2010 U.S. Open Tennis Interview Room Quotes - Week Two
Selected quotes from the players’ post-match press conferences at the 2010 U.S. Open tennis tournament...
Commenting on the state of her game after losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the round of 16…
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, I think it just needs to be more stable and not so up and down, especially against an opponent like her. Uhm, you know, I need to string a few more things together than I did. It's all really capitalizing on what you have. You work hard for something, and then you let it slip away. I think I've just got to capitalize on that. Obviously, a bit unfortunate in the Grand Slams. I had my fair share of chances and didn't take them throughout this whole year in the big events. Uhm, you know, that's just the way it's gone. But keep moving forward, keep working hard.
After defeating Maria Sharapova in the round of 16, comparing her game to last year…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I definitely think I've improved a lot, not only physically, but also I believe in myself more. I believe I can do it. Also I think I can mix up my game a little bit more than I could last year.
Commenting on how her life has changed in the past year…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, I'm still the same person. I'm playing better tennis than I was before. I don't know. My life is changing the way that I believe in myself. I know when I go on court I have the possibility to win against every player out there. And for me, you know, the tennis is the most important at the moment. Everything off the court, it's just a plus.
Commenting on whether he feels less attention since he’s not the Number One seed or defending champion…
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I always feel the spotlight's on me regardless of what my ranking is and how I'm playing. I've still got to attend press conferences and all that stuff, so nothing changes from that side (smiling). It's hard to read because I get recognized more than ever. Crowds are fantastic, you know, regardless of what my ranking is. That's about it.
Explaining what he focuses on when playing in very windy conditions…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, in my opinion, the key facts to kind of try to adjust the wind is a good focus and patience, try to hold your nerves throughout the whole match, and play one point out of at a time. Of course with different players, different styles of the games come to the court, so I can't really speak in the name of the other players. But in my case, you know, I just need to keep the focus and try to use the wind in my favor. This was the tricky thing today. Obviously the conditions were maybe as difficult as we saw so far in the tournament. We didn't have wind only one direction. We had it all over, you know. I had some struggles when I was coming to the net. In the first set I made a lot of unforced errors there, because I haven't seen the ball really well and was moving. As you probably saw, the serve wasn't going over 110, 105 miles per hour, both players. It was more of trying to use the wind and use the speed. That kick, you know, could kind of give you the first easy ball in the rally, and I was trying to think about that, not think about, you know, what happened or what will happen. Just kind of playing in the present moment. I did well. I did well. Maybe the wind helped me a little bit more because it neutralized his serve. He serves really well and really fast in the normal conditions, so maybe he wasn't feeling that segment in his game and that's why he was not comfortable in the court.
After winning his quarterfinal match, commenting on whether it bothers him that all the focus is on Nadal and Federer…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, actually, it doesn't. I like playing under the radar sometimes. It releases the pressure on myself, and just focusing on my matches, doing the job, and winning the matches. Of course, as the two best players in the world, they are the most dominant in five last five, six years. Biggest favorites to get into the finals, and I'm sure that the crowd wants them in the finals. But, you know, I will try not to make that happen.
Commenting on his father wearing a t-shirt with his (Novak’s) image on it…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Ah, I don't know. (Smiling.) He's a proud father. What can I say? I'm just happy to see them supporting me. I don't know where he got this fancy shirt. To be honest, it was somewhere in Belgrade. I cannot say it. He's my father. If he wants to wear this shirt, he can wear this shirt… I would never wear the shirt. (Laughter.) Me, personally, never. My father, I understand. Okay. He's proud. But me? Never.
Commenting on serving in the wind and whether he enjoys playing in the wind…
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I think by now I do, yeah, because I see it as a challenge and I see it as an opportunity to play differently. It's not easy, you know. It's cold. Everywhere it's blowing. You feel like it's blowing through your ears and into your eyes. But I think I used to dislike it so much that I'm on the other side now. I was able to turn it around and kind of take enjoyment out of playing in the wind, actually…. I guess I got a good service motion. To me, it doesn't affect my concentration. When I go up to serve, obviously you get the occasional bad toss because the wind catches the ball, so you have to stop the motion. Other than that, I think what I'm also very good at is also hit a good serve even though the ball toss is not in the right location anymore. I think that's something I was always able to do. I can serve to all different corners with either kick or flat or slice. I think that allows me to have a great variety of serves, first of all. Then also when it's windy, I don't struggle much in it, really. Obviously because my second serve is reliable, I don't panic or double fault so much. So it's obviously a huge weapon in conditions like this.
