Courtesy: UBITennis
Q: Beating Rafa on clay in Spain must be very special?
A: It is a very special day for me because it’s the first time I managed to Rafa on clay I’ve played a great match from the first to the last point. I got to the court believing I can win and that was the only way that I could get a win in the end.
Q: What you have been doing since the start of the year has almost been real: do you get the feeling that it is almost a dream?
A: No, I’m trying to stay dedicated and focussed on what I do. There are no secrets. Things came together for me. I am a more mature player and more matured person so I just know what to do on and off the court. Luckily for me I have a great team of people with me on and off the court that shares the ups and downs with me so for me then it’s easier to perform well on the court and relieve the pressure and everything that comes with professional tennis. I am trying to think about winning and not about losing. I know that this run that I have is really incredible but I try to think about how long it’ll go and when I will be beaten. It’s how many more wins I’m going to have. Every time I go on the court I’m motivated to win and not thinking that this is the day I’ll lose.
Q: As well as your play, you have to manage your physical conditions and well because you’re playing so many matches; how are you feeling at the moment?
A: I feel great. The only day I felt a bit heavy on the court was yesterday. Today I felt fresh on the court. It was an exhausting match both mentally and physically and that’s normal against the world no.1 and every point took maybe 10/15 rallies at least so I needed to work hard for my points but I managed to do it really well. I’ve been in the situation before where I win a tournament and have to play the following week. I know what to do. I have a great team of people with me who know what to do so I’m sure I can recover.
Q: Nadal said that with this trend he will not be able to keep the no.1?
A: If I keep winning I’ll get closer but I’m trying not to think about that. I just started the clay court season. It was a perfect start with the two tournaments that I won and I need to stay dedicated and focussed on the upcoming events because if I want to reach no.1 I have to play consistent because that’s what Rafa will do and the rest of the players. It has changed, I have a different mindset right now, I’m more stable and I know how to think right.
Q: You’ve won Australia, Indian Wells, Miami but beating Rafa here in Spain, is that the biggest accomplishment of the lot?
A: Probably it’s up there at the top. I agree that under the circumstances I was playing an unbelievable match. But I was expecting all that – playing him here at home in front of his people. I know how it is; two years ago we played another great match. All three matches that we played this year were really long and were decided by a few points so am just happy to be able to play the best tennis when I needed to. This was something that was lacking in the past. I didn’t believe enough that I could win against Rafa or Roger at these big tournaments but now it’s different.
Q: You’re now even favourite to win Roland Garros. Do you feel like that?
A: I think that Rafa is still the favourite. I’ve never won Roland Garros. I’ve played a couple of times in the semis. Probably because of my winning streak I am one of the favourites but Rafa has lost only one match in his career there. It is my goal for this season to try to go all the way in Roland Garros and I’m setting up my form for that.
Q: You were 4-0 up in the first set and then he came back; did you think that you were in danger?
A: I had a great start to the set and it was my fault that I dropped two breaks and let him back into the match. I know that Rafa will never give up. He’s a great competitor and he never gives you any free points so I know I had to play well especially at this level because things can turn around easily.
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Monday, 9 May 2011
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Novak Djokovic - SF Press Conference Transcript
Q. It’s a little like yesterday, you’re down a set and down a break today and you have the maturity to turn it around?
A. Well I always believe throughout the whole match that I can turn it around and I was right. He was definitely the better player for a set and a half. He was more aggressive. I just felt quite slow on the court from the start of the match and it took me a while to really get into the rhythm but when I did, when I made that crucial break it was much better.
Q. Tomorrow, you against Rafa, he on his clay court streak you on your unbeaten record; it’s going to be a special day?
A. It’s great for the crowds it’s great for the tournament and for us in the end because every time it’s a big challenges and we both look forward to it. We are competing a lot in the last couple of months and we’ve had some really good matches, especially the ones in the United States recently. Of course the memories come back from Madrid 2009 when we played that very very long match. It’s going to be great for the people to see us play.
Q. Do you think about the fact that you have never beaten him on clay can be a psychological issue in the match tomorrow?
A. I don’t really think about not beating him, I just think about winning the match and that’s it. Of course I am motivated to win against anybody especially against Rafa because it’s the ultimate challenges on clay courts. I think anyone would wish to play him in the final of a clay court. You want to step in and give your best and you want to try to win. He’s an incredible player, an incredible competitor and he’s been winning on clay courts so much over the past couple of years but we all know that, I know that but I need to believe I need to step on to the court and try to win.
Q. About your knee, you changed your strapping from yesterday; is it a physical thing?
A. No, it just looks better! No, it’s more or less the same really because sometimes the strap that I have goes off when it’s humid so maybe it’s better like this. Sometimes I do this style sometimes the other but it has the same affect.
Q: But you don’t have any pain?
A: No, not something major that can affect my game or my movement.
Q. If you can be honest, were you a little bit surprised by Bellucci’s level today?
A. To be honest I was more surprised with my movement on the court which was really bad in the start but all credit to him he was hitting the ball really well and he was aggressive. He was taking his chances and it gave me results. On the other side I tried to stay calm and hold my emotions and wait for the opportunity because I believe that I will have the opportunity and sooner it later it’s going to come. So it came and I used it and from that break I started playing much better.
