2011 Australian Open Tennis Interview Room Quotes - Week Two
Selected quotes from the players’ post-match press conferences at the 2011 Australian Open tennis tournament...
Describing what he enjoys about being on court…
RAFAEL NADAL: I enjoy the competition and I enjoy play well. I enjoy everything, no? I enjoy the moments that you have to do something to play well. You have to do something to change some situations. These kind of changes, mentality changes, I love that sometimes and other times it didn't work a lot and you can't enjoy.
Commenting on his brief off-season after winning the Davis Cup and his pre-season preparation…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it was very short. Not even two weeks. I had holidays, if you want to call them. Then I started slowly building up my physical strength. But I had very good schedule, very good program. That was different, you know, from the past years. I've learned how to, you know, prepare well, how to organize my time off, organize my practice. I did a great job with my team. Of course, big credit to them. Definitely playing great tennis.
Describing why he is mentally fresh despite a long season in 2010…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think the Davis Cup title gave me a lot confidence. Just motivated to me come back and win some more matches. You know, I felt like I'm starting to play my best tennis in last five, six months. I have more experience on the court. Physically I'm fit. I'm hitting the ball better and I have more variety in the game. Serve has been much better, which is very encouraging fact because it's been an issue for me in the last 12 months. I was hungry for more success and probably that's an explanation.
Commenting on her approach to practice in terms of drilling versus playing sets…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Depends. Usually in the off season, in the beginning I practice a lot, no sets. But then towards the middle and end of the off season I practice in the morning maybe one half hours, some technique or different exercises, and then I play maybe two sets in the afternoon just to try to convert everything you practice into a match situation. But to be honest, until you really stand in a real match, it's not the same. So for me, I like to play matches and get into that rhythm. That's when I feel most comfortable.
Commenting on his strong results since starting to work with Paul Annacone last July after Wimbledon…
ROGER FEDERER: That's true. There was also obviously a surface change. I think I was really able to work really well with Severin and Paul in Switzerland after Wimbledon, which was I think really important for me. I felt good. Didn't have any back pain. All those things were a thing of the past. Finally I had a good buildup again. I think that one really carried me through in a big way for quite a few weeks and months. And then the confidence came back. Then it's obviously no surprise that I do play well. But I'm happy that since Paul has been in the team, my success level's gone up again.
Commenting after injuring his hamstring and losing to David Ferrer in the quarters…
RAFAEL NADAL: I can say nothing about the injury. Seriously, I would prefer don't talk a lot about the injury. Tonight, first of all, I don't know nothing. Second thing, for respect to the winner and to a friend, I prefer to talk about the match. I think he played at a very high level. I just congratulate him and wish him all the best for the semifinal. I think he's doing a fantastic tournament. If he keep playing like this, he going to have a good chances. What David told me at the net is for me and that's it… Yes, is a difficult day for me. I lost in quarterfinals another time. So I tried my best. I couldn't do more. Tonight I think I played against a great player, a great opponent. Today I really can't do more than what I did. So he played at a very high level, and I wasn't able to compete against him tonight.
Commenting on the highs and lows of his tennis career…
RAFAEL NADAL: The tennis career, you have higher moments and lower moments. I had almost all the time very, very happy moments and very nice moments in my career. That's part of the sport. Last year I was very lucky. I was healthy most of the year. I was playing unbelievable during all the year. This year I did I think all the right things to start the season playing really well. And, seriously, I was playing like this in the first exhibition in Abu Dhabi. After that starts the problem. Was a difficult month for me, no? That's part of the sport. Accept; keep working; try my best in the next tournament. That's what I can do. Last year I had a fantastic year. This year the year just start. Last year in the beginning I had problems, too, and finally was the best season of my career. I think is almost impossible to repeat that. But remain a lot, and remain a lot to have hopefully really good moments, and at the same time, too, really negative moments. So this is one of bad ones, one of negative moments. That's part of the sport. I think I am very, very lucky sportsman about what happened in my career. And I have to accept the fantastic moments that I had during a lot of years with the same calm that when I have problems. And if I am ready to accept both things with I think let's say everything the same, I going to be able to come back and play my best tennis another time.
Commenting on the desire to win a Grand Slam and whether it gets stronger over time…
ANDY MURRAY: I think it's still the same as when I first was giving myself chances to win slams. It's still exactly the same as it was then. But it's not something that I lose sleep over. It's something that I work very hard towards, the reason why I train hard, you know, train away from home in December. But, you know, this is obviously for me what my job is. You know, tennis is very important to me. If things don't go well on the tennis court, I've got very good friends and family to fall back on.
