Commenting after his loss to Marin Cilic and responding to whether he had hurt his left wrist…
ANDY MURRAY: I had a problem with it for a week or so. But regardless, I mean, you know, I just struggled today. I played poorly. You know, I'm obviously very disappointed. I mean, after, you know, the way that the last three Slams went I felt like I had actually played well and lost.  And today, you know, it didn't feel like didn't feel like I played well. I had my chance in the first set, and then, you know, struggled after that. You know, energy was I mean, I guess the momentum went with him, and I didn't manage to get it back. So, you know, I wasn't able to return well.

Commenting whether his loss to Marin Cilic was the worst loss of his career…
ANDY MURRAY: My tennis career, yeah. I mean, worse things have happened to me, that's for sure. In terms of tennis, you know, I guess that you know, it's just kind of the way the match went, I think, really, makes it disappointing.  But, you know, I believe that I'll come back better from it. I'll learn a lot from what happened this week, like I have done most times when I've had bad results. You know, I'll come back better and stronger.

Explaining the adidas coaching team and how they complement her father who is her coach…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, the adidas team is very ‑‑ it's very nice. We have Darren Cahill, Sven Groeneveld, Matts Merkel as a hitting partner, and Gil Reyes is the fitness coach.  So it's a great team to have, and it's nice to have someone there to hit with during the tournaments, as well. My dad is my main coach, but it's nice to get some input from the outside, as well. It's great that adidas has made such a great effort to do such a program, and it also makes us a team. The adidas players have a great connection with each other, and I think that's great.

Describing her strengths as a player…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think I have a -- I'm thinking well on the court. I think that I make the right decisions. I think that I'm a fighter. I run well, but I'm also capable of changing the rhythm, be aggressive. I think I'm an all‑around player.

Commenting after losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the quarters…
MELANIE OUDIN: I've had a great run this tournament. For me, I'm a perfectionist, so losing today was a disappointment. I mean, I wanted to win. Losing isn't good enough for me.  But, you know, the whole experience here that I've had is going to take me a long way, I think. Just I'm going to remember this for a long time. I've gained a lot of confidence through this tournament, and I think I can only get better.

After winning his quarterfinal match, commenting about Andy Murray being upset by Marin Cilic…
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean I don't think -- it's just not easy to win Slams. I mean, it's just that simple. (laughter.)  Okay, you might think I have a lot, but I played many before where I didn't win, as well. And semis or finals just doesn't give you the win yet. It's a tough road, and you have to finish the deal and it's a hard thing to do.  I mean, now I've played great, but if I crash out in the semis, it's a pity, you know. I think that's what he went through. He had a great summer, and leading into the US Open he was one of the favorites. Of course it's disappointing I think for himself that he didn't come through. I think he definitely has the game to do much better than losing yesterday against Cilic in, what is it, the fourth round.  It's tough. It happens like that. You have to move on from it, get stronger, and give yourself opportunities. That's exactly what I've been doing, you know. There's many good guys out there right now, Cilic is one of them, Del Potro. They're making a name for themselves. It's not that simple right now to dominate, I think.

Commenting on hosting a few children of 9/11 victims in his box during his matches at the U.S. Open this year…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, well, I mean, we had this idea before the tournament, and I didn't want to talk about it, obviously. I think it's -- well, it's a gesture that I hope it means for them. I've been meeting, you know, four different guys, you know, in these two weeks.  I have been giving them some presents after the matches. Obviously we don't want to talk about the past and what happened. It's something that I have been going through, as well, something similar in my past, you know, through the war and all these things.  So I know what it feels like, so I just try to bring some smiles and make them enjoy. I hope that's what I did.