Q. Rafa said in his news conference earlier that he thought you had turned down your aggression a little bit recently; would you agree with that?
A. I do have variety in my game that is a positive fact. At this level it’s important to be able to switch from being defensive to offensive and vice versa so depending on the payer, depending on your tactics, on a certain day. You cannot feel the same every day, you cannot feel 100% on the court but you try to bring out your best game. Today I was a little bit too defensive at the start but then I took the control of the match – I was stepping into the court and that gave me a better result.
Q. It’s generally accepted is much stronger than it was a year ago; how about your clay court game? How has that improved in the last year?
A. I’ve been winning all the matches that I’ve played this year on clay. I think that just in general I feel much better as a player, feeling much better on the court, on any surface hat I played on the court in the last five months than I had twelve months ago. Twelve months ago I wasn’t playing here in Madrid. I was going through a tough period where I
didn’t have good results. Now it’s all coming together. You always have something to ork on. I’m aware that my game is not perfect as is nobody’s so we always try to improve.
Q. You mentioned that 2009 defeat; that was one of the most painful defeats in your career wasn’t it?
A. It was but on the other hand I know that I can play even against him on this surface in these conditions and that match proved that and I can believe tomorrow that I can win. That’s the only way you can beat Rafa is to believe because he is a very strong player mentally. You basically step in and you have nothing to lose.
Courtesy: UBItennis
A. Well I always believe throughout the whole match that I can turn it around and I was right. He was definitely the better player for a set and a half. He was more aggressive. I just felt quite slow on the court from the start of the match and it took me a while to really get into the rhythm but when I did, when I made that crucial break it was much better.
Q. Tomorrow, you against Rafa, he on his clay court streak you on your unbeaten record; it’s going to be a special day?
A. It’s great for the crowds it’s great for the tournament and for us in the end because every time it’s a big challenges and we both look forward to it. We are competing a lot in the last couple of months and we’ve had some really good matches, especially the ones in the United States recently. Of course the memories come back from Madrid 2009 when we played that very very long match. It’s going to be great for the people to see us play.
Q. Do you think about the fact that you have never beaten him on clay can be a psychological issue in the match tomorrow?
A. I don’t really think about not beating him, I just think about winning the match and that’s it. Of course I am motivated to win against anybody especially against Rafa because it’s the ultimate challenges on clay courts. I think anyone would wish to play him in the final of a clay court. You want to step in and give your best and you want to try to win. He’s an incredible player, an incredible competitor and he’s been winning on clay courts so much over the past couple of years but we all know that, I know that but I need to believe I need to step on to the court and try to win.
Q. About your knee, you changed your strapping from yesterday; is it a physical thing?
A. No, it just looks better! No, it’s more or less the same really because sometimes the strap that I have goes off when it’s humid so maybe it’s better like this. Sometimes I do this style sometimes the other but it has the same affect.
Q: But you don’t have any pain?
A: No, not something major that can affect my game or my movement.
Q. If you can be honest, were you a little bit surprised by Bellucci’s level today?
A. To be honest I was more surprised with my movement on the court which was really bad in the start but all credit to him he was hitting the ball really well and he was aggressive. He was taking his chances and it gave me results. On the other side I tried to stay calm and hold my emotions and wait for the opportunity because I believe that I will have the opportunity and sooner it later it’s going to come. So it came and I used it and from that break I started playing much better.
Q. Rafa said in his news conference earlier that he thought you had turned down your aggression a little bit recently; would you agree with that?
A. I do have variety in my game that is a positive fact. At this level it’s important to be able to switch from being defensive to offensive and vice versa so depending on the payer, depending on your tactics, on a certain day. You cannot feel the same every day, you cannot feel 100% on the court but you try to bring out your best game. Today I was a little bit too defensive at the start but then I took the control of the match – I was stepping into the court and that gave me a better result.
Q. It’s generally accepted is much stronger than it was a year ago; how about your clay court game? How has that improved in the last year?
A. I’ve been winning all the matches that I’ve played this year on clay. I think that just in general I feel much better as a player, feeling much better on the court, on any surface hat I played on the court in the last five months than I had twelve months ago. Twelve months ago I wasn’t playing here in Madrid. I was going through a tough period where I
didn’t have good results. Now it’s all coming together. You always have something to ork on. I’m aware that my game is not perfect as is nobody’s so we always try to improve.
Q. You mentioned that 2009 defeat; that was one of the most painful defeats in your career wasn’t it?
A. It was but on the other hand I know that I can play even against him on this surface in these conditions and that match proved that and I can believe tomorrow that I can win. That’s the only way you can beat Rafa is to believe because he is a very strong player mentally. You basically step in and you have nothing to lose.
Courtesy: UBItennis
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Friday, 6 May 2011
Novak Djokovic - Pre Tournament Interview
Q: To have come this far in the season without losing a match is clearly an extraordinary achievement. How big of a test is in playing on clay against a field of this quality?