Commenting on the challenge of playing in the wind…
RAFAEL NADAL: With a lot of wind, that I remember, I always played good matches with a lot of wind. Another thing is if not crazy wind, but wind to one side is a little bit more difficult for me, because playing against the wind was very tough last year. But I think I am doing better against the wind, too. Is important improve for me. You know, no one likes to play on these conditions. But at the same time, I think that one of the positive things and the two most important things that you have to do with these days is move. The movements must be all the time high intensity, and the concentration must be all the time full. So probably both things is one of my best things on the game.
Commenting after her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters…
VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely feel like I'll be back next year. This is what I do, and I feel like I played great tennis even with minimal preparation. Yeah, obviously I would have liked to win this match and be playing tomorrow. But, I mean, these days you have to be -- you know, I may have lost the match, but that's just this match. There will be others.
Commenting on playing in the wind…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, obviously when you hit with the wind you have to just put a little bit you're able to just kind of let that arm flow a little bit more where you have to hit with more spin. That's what I was trying to do. Obviously if you can just go to the lines a little bit, even if it's with more spin, the impact on your opponent is, you know, a lot tougher than it is when you're hitting against the wind. So against the wind you just try to hit a little lower over the net, hit it flat, and you can just kind of go for it a little bit more, really go all out and kind of wind up your rotation and just kind of swing from there. That's what I was able to do… Yeah, the hard thing, too, was I think the wind wasn't just coming from the back of the court to the front. It was kind of coming sideways. That's tough moving wise, as well. You kind of just have to always be on your tippy toes and make sure that you adjust and even step forward, step backwards. That's never that easy. But I mean, I felt that I was hitting well with the wind. I felt that I was, you know, making her move around well. I think that's what I was really trying to focus on.
Commenting about whether she cares more or less or differently this time year…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. Definitely not less. Obviously I think just because of -- you know, I know where I came from. You know, I didn't do anything for a year and a half almost, and just the amount of work that I put in, that's where I look back to. That's where, you know -- that's what me personally -- that's where I like to, you know, not compare, but kind of think back, Okay, this is the amount of work that I've put in. Still, I like to put in a lot of work. I'm probably not the player who practices the most, but I go by feeling. And if I feel good, then I don't feel the need to do too much. These last two weeks I've probably -- my US Open has been completely different these last two weeks than they were last year. Because last year, I mean, I didn't even come out to the courts a few days in between my matches just because, you know, I was hitting the ball well. I was like, Okay, little crazy. I just wanted to be with Jada and with the family, and it was new. Now, you know, here these last two weeks I've been hitting more during off days than I probably would in any Grand Slam just because I never really had that rhythm. So, you know, it's been a little different in that way. You know, I think in a way, yeah, you care more, because the amount of time that I have put in is different now.
Commenting on his feelings coming into the U.S. Open…
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I know if I am healthy is probably the year I gonna arrive better, because the mentality is there, the head is there during all the year to have a good tournament here. But for me, the most important tournament of the year 2010 was Roland Garros. You know, for me that was the most important tournament for me. And after that I was big confidence for me won in Roland Garros another time, because was very hard lose in 2009. So after that, I think I relaxed a lot. I can play very well on grass, and I said yesterday probably in Toronto/Cincinnati the body, it goes down a little bit for sure with this tournament. In the beginning I started playing so so. Is normal because the confidence wasn't at my best after having not very good two tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati. Toronto was okay, but Cincinnati the feeling wasn't great. So I worked a lot during the tournament to be back on my best level, no? The serve help me a lot on that, because that's give me a lot of confidence.
Commenting, after winning his semi against Mikhail Youzhny, about where his “hunger” comes from…
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, because I always thought I always can keep improving. That's why I am playing, to keep improving and to feel myself better player than before. I go to practice every day not to practice; I go to practice every day to try to learn something and to keep improving my level. I already won on hard, so that's not nothing new for me to win on this surface. But the conditions in every tournament are different, and I need to have more options to do to try to win against difficult players like today. Like in the past, I had a lot of problems against Youzhny in the past, because I was playing before two meters behind the baseline or three meters behind the baseline, all the balls higher with topspin, and he had always the chance to come inside. Now I can change the rhythm. I can play a slice backhand. I can serve, win a little bit more free points with the serve, and I can play more close to the baseline. So the position on court improved, the slice backhand improved, and it was important shot for me to stop the rhythm of that player. For sure the forehand always was good. The true, I think I am more close to the baseline now.