Commenting on whether she feels like playing a tennis match is fun or business…
VERA ZVONAREVA: You know, you will be surprised, but that's what I'm doing right now. You know, I wake up in the morning and I think, I got a big match ahead of me; that's great. It's going to be a very tough challenge, but I'm excited about it. I'm happy about it. You go through a lot in your career, and once you can feel like that, I think that's a great feeling. You know, I was talking to Stefan Edberg once. Once you wake up, Oh, my gosh, I have to play a match today, then maybe it's time you are not playing tennis anymore. At the moment, I'm actually enjoying this challenge a lot. I'm enjoying tough matches. I'm enjoying winning in those tough situations. Even if you lose, you lose. But being on that court at very tough moment is something that excites me a lot. I think it's something that came along, you know, with experience and maturity that I got with years being on the tour. It is something that I experience much more right now. I don't know why, but I always, since I was a kid, liked to play under pressure. I like this challenge. I'm really happy that I really can do it at that high level.
Commenting on his performance after losing to Novak Djokovic in the semis…
ROGER FEDERER: I thought he played a great match. I didn't think I played bad myself, so it was a match played at a very high intensity for a long period of time. Clearly it's disappointing to lose, but what to do if he plays well on the big points, and potentially maybe I didn't. It was a tough match.
Commenting on how her game matches up against Na Li…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, not just the mental side of it, but also I don't think that she has a very big weakness on the groundstrokes. She has a good, steady serve. Maybe that's where she's a little better than me, the consistency with the serve. But, no, I mean, she has good looking shots and nothing where you say, Okay, this is a big weakness for her. Everything is heavy groundstrokes and she moves well, she's fit, yeah.
Commenting on her loss to Na Li after having had match point…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, I had a match point and I didn't take it. I think we played some good tennis out there. Sometimes in matches or in tennis it's one ball that can change everything. I didn't get my match point. From then on, well, she was just better at the most important points. She won the most important one, which was the last one. Of course right now I'm sitting here and I wish I would have won the match. It's quite difficult to get through this one. I just need to get back on the practice court and keep working hard. Hopefully I'll get many more chances in the future… You can always say I missed this opportunity. You can always if you look at the match, you can always look at the opponents and everyone who's left in the tournament and say, I should have been there. I could have been there. To be honest, Li Na played a really great match today. It was a great effort for both of us. She just came out as the winner of this match. I wish her good luck in the finals. That's it. I will come back. Just need to have an hour or two and I'll be back and on the right track again.
Describing what it means to her to be in the final…
NA LI: I mean, good for my tennis career, of course. Good for me; good for my team. Maybe good for China tennis. I'm not sure. Maybe. But I mean, of course this is good experience for my whole life, because many player, they play long time, but they never come to the final for a Grand Slam. Today I get it, so feeling I can do well in next two days.
Commenting on the possible impact of her success on Chinese tennis…
NA LI: I think maybe because right now I was come to the final, maybe many young player or children will see and think, Maybe one day we can do the same or even better than her. So someday they will feel more confident because, how you say, not China Tennis Federation, over the Federation, maybe they are not so interested in tennis. But right now, maybe they say, Oh, maybe we should be looking around tennis. So I think even we do more better and I feeling more, how you say, more people come watch, more people to pay attention.
Describing the advice her husband/coach gives her…
NA LI: No, he always like say, Relax. Just enjoy the tennis. I was like, How? I was playing on the court. I mean, just before I come to the court, he always like say, Okay come on. We try to win. Doesn't matter win or lose. Like if you win, you are the same. Like if you are lose nobody say, Oh, you're stupid or something. So don't think about too much.
Commenting on whether it’s better to have a final without Rafa and Roger in it…
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, personally, yeah, if people thought it was better for the game if Roger and Rafa were in the final, then I'm not really bothered. It's better for me if I'm in the final. But I don't know. I don't know if it's better for the game or not. You know, I think, I mean, those two have been great for the sport, and I'm sure they'll continue to be for the next six, seven years however long they're both playing. You know, but from a personal point of view, I would rather be in the final than be watching Roger and Rafa at home playing again.