Commenting on adding Todd Martin to his coaching team…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I think it's obvious, and people can see that we're quite, quite different. You know, I like to speak and fool around, and he likes to take his time whenever he says anything to anybody. He likes to take his time.  He's a wiser man than me, absolutely, and more experience and had more intelligent. You know, I think we make a good combination. He's a great, great guy. What I like with him is that he's always looking for positives in anything we talk about, anything we work on.  He always tries to motivate me and find that confidence and prove to me that I have good quality and that I can improve more on the court. This is the person that I need, you know, with his -- you know, the facts are that he was top 5 player, played a couple of Grand Slam finals.  With that experience, obviously he can add up to, you know, the things that I can learn.

Describing what he learned from his five set loss to Roger Federer at the 2009 French Open…
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I learn many things. I was so close to beat him, and was my first semis. Now I have another opportunity to play another semis. I'm very, very focusing on my things, very relaxing.  I have everything to learn, you know. I want to be a good player in the future. I want to be like them, you know. I'm very happy I'm on my way… I remember in that match I have my chance in the fifth set, 3‑All serving, and I did two double faults. So you cannot do that against Roger in the semis in the five sets.  Now when I have a little lucky today because I lost my serve in the 5‑All, but I have a good defense. So that's point: You have to work hard to be sure the there's the difference with them.

After losing to Juan Martin del Potro, Cilic commented on what he needs to improve…
MARIN CILIC: Well, definitely more matches like this and to play against them much more, against these top guys. I think I need to also play -- from my perspective, I need to play also a lot of tennis on this high level to be able to sustain it for a longer period of time.  I mean, today I played first set and a half really good tennis, and then after I dropped it. So I have, I mean, a lot of work also to do on that.

Commenting on what makes Juan Martin del Potro such a tough player…
RAFAEL NADAL: No, everything. I think he's very complete player, no? In the past, he didn't serve like he is doing right now. He has an unbelievable serve right now. From the baseline, he is very solid. He don't have mistakes.  He is very big, so, anyway, if the movements is not 100% perfect, he very long and he arrive to every play.  So for his altitude, his movements is okay, no? He's good. I think he's a complete player, and is always the same thing, no? Try to be ready to put one more ball than the rest.

After reaching the semis, describing what a career Grand Slam (i.e. having won all four Grand Slams at least once) would mean to him…
RAFAEL NADAL: Career Grand Slam? Ah, okay.  Well, sure, it is important goal for me, no? But I am 23 years old, so I expect to have a lot of years to be here fighting to win this tournament, no?  I going to try all my life. This is special, that, but that's very difficult. Right now I focus on the match of tomorrow. That's it.

Commenting, after beating Serena Williams in the semis, on whether she lost any of the “joy of victory” because of the way the match ended after Serena’s foot fault…
KIM CLIJSTERS: No, not at all. Maybe a little out of today's match just because, you know, you want to finish that last point, kind of, especially when you hit -- like I was seeing the ball really well, I was hitting well, and I was really focused.  I think, yeah, that's what -- just trying to be focused on that last point. And to win it, that's a great feeling to have. It's a little bit unfortunate that I didn't have that, but it's not going to take anything away from tomorrow's match or how special that would be for me, and for both of us.

Describing what she thought about during her match against Serena and whether she was feeling that she was playing very well…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Not at the time, but, you know, again, I was just so focused on trying to just play well each point and not worrying about when she started lifting her game a little bit or when she started hitting a lot more first serves in or a few more aces.  Trying not to let it get to me and trying to focus on making the next return and working your way into the point and into the game a little bit.  So at the time, you don't think -- obviously you know, okay. I'm having good feeling out there tonight. That's a great feeling to have, but you're not constantly telling yourself, like, It's going good.  Because if you keep saying that, then I think then you can start to like lose that focus a little bit early. You just have to really stay positive out there, and just, yeah, like I said, fight for each point and try not to have those dips that I maybe had, you know, in Cincinnati, Toronto, where you played -- where I played some good tennis, but then also a few against a few players I lost a few games here and there because I lost focus a little bit.  That's something that today I just really tried to, yeah, just to keep doing, was that I just stayed in there even when I was down breakpoints. I really just took my time and just, you know, played one point at a time.