Commenting after losing the semi to Novak Djokovic after having 2 match points (he also lost matches earlier this year to Berdych and Baghdatis after having match points)…
ROGER FEDERER: Well, this year it is. (Smiling.) I lost a couple more with match points this year, so they all pretty much feel the same, you know. They feel somewhat empty at the end because you have tried everything, and maybe it was luck. Maybe it was he played well. Maybe you didn't pick the right shot; maybe he did, you know. Can't turn back time, but, look, obviously had to come up come up with a couple of good shots on match point, so I don't feel I have that many regrets in that regard. Obviously you feel like you left something out if you lose the match having had match point. Yeah, it wasn't the final, so I'm not as disappointed it would have been the final. That's the only positive news to enjoy anything out of it.
Commenting on how he approaches playing match points…
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, if you're not serving, you're, I guess, somewhat gonna play safe on it, you know, and not just donate an error, because you don't know if you're gonna get another match point. When you're serving you're playing aggressive. So I guess in many matches I didn't have match points, you know, in those matches. But it's tough, you know. Don't know what else I need to tell you. It's not a fun thing losing with match point, that's for sure.
Commenting on his emotions after beating Roger Federer in the semis…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: As I said on the post‑match interview, it's one of those matches that you will remember for the rest of your life, not just because you won against one of the best players that ever played this game at that occasion, but as well, you know, coming back from match points down and under the circumstances playing good tennis and winning in the end, the thriller, you know. So I am. I am very proud of myself. There are a lot of emotions involved. Of course I was too exhausted to show them in the end. But it's been a fantastic semifinal.
Commenting after losing the final to Kim Clijsters…
VERA ZVONERVA: I don't think I was overwhelmed. Of course it was a great honor to be in the finals of US Open and playing in front of New York crowd. But, um, I think Kim just played very good match. She didn't really, you know, give me chances to get into the match. But I also think that physically today she was just much better player than me. Physically I was not capable, you know, of playing the same level as I was able to play even like yesterday or in my previous matches… I will have to go back and analyze a little bit. I think I have to learn how to make sure that I recover well, and I'm physically fit and ready to play when it comes down to the last matches of the tournament, like semifinals or finals. I will still have to learn how to do it and how to pace myself, maybe, with practicing and preparing. Also maybe if I really want to go deep in the Grand Slams, maybe I will have to stop playing doubles because there are some days off on the way, you know, during two weeks. People that are playing only singles, they can ‑‑ on those days off, they can go with a very light practice session and just work on some things that they want to work. I felt like here I had to play every day. It's tough not only physically, it's also mentally tiring. So by the time, you know, the most important match of the tournament arrives, for me it was very difficult out there physically today.
Commenting on playing so well to beat Vera Zvonareva in the final after losing her last two matches to her…
KIM CLIJSTERS: I mean, I kind of knew getting into the match, you know, which things were that I didn't do well in those two matches that I lost. Obviously the one at Wimbledon was, to me, like I said, one of the most disappointing losses that I've dealt with so far in my career. In a way I was excited to play her in the final here just to try and get that revenge, but I also learned a lot of things, and just not myself. You know, my coach by watching me lose against her, we picked up a few little things that kind of helped me out there today as well, which was kind of mixing up my game a little more. She's the type of player who is consistent and likes the pace and likes to take over the pace from the opponents. I think today I was able to just mix it up well and just, you know, stay calm during the rally, as well. Just put enough pressure and variety in there to throw up some higher balls here and there. I think that just got her, you know, thinking even more, just besides the fact that she was probably thinking about, you know, the occasion, and, you know, where she was playing and being in another final, which is always something that does have an effect on the way you feel, obviously. She's been playing some incredible tennis in these last two Grand Slams so far. It must be frustrating for her not to be able to play her best level when it was probably most needed.
Commenting on her motivations to win the other Grand Slams…
KIM CLIJSTERS: I mean, they all motivate you in a different way, obviously. You know, tactic‑wise you always have to adjust a little bit to each and every single one of them. But I think the one where I've felt I can do better than I have is obviously at the Australian Open. Similar surface. They've gone away from I think the Rebound Ace in the last couple years. So I've always enjoyed playing there. That's obviously a Grand Slam I want to do well. I want to do well in all of them, of course. But, um, again, you have the two European Grand Slams, which, you know, obviously Wimbledon is the one where, you know, I'm close to because I have the connection with my dad there because he enjoyed it there. I always want to do well there, as well. The French Open, yeah, feels like playing in Belgium because we have so many Belgian people supporting us. We have the history of a lot of past Belgians who have won there. They all have a different impact on the way you feel and a positive impact, and I think that's something I want to use when I go back there next year.