A: Well it´s no secret that it’s been the best five months of my career. I´m on a great streak and I definitely want to keep on going. I took some time off after Miami and I didn´t play in Monte Carlo so that gave me a couple of weeks to recover and really get ready for clay courts which actually require quite some time to get ready for. Then I went to my hometown, to my country and played a couple of matches there. So far I´m feeling good and very motivated to keep on winning.
Q: You know how tough it is to win back to back Masters Series – Indian Wells and Miami. What do you think of Madrid and Rome back to back tournaments, on clay with just seven days between each?
A: You said it all. It’s a huge challenge for us to win back to back Masters Series. I´ve done it for the first time I my life in Indian Wells and Miami but we got a bit more time between those two tournaments and between Madrid and Rome there is no time – week after week and it’s clay court which requires a lot more physical strength and because it’s a slower surface on the Tour you need to work much harder for your points. But here the conditions in Madrid are a bit different to other tournaments on clay because of the altitude, the ball flies quite fast through the air. The only time that I’ve played here was two years ago and I played a great tournament, played a fantastic match against Rafa so I have nice memories of the centre court and I look forward to coming back and I´m not thinking about my streak, I’m not thinking about how long this run will go for or if I can win every tournament I play in. I’m just trying to take it easy, take one match at a time and that’s all.
Q: So you say that you are not thinking about how long that streak will last even though you’ve got three tournaments on clay with the clay king in it, who normally plays the final at least in the past. How realistic is it to go through the clay season without a loss?
A: Well I didn’t think it was realistic to go without a loss in the first 3/4 months but it happened. I guess anything is possible if you really believe that you can achieve and if you’re fit, physically, if you’re mentally fresh and motivated and if you’re dedicated to the sport and this is something that I have been doing lately. I’ve been working very hard on my game, on my mental approach as well and my stability and now it´s paying off. There is no secret; it’s just something that I’ve been working on in the last couple of years playing on the Tour. I knew that I had quality and I just need to get some things together and it’s happening right now. If I’d believe that I can win every match on clay until the end of the clay season then no, I don’t believe that. I will just try to take one match at a time and we’ll see how far it can go.
Q: You were given a special passport at home, the you were honoured by the Orthodox Church, what´s next, Oscars?
A: There have been many commitments off court for me in Belgrade. It’s obvious; I haven’t been in my country for a long time. Of course I am very flattered when I have a lot of appreciation from the people that I receive awards. Every award is special in it’s way but the honour that I got from the Serbian Orthodox Church is by far the most precious, the most meaningful honour that I ever got and I think that I will ever get because it’s the highest honour that you can get in our church. People who receive it are people who usually get involved in helping other people and just for who you are as a person and not as an athlete and for what you have done in your career so that means a lot to me and definitely it’s been one of the nicest experiences in my life.
Q: Talking of experiences in your life, we all remember the extraordinary semi-final you played here with Rafa two years ago when you went over four hours and had the match points of course there´s a lot of tennis to be played before Sunday but IF it comes to you and Rafa in the final how much will THAT performance where you competed for four hours against him, give you confidence?
A: Let´s be honest, I don´t really feel like talking about An eventual final against Rafa because as you said there is a long way to go and there are many other great players who want to win this title as much as we do. But remembering that match, it was one of the best matches I’ve played on clay courts and that was I think, the closest I go to beating Rafa on clay courts It took me a while to recover after that loss. It was a really painful loss because I had three match points and it took four hours but on the other side, as I said, the nice memories are something that I keep from this tournament and this match, even though I lost it, I remember it in a good way because I know I can play well here and I know I can beat top players if I’m playing my game, if I’m having a good day – I just need to believe that.
Q: Are you surprised with the level that Juan MartÃn Del Potro is showing coming back to the Tour now and do you think that by the end of the season he could be a top 5 contender as he was in 2009?
A: I think he will be top 5 by the end of the year and I’m not really surprised with the way he is playing because he has always been one of the best players in the world, even at the time when he won the US Open, when he was at the very top and he was beating everybody in men’s tennis. It’s really difficult to come back after nine months off injury but he has a quality to beat any player on any surface. He has a big serve, he has very powerful ground strokes, mentally he´s a strong player and he´s definitely motivated to win some matches now and he’s been coming back in great style.
Q: What do you think about your first opponent, Kevin Anderson?
A: Well, we had two encounters so far and both of them were in Miami. I lost 2008 and won this year. He’s a big server and a very dangerous player to play against especially in these conditions because a we said the ball flies very fast through the air here and for somebody who is that aggressive as he is it’s quite suitable. A lot depends on me but also on his serve as well. If he serves very well and if he has a lot of efficiency on that serve he can be very dangerous so, I expect a tough match.
Courtesy: UBITennis
A: Well it´s no secret that it’s been the best five months of my career. I´m on a great streak and I definitely want to keep on going. I took some time off after Miami and I didn´t play in Monte Carlo so that gave me a couple of weeks to recover and really get ready for clay courts which actually require quite some time to get ready for. Then I went to my hometown, to my country and played a couple of matches there. So far I´m feeling good and very motivated to keep on winning.
