2008 Australian Open: Quotes from the Interview Room - Week One
Selected comments from the players during the first week of the 2008 Australian Open...
Discussing her thoughts prior to the tournament and what she hoped to accomplish, how she was feeling coming into the event, etc.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I was just more happy with the fact that I had a really good four to five weeks of really solid training. I put the work in. This is just the time where you go out and you hope that the work that you put in just translates into the matches. Obviously you never know what can happen, how you're going to feel physically, how you're going to go out there. A practice match or a practice is completely different than going out and playing in front of 10,000, 15,000, you know, people. It's completely different. You just hope, you know, when you finally go out on the court, you hope that work that you put in just translates. You can't think about what you did in the past years. You can't think about what your results were. You just got to look forward to what's going to come up.
Talking about Lindsay Davenport’s comeback after giving birth to her son, Jagger, last June…
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I don't know. Like I said, I just ‑‑ I can't personally imagine it. I mean, I love tennis. But, I mean, I just ‑‑ the recovery level and the workout regime. When I see pregnant women walking, I'm like, How do they walk? My back hurts looking at them (laughter). It's just like I have so much respect for those players, those people. So I just, you know ‑‑ personally, I don't know whether I could do that. But, you know, I just have so much respect for Lindsay. It's incredible.
Talking about nerves before his first round match…
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, you always get nervous and anxious. I get it every week, but always in Grand Slams. You know, I think any athlete gets that. You know, especially probably first round, as well, you want to get yourself into the tournament a little bit. So, yeah, you're always a little bit anxious to try and get that first one under your belt.
Discussing the new blue plexicushion courts…
ROGER FEDERER: You know, balls fluff up quite a bit. So towards the end, before ball change, I mean, the balls are heavy. It's tough to bang them down for an ace, you know. Depends on who you play, how you play. You can, you know, shorten the points beforehand so balls stay really quick all the way through. It depends on who you play and how you play, honestly. We'll see how it goes, who you play. But I was feeling good tonight. I didn't think it was crazy slow, which was okay. That's why I think it's pretty similar to last year, to be honest.
Describing how she thinks a positive drug test result should be handled…
JUSTINE HENIN: I think as soon as you are tested positive you should be suspended at that time.
Talking about playing night matches at the Australian Open…
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, last year I have some night matches and it's tough, especially for the next day. Because if you play very long match in night session you can go to sleep 5:00, 6:00. Last year I was sleeping two times with the sun, so it's difficult later, no, be at 100 percent. For sure if it's possible I prefer play day session.
Describing how the new plexicushion court makes the tennis ball very fuzzy…
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean, I guess the simplest analogy is if you have a piece of sandpaper and it's grittier and you rub a ball on it it's going to get this way a lot faster than if I rub it on this table and it's smooth. I think that's kind of the effect the court is having on the ball.Talking about how her performance in one match, e.g. playing poorly, impacts her feelings going into the next match…
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, to be honest, at this point, I feel like I know how to play tennis. And whether or not I have my best match or a match that's not so good for me is not something that worries me for the next round. So either way, it's just important for me to get to the next round. I feel like I can always play better, even if I play well.
Talking about playing doubles with sister, Serena Williams…
VENUS WILLIAMS: We're very serious about the doubles. We love doubles. Recent years we haven't been lucky, so we're like, Okay, let's get through the singles. But we love playing with each other. Nothing like playing with Serena. It's like playing with myself. So it's amazing. And we love winning the titles. I mean, when we were playing doubles, we were racking them up. Grand Slam titles are wonderful things to have. We hope we get to play more. We definitely are going to try to play a lot this year.
Describing the impact of the Davis Cup win for him…
JAMES BLAKE: That was the highlight of my career, for sure, so far. It was something where I'll draw back on that experience, that memory any time I'm in a close match I think because I really think every close match is different. But I don't think anyone can match the pressure of a Davis Cup final. Playing that match against Youzhny was so thrilling, three tiebreakers, and to come out and win that, know I can get through tough matches, hopefully it will help me throughout the rest of my career. But whether or not it does, it's a memory that can never be taken away and it's something that I'm proud of and will continue to be proud that I can always say I'm a Davis Cup champion and that I was teammates ‑‑ I'm even more proud to say I was teammates with Andy Roddick, the Bryan twins, Mardy Fish, Robby Ginepri, and those guys that I care so much about, and that we all did that together.
Describing his feelings about tennis compared to his second round opponent, Fabrice Santoro who said it was fun for him…
ROGER FEDERER: Sure. I mean, for me probably it's a bit different because I'm at the very top and I'm facing sort of different pressure. It's maybe not such a grind day in and day out. It's more, you know, the pressure I'm facing. But honestly, I still also want it to be what I wanted it to be in the first place: love for the game. I always said, you know, this is what I always wanted to do. And when it came along and it became all crazy with media and sponsors and stuff, I didn't really think part of it. I told myself, You got to enjoy the ride. It's part of it now. Don't let that scare you away, you know. Honestly, I've enjoyed it, you know, starting with local media back in the day when I was a junior, and going all the way, I've enjoyed the changes, you know. I'm happy it didn't take away the pleasure of playing, because that's what it comes down to for me in the end. I like practice, but in the end I love the matches out on the tennis court in front of the supporters, which is nice.