Commenting on when he first met Novak Djokovic…
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, we both went quite different routes. I played him the first time I think when I was like 13 maybe. You know, it's not like you speak that often to the foreign players and stuff. There's normally a pretty big sort of language barrier. We played each other up until we were like 15, and then he improved a lot faster than I did. Then I managed to catch up. It wasn't really until we got back on the tour that we started playing together a lot and practicing together again. Yeah, the first time I played him must have been, yeah, when we were about 13. So it's been a long time we've known each other.
Describing her emotions right after she won the last point…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, they're all emotional. Obviously, you know, I think what overwhelms me is that it's so intense up until, you know, that last shot, and then all of a sudden it's finished. Then it's just like a big relief. Yeah, you know, the disbelief maybe a little bit too it's over and that I was able to turn it around is what makes it all so special.
Describing how she was able to win the match after losing the first set…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I mean, she did everything better than me in that first set. I mean, obviously her groundstrokes were heavier, deeper. She served better. She returned better. So I think, you know, she was playing really, really well probably the best that I've ever played against her, or that she played against me. I tried to just, you know, think after that first set, you know, like, What can I do differently so I can maybe break her rhythm a little bit, try to make her think out there a little bit more? So I tried to mix it up a little bit, put some slices in, also hit a few higher shots that, you know, kind of just made her make some unforced errors. Yeah, I saw her get a little bit aggravated, and just tried to hang in there.
Commenting after losing the final to Kim Clijsters…
NA LI: I mean, of course, take positives. I think I play great tennis. I mean, she play better than me. After the match, back to the locker room, I make joke, tennis should only play one set (laughter). Yeah, I mean, I still happy what I do today, yeah. So I proud for myself.
Repeating what she’d said on-court during the trophy ceremony about her husband/coach whom she had teased several times during post-match interviews…
NA LI: Because I was making a lot of joke for him. I say doesn't matter you are fat or skinny, handsome or ugly, I always follow him, always love him.
Commenting on his performance in the men’s final…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: This was a great match. From the start to the last point, I did what I intended of doing tactically, what I talked with my coach, what I prepared for. Physically I was very fit. I had two days between the semifinals and finals match, which was important at this stage of the tournament. Because I was aware of the fact that I am going to yeah, bring it to me. (Laughter.) That will have long rallies and I will have a player who doesn't miss a lot, a very talented player who is one of the best returners in the game. And, yeah, you know, I had to step in. That was the key. When I had the chance to step in and try to move him around the court, that's what I did. Probably the turning point was the last game of the first set where we had some incredible exchange from the baseline, long rallies, and some passing shots that turned the match around. You know, when you have a set advantage, it's much different, you know, instead of getting into the match.
Comparing himself to who he was when he won the title in 2008…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I feel like more experienced player. I feel a better player now than I was three years ago, because I think that physically I'm stronger, I'm faster, mentally I'm more motivated on the court. I know how to react in certain moments, and I know how to play on a big stage. It's the best way that I could ask for to start a season.
Describing how he improved his serve in the past year…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, hitting thousands and thousands of balls on the practice. It's all about hard work and patience, I guess, dedication to the hard work which in the end pays off. That's the situation. There is no secrets. Of course, I was aware of what I do wrong. But once it gets into your head, it's really hard to get it out of your habit. Everybody was, you know, criticizing me, Why did I change my serve? I didn't change it intentionally. It just came like that. I worked hard the last 10 months, and now it's back.
Commenting on how he feels after losing the men’s final…
ANDY MURRAY: It's better than it was last year. You know, it was obviously tough, disappointing. You know, I thought Novak played unbelievably well. And, yeah, it's tough, but got to deal with it…. I was in a much worse state last year than I was this year. I don't know why. That's it.
Responding whether he still believes that he can win a Grand Slam title…
ANDY MURRAY: You know, I want to keep working hard, try and improve. You know, but I said before the final, it's not something that, you know, I don't lose sleep over at night. You know, it's going to be tough for sure for a few days. But, you know, I want to try and win one, of course. But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. You know, I'm just working as hard as I can. I train very hard. You know, I take tennis very seriously. But, you know, I love my life away from tennis, as well. You know, that's why maybe this year, compared with last, I'm very, very happy off the court. I'm enjoying myself. There's other things to look forward to, too.