Q: You know how tough it is to win back to back Masters Series – Indian Wells and Miami. What do you think of Madrid and Rome back to back tournaments, on clay with just seven days between each?
A: You said it all. It’s a huge challenge for us to win back to back Masters Series. I´ve done it for the first time I my life in Indian Wells and Miami but we got a bit more time between those two tournaments and between Madrid and Rome there is no time – week after week and it’s clay court which requires a lot more physical strength and because it’s a slower surface on the Tour you need to work much harder for your points. But here the conditions in Madrid are a bit different to other tournaments on clay because of the altitude, the ball flies quite fast through the air. The only time that I’ve played here was two years ago and I played a great tournament, played a fantastic match against Rafa so I have nice memories of the centre court and I look forward to coming back and I´m not thinking about my streak, I’m not thinking about how long this run will go for or if I can win every tournament I play in. I’m just trying to take it easy, take one match at a time and that’s all.
Q: So you say that you are not thinking about how long that streak will last even though you’ve got three tournaments on clay with the clay king in it, who normally plays the final at least in the past. How realistic is it to go through the clay season without a loss?
A: Well I didn’t think it was realistic to go without a loss in the first 3/4 months but it happened. I guess anything is possible if you really believe that you can achieve and if you’re fit, physically, if you’re mentally fresh and motivated and if you’re dedicated to the sport and this is something that I have been doing lately. I’ve been working very hard on my game, on my mental approach as well and my stability and now it´s paying off. There is no secret; it’s just something that I’ve been working on in the last couple of years playing on the Tour. I knew that I had quality and I just need to get some things together and it’s happening right now. If I’d believe that I can win every match on clay until the end of the clay season then no, I don’t believe that. I will just try to take one match at a time and we’ll see how far it can go.
Q: You were given a special passport at home, the you were honoured by the Orthodox Church, what´s next, Oscars?
A: There have been many commitments off court for me in Belgrade. It’s obvious; I haven’t been in my country for a long time. Of course I am very flattered when I have a lot of appreciation from the people that I receive awards. Every award is special in it’s way but the honour that I got from the Serbian Orthodox Church is by far the most precious, the most meaningful honour that I ever got and I think that I will ever get because it’s the highest honour that you can get in our church. People who receive it are people who usually get involved in helping other people and just for who you are as a person and not as an athlete and for what you have done in your career so that means a lot to me and definitely it’s been one of the nicest experiences in my life.
Q: Talking of experiences in your life, we all remember the extraordinary semi-final you played here with Rafa two years ago when you went over four hours and had the match points of course there´s a lot of tennis to be played before Sunday but IF it comes to you and Rafa in the final how much will THAT performance where you competed for four hours against him, give you confidence?
A: Let´s be honest, I don´t really feel like talking about An eventual final against Rafa because as you said there is a long way to go and there are many other great players who want to win this title as much as we do. But remembering that match, it was one of the best matches I’ve played on clay courts and that was I think, the closest I go to beating Rafa on clay courts It took me a while to recover after that loss. It was a really painful loss because I had three match points and it took four hours but on the other side, as I said, the nice memories are something that I keep from this tournament and this match, even though I lost it, I remember it in a good way because I know I can play well here and I know I can beat top players if I’m playing my game, if I’m having a good day – I just need to believe that.
Q: Are you surprised with the level that Juan MartÃn Del Potro is showing coming back to the Tour now and do you think that by the end of the season he could be a top 5 contender as he was in 2009?
A: I think he will be top 5 by the end of the year and I’m not really surprised with the way he is playing because he has always been one of the best players in the world, even at the time when he won the US Open, when he was at the very top and he was beating everybody in men’s tennis. It’s really difficult to come back after nine months off injury but he has a quality to beat any player on any surface. He has a big serve, he has very powerful ground strokes, mentally he´s a strong player and he´s definitely motivated to win some matches now and he’s been coming back in great style.
Q: What do you think about your first opponent, Kevin Anderson?
A: Well, we had two encounters so far and both of them were in Miami. I lost 2008 and won this year. He’s a big server and a very dangerous player to play against especially in these conditions because a we said the ball flies very fast through the air here and for somebody who is that aggressive as he is it’s quite suitable. A lot depends on me but also on his serve as well. If he serves very well and if he has a lot of efficiency on that serve he can be very dangerous so, I expect a tough match.
Courtesy: UBITennis
Novak Djokovic - Post Match Press Conference Transcript - Anderson Match
Q. Congratulations on your win today, you’ve got one more win before you’ve called Ivan Lendl's record on 29 wins to start the season. What would it mean to you to reach that mark record?
A. Well it’s a great honor of course it’s very flattering to be part of that elite but it’s not my priority. I’m really taking one match at a time and I hope I can win.
Q. Novak, how did the knee feel coming back into tennis?
A. Great, no pain, nothing.
Q. could you just sum up your performance please Novak?
A. Well I'm happy with today’s performance first, its obviously the first match in Madrid after 2 years, and conditions here are really fast and its hard to control the ball. If your playing a good server like Anderson it’s a big effort to make a break and I tried very hard, it was a lot of work but I did twice every set which was enough.