Commenting on Rafael Nadal’s performance after losing to him in the final…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Definitely. He has the capabilities already now to become the best player ever. I think he's playing the best tennis that I ever seen him play on hardcourts. He has improved his serve drastically. The speed, the accuracy, and of course his baseline is as good as ever. So he's a very complete player. And for me, in order to win against him tonight, I had to be on the top of my game. I was playing really well for most of the match, but then there were some moments in, let's say, third and fourth set where I dropped my focus a little bit. You know, I dropped my level of game and just a little bit on service games. You know, it went for me. He took it away, and he never gave me a chance to go back. I had this 15 30 chance in 5 4 third set, and then he served, I mean, three amazing serves. So I think that's one of the key factors today in his win except an amazing baseline game, of course, and great coverage of the court. The serve was fantastic the whole tournament.
Commenting on his disappointment in losing the final…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, you know, I cannot hide the disappointment. It's just I'm not gonna cry or complain about that, you know. It's just the way it is. Of course, I am feeling bad about my loss. I wanted that trophy, and I know I gave my maximum to get it even tonight. But, you know, when I sleep over the night, tomorrow I will wake up as a new man. You know, I will continue on working hard and waiting for the next chance to come.
Commenting after winning the U.S. Open…
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, well, just thank you very much, first thing. Yeah, it was amazing feeling. I think win against Novak is always very, very difficult, and the results say that lots of times, I lost against him. So I think for the first time in my career I played a very, very good match in this tournament. That's my feeling, no? I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment, so I am very, very happy for that, for sure.
Commenting on his improved hardcourt play and whether he is a better player now…
RAFAEL NADAL: I did, in 2009, I won in Australia, too… Maybe, or maybe not. I don't know. (Laughter.) Is part of the moment and part of the situation, no? And part of the confidence. So always when you are playing well and when you are in the right moment with big confidence, seems like you improved a lot. But, you know, there are moments when you are not playing that good, when you lose your confidence, you lose matches, and seems like you are not playing that good and you forgot to play tennis. It's not like this, and it is not like this I improved a lot since 2009. I think I improved my tennis a little bit but is not a radical change, no? Sure, to win in here in the US Open I think is the more difficult tournament for me to play, more difficult conditions to adapt, to adjust my game on this court, for the balls, for the court, for everything, no? In Australia, anyway, if it's hot, the ball, the bounce are higher. And in Wimbledon, is true I have to adjust a lot my game to play in Wimbledon, but in my opinion, play in Wimbledon for me always wasn't that bad, because one of the most important things on Wimbledon is the movements, and I think my movements are good to play well in that surface. The surface help me, because my serve was not that good, that I have today, and with less serve I can do it the same, the same to the opponent as what I have today at this tournament especially and with this serve and with the US Open. For that reason I think the hardcourt always was the most difficult surface to play good for me, especially with the serve because I have to play almost every point, and probably the serve make the big difference in this tournament.
Commenting on his future goals…
RAFAEL NADAL: My goal is all the time and all my life was the same, is keep improving and feel myself better player next year than what I felt this year. Being better player doesn't mean you gonna win more than you did, because win or lose sometimes is part of the moment and part of the confidence. But my goal remains for me that the Masters Cup is the big, yeah, probably the last big tournament that I didn't win. That's true is the most difficult title for me to win, because we play it in indoor, and when indoor, indoor very quick surface, so gonna be always very difficult if we don't change that. But at the same time is a challenge for me to keep improving to have the chance to play well there and to have the chance to win. So that's what I gonna try this year. For me right now the next goal is try to finish the season much better than what I did in other years. The last part of the season always was difficult for me. Well, today it started to be less difficult, that's true. But, yeah, I want to finish the season if it's possible with a good feeling… For me the most important thing is try to keep serving like I did during this tournament. I think that's if I can do it, this most of the times gonna be a big change for me and my tennis career, because if I have that free points that I had during all this tournament gonna be different for me. I can play more aggressive. I can play with more calm when I am returning. So can change a lot. So that's, for me, the first very important part to keep improving. After that, I can improve everything: volley, keep improving the volley, keep improving the position on court, being more inside the court. I improved a lot since last year, but never is enough. I am not a perfect player, so everybody can improve.
Describing what he considers his best qualities, his strengths…
RAFAEL NADAL: What's my best thing? I think the mentality, attitude on court I think always was good for me. I am positive on court, and I fight all the time. But not the only thing. Positive attitude is not only fight on court. I think I was able to listen all the time to the coach and to have adjustments and to be ready to change things to be better and to improve. So probably that's was the best thing for me. If we talk about the game, for sure for me I think the best thing that I have is my intensity on court, no? When I am playing well, the intensity always is high. The rhythm is high. Sometimes yes but not always I have easy winners or with one shot winner, but I can have winners after three, four shots having a great rhythm all the time, no? So the focus on court I think was -- that's similar, no, the rhythm and focus. I can, I think, play at the same rhythm and the same level long time. So that's what I think my best thing is.
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