RAFAEL NADAL: I can say nothing about the injury. Seriously, I would prefer don't talk a lot about the injury. Tonight, first of all, I don't know nothing. Second thing, for respect to the winner and to a friend, I prefer to talk about the match. I think he played at a very high level. I just congratulate him and wish him all the best for the semifinal. I think he's doing a fantastic tournament. If he keep playing like this, he going to have a good chances. What David told me at the net is for me and that's it… Yes, is a difficult day for me. I lost in quarterfinals another time. So I tried my best. I couldn't do more. Tonight I think I played against a great player, a great opponent. Today I really can't do more than what I did. So he played at a very high level, and I wasn't able to compete against him tonight.
Commenting on the highs and lows of his tennis career…
RAFAEL NADAL: The tennis career, you have higher moments and lower moments. I had almost all the time very, very happy moments and very nice moments in my career. That's part of the sport. Last year I was very lucky. I was healthy most of the year. I was playing unbelievable during all the year. This year I did I think all the right things to start the season playing really well. And, seriously, I was playing like this in the first exhibition in Abu Dhabi. After that starts the problem. Was a difficult month for me, no? That's part of the sport. Accept; keep working; try my best in the next tournament. That's what I can do. Last year I had a fantastic year. This year the year just start. Last year in the beginning I had problems, too, and finally was the best season of my career. I think is almost impossible to repeat that. But remain a lot, and remain a lot to have hopefully really good moments, and at the same time, too, really negative moments. So this is one of bad ones, one of negative moments. That's part of the sport. I think I am very, very lucky sportsman about what happened in my career. And I have to accept the fantastic moments that I had during a lot of years with the same calm that when I have problems. And if I am ready to accept both things with I think let's say everything the same, I going to be able to come back and play my best tennis another time.
Commenting on the desire to win a Grand Slam and whether it gets stronger over time…
ANDY MURRAY: I think it's still the same as when I first was giving myself chances to win slams. It's still exactly the same as it was then. But it's not something that I lose sleep over. It's something that I work very hard towards, the reason why I train hard, you know, train away from home in December. But, you know, this is obviously for me what my job is. You know, tennis is very important to me. If things don't go well on the tennis court, I've got very good friends and family to fall back on.
Commenting on whether she feels like playing a tennis match is fun or business…
VERA ZVONAREVA: You know, you will be surprised, but that's what I'm doing right now. You know, I wake up in the morning and I think, I got a big match ahead of me; that's great. It's going to be a very tough challenge, but I'm excited about it. I'm happy about it. You go through a lot in your career, and once you can feel like that, I think that's a great feeling. You know, I was talking to Stefan Edberg once. Once you wake up, Oh, my gosh, I have to play a match today, then maybe it's time you are not playing tennis anymore. At the moment, I'm actually enjoying this challenge a lot. I'm enjoying tough matches. I'm enjoying winning in those tough situations. Even if you lose, you lose. But being on that court at very tough moment is something that excites me a lot. I think it's something that came along, you know, with experience and maturity that I got with years being on the tour. It is something that I experience much more right now. I don't know why, but I always, since I was a kid, liked to play under pressure. I like this challenge. I'm really happy that I really can do it at that high level.
Commenting on his performance after losing to Novak Djokovic in the semis…
ROGER FEDERER: I thought he played a great match. I didn't think I played bad myself, so it was a match played at a very high intensity for a long period of time. Clearly it's disappointing to lose, but what to do if he plays well on the big points, and potentially maybe I didn't. It was a tough match.
Commenting on how her game matches up against Na Li…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, not just the mental side of it, but also I don't think that she has a very big weakness on the groundstrokes. She has a good, steady serve. Maybe that's where she's a little better than me, the consistency with the serve. But, no, I mean, she has good looking shots and nothing where you say, Okay, this is a big weakness for her. Everything is heavy groundstrokes and she moves well, she's fit, yeah.
Commenting on her loss to Na Li after having had match point…
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, I had a match point and I didn't take it. I think we played some good tennis out there. Sometimes in matches or in tennis it's one ball that can change everything. I didn't get my match point. From then on, well, she was just better at the most important points. She won the most important one, which was the last one. Of course right now I'm sitting here and I wish I would have won the match. It's quite difficult to get through this one. I just need to get back on the practice court and keep working hard. Hopefully I'll get many more chances in the future… You can always say I missed this opportunity. You can always if you look at the match, you can always look at the opponents and everyone who's left in the tournament and say, I should have been there. I could have been there. To be honest, Li Na played a really great match today. It was a great effort for both of us. She just came out as the winner of this match. I wish her good luck in the finals. That's it. I will come back. Just need to have an hour or two and I'll be back and on the right track again.