Q. How different are the conditions here to the other big clay court events in terms of speed and altitude?
A. Yeah well where there is altitude, there is less control of the ball and there are more mistakes and you could feel that so it is crucial to stay focused for each point because you don’t get that much time and you don’t have that much control on these courts and in these conditions so you got to serve well and if you serve well it’s an advantage so those are the conditions here.
Q. Hi, are you going to watch Nadal’s match?
A. No.
Q. Hi Novak, coming up to your 24th birthday, do you think this could be your tennis peak?
A. It’s a fact that I'm playing the best tennis of my life and I'm definitely happy about it. I'm still quite young and I want to continue playing on this level of professional tennis for a couple more years and hope I can reach my goal. I need to stay dedicated and stay professional and work as hard as I have until now.
Q. We all know Rafa's record on clay. If the altitude and other things make this an untypical clay tournament, is this an opportunity to break his sequence?
A. Can you repeat that please, you are talking too fast.
Q. Because it’s different on clay from other tournaments, is this a chance to break his amazing clay sequence?
A. Well, I don’t know if this is a question for me because if I get to play him, I play him in the finals so there’s still a long way until that Sunday. I think there are players that can win against Rafa in these conditions, I mean if there is any court where you will have a chance against him on clay, and it’s this one here. If you serve well and if your begin aggressive you have a chance, nobody is invincible, not him, not anybody else but you know, but all the credit to him for being incredibly successful on this surface and he's definitely very, very hard to beat on clay.
Q. If I could sneak in 2 quick questions, first of all, you’re sounding a bit throaty do you have a cold?
A. I've had it since Belgrade so I've been carrying it since then, but it’s getting better.
Q. Now the more important one, if anyone had said to you at the start of the year, you were going to win your first 28 matches of the year, what would you have said?
A. This, (signs a paper), sign. (laughs) Well, I didn’t expect obviously to win that many matches in a row its a kind of a surprise to me definitely. But I always believed I had quality to win against any player on any surface and I know that so the situation has changed, and I am a more mature player, more experienced, more stable on the court, I have more self believe which is very important for this level.
Q. Novak you once told me that playing top level tennis was a mental affair more than it is a physical affair. Do you still feel that considering that physically you seem to be in very good shape and that coincides with some very good tennis you are playing. Is there another secret, a mental side to this as well?
A. I still think that the bottom line is that this is a mental game in the end because everybody out there is working hours and hours a day on and off the court. There are so many strong and fit players. The difference is obviously that mental ability, to handle the pressure you know, to stay mentally strong to play the right charter at the right time. I still think that in the end, at this level, a couple of points decide the winner. Even today, even though it was a straight set win, a couple of points decided a couple of breaks and if he broke me who knows in which direction the match would have gone so you know, it’s very much mental.
Courtesy: UBITennis
A. Well it’s a great honor of course it’s very flattering to be part of that elite but it’s not my priority. I’m really taking one match at a time and I hope I can win.
Q. Novak, how did the knee feel coming back into tennis?
A. Great, no pain, nothing.
Q. could you just sum up your performance please Novak?
A. Well I'm happy with today’s performance first, its obviously the first match in Madrid after 2 years, and conditions here are really fast and its hard to control the ball. If your playing a good server like Anderson it’s a big effort to make a break and I tried very hard, it was a lot of work but I did twice every set which was enough.
Q. How different are the conditions here to the other big clay court events in terms of speed and altitude?
A. Yeah well where there is altitude, there is less control of the ball and there are more mistakes and you could feel that so it is crucial to stay focused for each point because you don’t get that much time and you don’t have that much control on these courts and in these conditions so you got to serve well and if you serve well it’s an advantage so those are the conditions here.
Q. Hi, are you going to watch Nadal’s match?
A. No.
Q. Hi Novak, coming up to your 24th birthday, do you think this could be your tennis peak?
A. It’s a fact that I'm playing the best tennis of my life and I'm definitely happy about it. I'm still quite young and I want to continue playing on this level of professional tennis for a couple more years and hope I can reach my goal. I need to stay dedicated and stay professional and work as hard as I have until now.
Q. We all know Rafa's record on clay. If the altitude and other things make this an untypical clay tournament, is this an opportunity to break his sequence?
A. Can you repeat that please, you are talking too fast.
Q. Because it’s different on clay from other tournaments, is this a chance to break his amazing clay sequence?
A. Well, I don’t know if this is a question for me because if I get to play him, I play him in the finals so there’s still a long way until that Sunday. I think there are players that can win against Rafa in these conditions, I mean if there is any court where you will have a chance against him on clay, and it’s this one here. If you serve well and if your begin aggressive you have a chance, nobody is invincible, not him, not anybody else but you know, but all the credit to him for being incredibly successful on this surface and he's definitely very, very hard to beat on clay.