Commenting in her post-match press conference, about the “foot-fault call” incident in her match against Kim Clijsters…
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, yeah. Clearly just -- in all year I don't -- I've never been foot faulted, and then suddenly in this tournament they keep calling foot faults.  I'm not saying I don't, but like ‑‑ I don't know. You know, I'm not going to sit here and make an excuse. If I foot fault, I did. It was what it was, and that's basically all it was.

In her post-match press conference, describing what she thinks she’s learned from the “foot-fault call” incident…
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I think that I'll learn that, you know, it pays to always play your best and always be your best and always act your best no matter what.  And I think that I'm, you know, I'm young and I feel like in life everyone has to have experience that they take and that they learn from, and I think that's great that I have an opportunity to still be physically fit to go several more years and learn from the past.  I like to learn from the past, live in the present, and not make the same mistakes in the future.

Commenting after beating Rafael Nadal in the semis…
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, I think so. I played a great match. I was so focused with my serve, with every breakpoints, playing serve, you know, trying to put the ball into the court and trying to be aggressive.  I saw Rafa in the baseline, but too far away on the baseline. That's important for me to come to the net and to do a short point.

Commenting after losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the semis about his injuries…
RAFAEL NADAL: I going to repeat: He played much better than me, and for that reason he beat me. Later, it sounds like an excuse, no?  Second thing, well, this year not very lucky year for me. A lot of bad things happen. First injury on the knees, tough injury.  And when I came back, I came back perfect the knees, but maybe because I was few time outside of this competition and I must started played two Masters Series at the top level maybe was a little bit too much to come back, no?  Is much better if you can start a little bit slowly with a little bit small tournaments not with the Masters Series. But I don't have any option, because the calendar says that, and I did.  I am very happy how I came back, but, now I had the first problem of the abdominal in Montreal after the match of Petzschner second round. I must gonna explain because I say during the week I prefer to didn't speak about the injury during the week because I am in tournament right now.  I can say after Montreal I was doing a test. I did a test in Montreal, and the doctor didn't see a lot, but the pain is still there. Cincinnati, the pain increase a little bit more. After the semifinals against Djokovic, I went to do an MRI, and I had some edema, strained muscle, and I think during these two weeks the strain is converted into a little bit of rupture, no? A little bit break.  Yeah, was tough to play few matches like this. But at the same time, was important for maybe play this tournament, try my best. It's one of the most important tournaments of the year, and I had to try, no?  I did a good result, very positive result for me after coming back. Semifinals. Today he played better than me. He beat me, and right now I just try to recover. Is not very important injury, so that's really important for me, too.

Describing Roger Federer’s play against him including his between the legs shot…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, look, you know, as I said, I get the feeling he plays more relaxed in the last couple of years, because now he became a father and got married and broke all the records.  He just gets on the court and he wants to play his best and win more. That's what makes him even more dangerous. That's why he plays even better.  I mean, that shot that he hit, you saw the reaction of the crowd. I mean, what can I explain?  But it was funny, on these shots, you know, you just say, Well done; too good. What can you do?

Explaining why he looks to his “friends’ box” during the matches…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, every player has a different routine, has a different way of getting himself motivated on the court. I like to have a look in my corner and have the support of my closest ones, and that's what I was getting.  But sometimes in the moments of frustration as well, I look at them and just say, Can somebody come and help me out, you know? (laughter.) Let's hit two against one or something.
But, yeah

Describing his challenge when playing Roger Federer…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think in the matches against Roger, it's a matter of well, from my perspective, it's a matter of self belief.  You should just hang in there. That's why I tried I was two sets down, and it's hard when you're two sets down against a player like Roger who basically hasn't lost a match throughout the whole his career, when he was two sets up in a Grand Slam.  So, you know, it's kind of hard to stay there, but I was trying to push myself and kind of wait for opportunities. And when they have been given to me, I didn't use them. Again. That's what is a little bit disappointing. You know, you're right there. You have to make an extra step, and you don't.  And then if you get a chance, one chance, you've got to use it. Otherwise you don't get any.

