in the Roland Garros, I played against an Argentine who I really didn't know who he is. He won three, four challengers in South America, played with huge confidence, you know. I was two sets to love down until I figured out ‑‑until, you know, I broke him down, won the third set and was able to win it in five. But it was the right example when you don't know and you don't know the player what he can come with a game plan. It's difficult sometimes. Q. You're playing singles and doubles here. A lot of the guys talked about moving from clay to grass, have talked about picking up some different aches and pains because of the switch of surface and having to keep low. Is that something you suffer from, or does your game and your experience in doubles help you make that transition more easily? RADEK STEPANEK: No, I love to play on grass. I did that transition for quite some years, so there is I think nothing much that can surprise me. So I know exactly which muscles are going to hurt me after first two days on grass. I'm protecting them already before coming here with the prevention exercises. So, you know, yeah, experience definitely helps. And always when you start to play grass court season, you're looking for playing as much matches as you can to get comfortable, you know, to be friends with the grass. That's what I'm doing here. Q. Which muscles do you actually work to prevent... RADEK STEPANEK: I think especially the glutes are important. Lower back always hurts in the beginning. So there is something about‑‑ you know, I'm going through every year. It always comes anyway. It always comes anyway, but, you know, I'm trying to adjust the level of pain, you know, as low as I can. Q. Regular people commute by car or bus or train. Somebody in your lifestyle, you commute by airplane every week. I'm wondering what you think is the good things about that and the bad things. RADEK STEPANEK: Well, definitely it saves time compared to car and bus or train sometimes (smiling). But, you know, that's part of our job. We cannot, you know, drive cars between the tournaments. Otherwise there has to be always a week gap to get somewhere else. But, you know, I'm taking it as it is. The planes are part of our lives and we have to accept it. Q. Do you have any certain rituals when you get on the plane or things you bring on to make a flight more comfortable? RADEK STEPANEK: No sense to bring something on because I'm sleeping always. I'm the lucky one. Q. You like grass. Your game is suited to grass. Does it ever disappoint you that you haven't actually won a title even in doubles on grass yet? Does it surprise you? RADEK STEPANEK: When you said it, yes. (Laughter.) But, you know, grass court season is really short. I'm playing always one tournament‑‑ you know, most of these I played only one tournament before Wimbledon and Wimbledon. So the chance is‑‑ you know, the chances are, the margin is pretty tight. But, you know, it's not over yet. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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