Q. If I could sneak in 2 quick questions, first of all, you’re sounding a bit throaty do you have a cold?
A. I've had it since Belgrade so I've been carrying it since then, but it’s getting better.
Q. Now the more important one, if anyone had said to you at the start of the year, you were going to win your first 28 matches of the year, what would you have said?
A. This, (signs a paper), sign. (laughs) Well, I didn’t expect obviously to win that many matches in a row its a kind of a surprise to me definitely. But I always believed I had quality to win against any player on any surface and I know that so the situation has changed, and I am a more mature player, more experienced, more stable on the court, I have more self believe which is very important for this level.
Q. Novak you once told me that playing top level tennis was a mental affair more than it is a physical affair. Do you still feel that considering that physically you seem to be in very good shape and that coincides with some very good tennis you are playing. Is there another secret, a mental side to this as well?
A. I still think that the bottom line is that this is a mental game in the end because everybody out there is working hours and hours a day on and off the court. There are so many strong and fit players. The difference is obviously that mental ability, to handle the pressure you know, to stay mentally strong to play the right charter at the right time. I still think that in the end, at this level, a couple of points decide the winner. Even today, even though it was a straight set win, a couple of points decided a couple of breaks and if he broke me who knows in which direction the match would have gone so you know, it’s very much mental.
Courtesy: UBITennis
Novak Djokovic - Post Match Press Conference Transcript
Q: So when are you going to get tired?
A: Never.
Q: Seriously you must feel so full of confidence that you feel you could walk on water tomorrow?
A: Confidence is obviously very high and at this stage it plays an important role in my game and I’m trying to use it to continue this winning streak. I’m taking one match at a time, focusing on my next rival and that’s very important.
Q: Are you a studier of tennis records and do you know that you have equaled Ivan Lendl’s records for a start of a year going back to 1986?
A: I’ve been asked that question a couple of hundred times in the past few weeks and I will say it again – I’m very flattered to be in the lead and to be able to have the same amount of wins as this tennis legend but it’s not something I think about. It’s the least of my priorities. I just want to keep on winning and that’s what it’s all about.
Q: You were perfect of first service points; has that ever happened to you before or do you want to talk about your service game a little bit?
A: I was winning my service games really comfortably and that’s something that I’m happy about today and it´s a very encouraging fact for my upcoming matches especially on clay where you don’t expect that many free points with the serve and it’s important for me to see that I raised the level of performance today for upcoming quarter finals.
Q: How important is your relationship with your coach to this success because I think it’s fair to say sometimes on the court when we’ve been watching you you’ve had your ups and downs?
A: Well it´s normal to have ups and downs in life not just in this professional sport. You’ve got to go through a period of learning and that’s and that’s what I did, trying to pick up and gain this necessary experience which will help me to perform as best as I can on court and Marion was and still is chief of this boat that we are in. He’s been helping me on and off the court. He´s been a real friend. For me it’s really important to have somebody that I can rely on in the difficult moments and that’s what I have in him. Last year when I was going through a tough couple of months of the year, 2010, he was there to help me, to listen to me and we worked things out together.
Q: You’ve spoken a lot about recapturing your serve, which has been a big part of this run, but also you’re so much stronger, so much more confident at the net now. Years ago you got Mark Woodford in to help and Todd Martin did a little bit but can you just talk about how your confidence in your net game has improved?
A: When you’re playing well and winning so many matches then you open your options on the court, just different styles, different varieties of the shots, areas of the court that you maybe don’t always feel comfortable playing in but when you’re confident and you’re going to the net, you’re hitting the shots, you’re some shots that you normally wouldn’t go for so maybe that’s the case. I’ve been working hard on my net game in the last two or three years. You mentioned some names that were part of our team but Marian has always been the head coach there and I’ve been working with him most of the time and trying to develop my game as best I can. I know that I am playing great now but there is always something that you can improve on – you can never play perfect. I’m always trying to improve, always trying to work and I know that work will pay off.
Courtesy:UBITennis
A: Never.
Q: Seriously you must feel so full of confidence that you feel you could walk on water tomorrow?
A: Confidence is obviously very high and at this stage it plays an important role in my game and I’m trying to use it to continue this winning streak. I’m taking one match at a time, focusing on my next rival and that’s very important.
Q: Are you a studier of tennis records and do you know that you have equaled Ivan Lendl’s records for a start of a year going back to 1986?
A: I’ve been asked that question a couple of hundred times in the past few weeks and I will say it again – I’m very flattered to be in the lead and to be able to have the same amount of wins as this tennis legend but it’s not something I think about. It’s the least of my priorities. I just want to keep on winning and that’s what it’s all about.
Q: You were perfect of first service points; has that ever happened to you before or do you want to talk about your service game a little bit?
A: I was winning my service games really comfortably and that’s something that I’m happy about today and it´s a very encouraging fact for my upcoming matches especially on clay where you don’t expect that many free points with the serve and it’s important for me to see that I raised the level of performance today for upcoming quarter finals.
Q: How important is your relationship with your coach to this success because I think it’s fair to say sometimes on the court when we’ve been watching you you’ve had your ups and downs?