Commenting after winning the 2009 U.S. Open Women’s Singles title…
KIM CLIJSTERS: I'm still, whenever I see my group, every time I say, like, I can't believe this happened. Because it still seems so surreal that, yeah, in my third tournament back won my second Grand Slam.  Because it wasn't in the plan, kind of. I just wanted to come here and get a feel for it all over again, play a Grand Slam so the to start the next year I didn't have to go through all the new experiences over.  So, yeah, it just feels -- I mean, it feels great, obviously. It's a great feeling to have, but it's confusing in a lot of ways, as well. It went so quickly, everything, so I didn't really -- especially after yesterday's match. And then with the rain delays and everything, it just felt like especially these last couple of days everything went so quickly.  But it means the world, and I'm just so glad that I am able to share it with my husband who is here who wasn't here a few years ago, and with my whole group who is here. And with our daughter, of course, is the greatest thing ever.

Explaining when she realized she might have a chance to win the title…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, I played some -- I think against Venus I had a really good feeling that I was capable of coping with the pace that obviously the Williams sisters have and a lot of the top girls have out there.  But then again when you play like somebody like Wozniacki today, she's a completely different player. She hits the ball very heavy, but she doesn't miss. Against the Williams sisters, you always have the feeling that if you can just hang in there, they might give you more easy points.  She didn't do that today. I think I really had to be patient, as well, but also try not to play along with her game. So I didn't have that feeling until, you know, when I had match point. I was like, Okay, maybe I can do this.  So, yeah, because in the past, I mean, it's so easy to just lose focus if you start thinking like that. Obviously, you know, beating Serena, I just, after that match, I had a really good feeling, because I was just seeing the ball so well and playing good tennis.  You know, little nervous today and probably didn't play as well as I did against Serena, but I still won. That's all that counts for me now.

Commenting on her feelings for playing tennis a couple years ago compared to now…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, the motivation was missing then. It was something that, yeah, I came to an age where I really felt like, you know, combined with the injuries, I think, I wasn't really 100% focused on my tennis anymore.  You know, as a woman, I came to a stage in my life, too, where I wanted to get married. We wanted to start a family, and I was glad. I feel very lucky that I got this chance to, you know, be back here now and that I made that decision, because it's obviously been a good choice.  But, again, being a mother is obviously my first priority, and being a wife, so...  But I'm just very lucky that I'm able to combine both and that my family supports me in doing this.

Responding about whether her late father has been in her thoughts recently…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I'm going to try not to cry with this. But of course, with everything that you do, you know, it's -- you feel his presence. You know, it's not just me, it's my sister, it's Brian. We very strongly feel his presence. That's something that's very comforting at the same time, but it's also something that's a little bit sad.  There are things that happen, and I really believe in signs. So there has been so many things that have happened in these last few weeks, or even in the last months where we feel like, Okay, he's watching over us, and that's just a nice feeling to have.

Commenting about why he lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the 2009 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Final…
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I thought it was a tough match from the start. I think even the first set was, you know, pretty close. I think both getting used to the conditions. It was kind of tough starting around the 4:00 time because the shadows moving in and stuff.  I got off to a pretty good start, and had things under control as well in the second set. I think that one cost me the match eventually. But I had many chances before that to make the difference.  So it was tough luck today, but I you thought Juan Martin played great. I thought he hung in there and gave himself chances, and in the end was the better man.

Commenting after winning the 2009 U.S. Open Men’s Singles title…
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: It's difficult to explain this moment. You know, since young I dream with this and take trophy with me. You know, I did my dream, and it's unbelievable moment. It's amazing match, amazing people. Everything is perfect.  I don't know, I can't believe.

Responding about how he might treat himself with his winner’s check…
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, maybe cheesecake for my birthday.

Posted by TC at 01:00 PM |