Discussing her play and serving in her loss in the third round…
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, confidence and really not keeping in mind the aggressivity that I should have, the fact that I should ‑‑ as I was doing very well in the beginning, mixing up some serve and volley, stay back. That works pretty well usually on my serve, but forgot a little bit about that second and third set.
Discussing equal prize money for women and whether they should get aid more than the men…
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Let's not get greedy here. No, I'm happy that it's equal. I think all the girls are. I think it's definitely fair. We fought for a really long time. I think prize money should grow in both women's and men's tennis, because I think the popularity of our sport is growing in so many different areas of the world. To see it expand with every trip you take into different regions, it's incredible. And I hope with years to come, like Billie Jean King did for us, we can do for the generation that's going to be playing when we're all retired.
Talking about his feelings after his five set loss to Philipp Kohlschreiber…
ANDY RODDICK: No, yeah, it's rough. You know, you play a match that long, you come out the wrong end, it doesn't feel good. You know, I'm trying to think of a new and exciting way to say that. But, I don't know, it's not good. It's not fun.
Talking about the life of a pro athlete…
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, but that's sports, man. You know, if you don't want like an emotional rollercoaster, if you want to be serene and kind of chilled out all day, then get a job serving Margaritas at the beach or something. When you decide to be a pro athlete you're going to have ups, you're going to have downs, you're going to have extreme highs and extreme lows. That's just the nature of the beast.
Describing whether he was concerned during his five set match against Janko Tipsarevic…
ROGER FEDERER: Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course you're concerned. Especially like I said I'm not often in those situations. So, sure, you feel the crowd's getting into it, the opponent is getting into it, and then, yeah, things are the just not happening. On top of that, all the opportunities missed, you know, put me in a lot of pressure. And I was back against the wall and I was playing a guy who's confident and believes in his chance. So it was difficult, you know. But I tried to sort of block that out when I entered the fifth set, and I was happy I really served well and didn't give him much opportunity. The longer the match went on I just thought he was getting more and more tired, and I just knew if I hang in there and serve well, hopefully it's going to end my way. But we've seen so many crazy things happen in those stages, so you can't really believe too much in that, as well.
Talking after his come from behind five set win against Sebastien Grosjean…
JAMES BLAKE: Yeah, that was ‑‑ that's got to be my biggest comeback, I would say: Down two sets to Love, two sets to one, two breaks against a guy that was getting a lot of free points on his serve; 4‑1 in the breaker, 5‑3 in the breaker. Just seemed like every time there was a mountain to climb. Couldn't have been a better feeling than to accomplish what I did and come back and play so well and feel like I was fresh physically, and mentally stayed focused the whole time, even when I was down. Had I lost the match, hopefully could have come off and said, I did my best. You know, some of them now are turning my way. It's a good feeling.
Talking about whether Grand Slam matches should be played at 4:30 am…
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know how I would react. Probably I would have to have coffee on the court (laughter). I don't know. I was really amazed. I woke up in the middle of the night and I turned on the TV and there was Hewitt still playing. I was like, My goodness. I don't even know. And those guys were really fighting. It was an unbelievable match. It was unfortunate that one of them had to lose because they were both great, playing unbelievable tennis. And I was really ‑‑ I felt sorry for Marcos because he played such a match. He's a great guy, a great character. When I saw him cry at the end, I felt sorry for him. I know how it feels. But playing at that time, you know, of the day, at 4:30 in the morning, I don't know how they done it. I mean, your body at that time almost all the time sleeps, except the few times you go to party till 4:30 or 5 in the morning. But that doesn't happen that often, especially not in Grand Slams (laughter).
Describing his feelings after his five set loss to Lleyton Hewitt…
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It is tough, but it's a positive thing. I love the game. It's another time that I went out there, I had ‑‑ I lost the match, but I came out with so many good emotions. I had really so much fun, and the crowd was great. I'm really happy. I mean, the way I'm playing, the way I deal with things, and that's all I have to say. It's tough losing a match. I'm a bit disappointed, that's for sure. But I worked hard with my coaches and it's nice to come out and, I mean, have so many good emotions like today. I'm just really happy the way I'm playing, and I'm ready for the season. That's a positive thing, for sure. I'm disappointed. I don't know what to say. It's tough to swallow, but that's life. Life is hard to have to accept it and try to follow.
Discussing his roller-coaster five set match against Marcos Baghdatis…
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was a lot of different feelings, I guess, the whole match, four‑and‑a‑half hours or whatever it was. Yeah, it was, you know, in a lot of ways not only physical balance but a mental battle for both of us, as well. Obviously having a match point and serving for it a couple of times in the fourth set, but being able to bounce back as strong as I did and put that all behind me in the fifth, yeah, mentally this will go down as one of my best wins.
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