A: Well it´s normal to have ups and downs in life not just in this professional sport. You’ve got to go through a period of learning and that’s and that’s what I did, trying to pick up and gain this necessary experience which will help me to perform as best as I can on court and Marion was and still is chief of this boat that we are in. He’s been helping me on and off the court. He´s been a real friend. For me it’s really important to have somebody that I can rely on in the difficult moments and that’s what I have in him. Last year when I was going through a tough couple of months of the year, 2010, he was there to help me, to listen to me and we worked things out together.
Q: You’ve spoken a lot about recapturing your serve, which has been a big part of this run, but also you’re so much stronger, so much more confident at the net now. Years ago you got Mark Woodford in to help and Todd Martin did a little bit but can you just talk about how your confidence in your net game has improved?
A: When you’re playing well and winning so many matches then you open your options on the court, just different styles, different varieties of the shots, areas of the court that you maybe don’t always feel comfortable playing in but when you’re confident and you’re going to the net, you’re hitting the shots, you’re some shots that you normally wouldn’t go for so maybe that’s the case. I’ve been working hard on my net game in the last two or three years. You mentioned some names that were part of our team but Marian has always been the head coach there and I’ve been working with him most of the time and trying to develop my game as best I can. I know that I am playing great now but there is always something that you can improve on – you can never play perfect. I’m always trying to improve, always trying to work and I know that work will pay off.
Courtesy:UBITennis
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Novak Djokovic - The March Continues
Another good day at the office for Novak as he swept aside Garcia-Lopez with the loss of just 3 games. He has now matched Ivan Lendl's start to the 1986 season. Borg's start to the 1980 season is next in line and that stands at 33. The record is held by John McEnroe at 42 and Novak will have to go all the way to Paris to get near that milestone.
Novak Djokovic - Interview from Madrid
Found on MTF
Original article here
He's the man of the moment; his 2011 run is so spectacular that not even him can believe it's real. He debuts today in Madrid after winning 5 straight titles, but he admits that clay is Nadal's turf. Accessible, funny and honest, he answers our questions before his match against Kevin Anderson.
Q. We have to talk about your 2011 season. When are you going to lose?
Ha ha! How am I going to think about losing? I only have in mind winning every tournament that I play in. It's being a very good streak, the best five months of my career without a doubt. Obviously, I didn't imagine I would win as much as I've done.
Q. Do you have an explanation for it?
I'm very focused, very serious about everything. That's the key to my success.
Q. And why are you more focused now than before?
It's a combination of many things. I've always played at a high level before but I usually had too many ups and downs, it was like a rollercoaster. Now I feel more comfortable, confident, stable, everything fits together. I can control my emotions better now, I know what I have to do. It's easy as that.
Q. Do you feel special after winning 29 straight victories and 5 straight titles?
I don't feel like a hero. I simply feel like a more matured player, more serious.
Q. How important have been the changes to your diet?
I consulted my nutricionist ((Igor Cetojevic) about which diet I should follow. What can and cannot eat. He changed my diet with less carbohydrats. I feel better now, but that's not the only change, the only answer. It's a combination of many things. The hard work is paying off. That's the only secret.
Q. Now it's the clay season, Nadal's turf.
Yes, but I'm in a very good moment and I want to go on like this. I rested well after Miami. I skipped Montecarlo and that allowed me to recover and prepare better for the clay season. After that I played some matches at home in Belgrade. I'm motivated to keep on winning, but I'm taking it easy...
Q. You have won back to back Masters in Miami and IW. Do you see yourself capable of winning Madrid and Rome?
It's a very big challenge to win back to back these type of tournaments. I did it for the first time in Miami and Indian Wells. But Madrid and Rome it's more difficult. There's almost no time to rest between each other. Physically it is very demanding because it is on clay and it requires a bigger effort. You have to work more for it. But the conditions in Madrid with the altitude are different to other clay tournaments.
Q. A lot of people travel with you at every tournament. You have a very big entourage. How many people have your phone number?
Bufff... I have never been asked this before, it's hard to answer. Let me think... i don't know what to tell you. It's easy for me to give my phone number to people, I'm not very reserved with those kind of things.
Q. What do yo do when you're not playing?
I like to spend time with my girlfriend. I try to spend a lot of time with her in Montercarlo, she's a student. I like to do many different things, specially play other sports. I play football, golf, ski...
Q. What is your handicap in golf?
Between 15 and 20, depends. Now it's closer to 20...
Q. Now that you talk about your girlfriend... Are you romantic?
Yes, yes, I am, of course. I admit it, I'm a romantic soul. I've been with my girlfriend for five years and a half now. I love her and she loves me. Love is the most important thing in life, to be in love is beautiful. The rest comes with life, but to love someone and be loved gives you energy, stability. Definitely, love gives me strength.
Q. Hotel or tourism?
I like to explore the cities, walk the streets and discover its secrets. I love nature and going for a walk outdoors. I don't have much time to do many spectacular things during a tournament. We spend all day training, in that sense it's very hard to be a tennis player. So i only have time to rest, watch movies...
Q. What kind of movies?
I like action movies, but I can watch any type.
Q. And books?
Yes, i read a lot. Depends on the moment i read one book or another. I like books that inspire me like personal life stories. I look for books that spirit me, that give answers to life, how to become stable. I also read thrillers, novels, simple stories. I don't have much time for deeper stuff or philosophycal.
Q. Why do you live in Montecarlo?
It's a quiet place, very comfortable, I feel good there.
Q. Do you fear anything at all?
Mmmm.... yes, of course, many things scare me.
Q. Insects, spiders?
Yes, some animals of course, I'm no stranger to that. But specifically I hate heights. I will never jump with a parachute, for example, I prefer to have my feet on the ground.
Q. Who would you like to meet for a coffee?
Michael Jordan, without a doubt.
Q. What would you like to win in your career to die in peace?
I dream with winning Wimbledon and be number 1.
Q. You're close...
I know. I fight for it!
Original article here
He's the man of the moment; his 2011 run is so spectacular that not even him can believe it's real. He debuts today in Madrid after winning 5 straight titles, but he admits that clay is Nadal's turf. Accessible, funny and honest, he answers our questions before his match against Kevin Anderson.
Q. We have to talk about your 2011 season. When are you going to lose?
Ha ha! How am I going to think about losing? I only have in mind winning every tournament that I play in. It's being a very good streak, the best five months of my career without a doubt. Obviously, I didn't imagine I would win as much as I've done.
Q. Do you have an explanation for it?
I'm very focused, very serious about everything. That's the key to my success.
Q. And why are you more focused now than before?
It's a combination of many things. I've always played at a high level before but I usually had too many ups and downs, it was like a rollercoaster. Now I feel more comfortable, confident, stable, everything fits together. I can control my emotions better now, I know what I have to do. It's easy as that.
Q. Do you feel special after winning 29 straight victories and 5 straight titles?
I don't feel like a hero. I simply feel like a more matured player, more serious.
Q. How important have been the changes to your diet?
I consulted my nutricionist ((Igor Cetojevic) about which diet I should follow. What can and cannot eat. He changed my diet with less carbohydrats. I feel better now, but that's not the only change, the only answer. It's a combination of many things. The hard work is paying off. That's the only secret.
Q. Now it's the clay season, Nadal's turf.
Yes, but I'm in a very good moment and I want to go on like this. I rested well after Miami. I skipped Montecarlo and that allowed me to recover and prepare better for the clay season. After that I played some matches at home in Belgrade. I'm motivated to keep on winning, but I'm taking it easy...
Q. You have won back to back Masters in Miami and IW. Do you see yourself capable of winning Madrid and Rome?
It's a very big challenge to win back to back these type of tournaments. I did it for the first time in Miami and Indian Wells. But Madrid and Rome it's more difficult. There's almost no time to rest between each other. Physically it is very demanding because it is on clay and it requires a bigger effort. You have to work more for it. But the conditions in Madrid with the altitude are different to other clay tournaments.
Q. A lot of people travel with you at every tournament. You have a very big entourage. How many people have your phone number?
Bufff... I have never been asked this before, it's hard to answer. Let me think... i don't know what to tell you. It's easy for me to give my phone number to people, I'm not very reserved with those kind of things.
Q. What do yo do when you're not playing?
I like to spend time with my girlfriend. I try to spend a lot of time with her in Montercarlo, she's a student. I like to do many different things, specially play other sports. I play football, golf, ski...
Q. What is your handicap in golf?
Between 15 and 20, depends. Now it's closer to 20...
Q. Now that you talk about your girlfriend... Are you romantic?
Yes, yes, I am, of course. I admit it, I'm a romantic soul. I've been with my girlfriend for five years and a half now. I love her and she loves me. Love is the most important thing in life, to be in love is beautiful. The rest comes with life, but to love someone and be loved gives you energy, stability. Definitely, love gives me strength.
Q. Hotel or tourism?
I like to explore the cities, walk the streets and discover its secrets. I love nature and going for a walk outdoors. I don't have much time to do many spectacular things during a tournament. We spend all day training, in that sense it's very hard to be a tennis player. So i only have time to rest, watch movies...
Q. What kind of movies?
I like action movies, but I can watch any type.
Q. And books?
Yes, i read a lot. Depends on the moment i read one book or another. I like books that inspire me like personal life stories. I look for books that spirit me, that give answers to life, how to become stable. I also read thrillers, novels, simple stories. I don't have much time for deeper stuff or philosophycal.
Q. Why do you live in Montecarlo?
It's a quiet place, very comfortable, I feel good there.
Q. Do you fear anything at all?
Mmmm.... yes, of course, many things scare me.
Q. Insects, spiders?
Yes, some animals of course, I'm no stranger to that. But specifically I hate heights. I will never jump with a parachute, for example, I prefer to have my feet on the ground.
Q. Who would you like to meet for a coffee?
Michael Jordan, without a doubt.
Q. What would you like to win in your career to die in peace?
I dream with winning Wimbledon and be number 1.
Q. You're close...
I know. I fight for it!
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
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