Describing what it means to her to be in the final…
NA LI: I mean, good for my tennis career, of course. Good for me; good for my team. Maybe good for China tennis. I'm not sure. Maybe. But I mean, of course this is good experience for my whole life, because many player, they play long time, but they never come to the final for a Grand Slam. Today I get it, so feeling I can do well in next two days.
Commenting on the possible impact of her success on Chinese tennis…
NA LI: I think maybe because right now I was come to the final, maybe many young player or children will see and think, Maybe one day we can do the same or even better than her. So someday they will feel more confident because, how you say, not China Tennis Federation, over the Federation, maybe they are not so interested in tennis. But right now, maybe they say, Oh, maybe we should be looking around tennis. So I think even we do more better and I feeling more, how you say, more people come watch, more people to pay attention.
Describing the advice her husband/coach gives her…
NA LI: No, he always like say, Relax. Just enjoy the tennis. I was like, How? I was playing on the court. I mean, just before I come to the court, he always like say, Okay come on. We try to win. Doesn't matter win or lose. Like if you win, you are the same. Like if you are lose nobody say, Oh, you're stupid or something. So don't think about too much.
Commenting on whether it’s better to have a final without Rafa and Roger in it…
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, personally, yeah, if people thought it was better for the game if Roger and Rafa were in the final, then I'm not really bothered. It's better for me if I'm in the final. But I don't know. I don't know if it's better for the game or not. You know, I think, I mean, those two have been great for the sport, and I'm sure they'll continue to be for the next six, seven years however long they're both playing. You know, but from a personal point of view, I would rather be in the final than be watching Roger and Rafa at home playing again.
Commenting on when he first met Novak Djokovic…
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, we both went quite different routes. I played him the first time I think when I was like 13 maybe. You know, it's not like you speak that often to the foreign players and stuff. There's normally a pretty big sort of language barrier. We played each other up until we were like 15, and then he improved a lot faster than I did. Then I managed to catch up. It wasn't really until we got back on the tour that we started playing together a lot and practicing together again. Yeah, the first time I played him must have been, yeah, when we were about 13. So it's been a long time we've known each other.
Describing her emotions right after she won the last point…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, they're all emotional. Obviously, you know, I think what overwhelms me is that it's so intense up until, you know, that last shot, and then all of a sudden it's finished. Then it's just like a big relief. Yeah, you know, the disbelief maybe a little bit too it's over and that I was able to turn it around is what makes it all so special.
Describing how she was able to win the match after losing the first set…
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I mean, she did everything better than me in that first set. I mean, obviously her groundstrokes were heavier, deeper. She served better. She returned better. So I think, you know, she was playing really, really well probably the best that I've ever played against her, or that she played against me. I tried to just, you know, think after that first set, you know, like, What can I do differently so I can maybe break her rhythm a little bit, try to make her think out there a little bit more? So I tried to mix it up a little bit, put some slices in, also hit a few higher shots that, you know, kind of just made her make some unforced errors. Yeah, I saw her get a little bit aggravated, and just tried to hang in there.
Commenting after losing the final to Kim Clijsters…
NA LI: I mean, of course, take positives. I think I play great tennis. I mean, she play better than me. After the match, back to the locker room, I make joke, tennis should only play one set (laughter). Yeah, I mean, I still happy what I do today, yeah. So I proud for myself.
Repeating what she’d said on-court during the trophy ceremony about her husband/coach whom she had teased several times during post-match interviews…
NA LI: Because I was making a lot of joke for him. I say doesn't matter you are fat or skinny, handsome or ugly, I always follow him, always love him.
Commenting on his performance in the men’s final…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: This was a great match. From the start to the last point, I did what I intended of doing tactically, what I talked with my coach, what I prepared for. Physically I was very fit. I had two days between the semifinals and finals match, which was important at this stage of the tournament. Because I was aware of the fact that I am going to yeah, bring it to me. (Laughter.) That will have long rallies and I will have a player who doesn't miss a lot, a very talented player who is one of the best returners in the game. And, yeah, you know, I had to step in. That was the key. When I had the chance to step in and try to move him around the court, that's what I did. Probably the turning point was the last game of the first set where we had some incredible exchange from the baseline, long rallies, and some passing shots that turned the match around. You know, when you have a set advantage, it's much different, you know, instead of getting into the match.
Comparing himself to who he was when he won the title in 2008…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I feel like more experienced player. I feel a better player now than I was three years ago, because I think that physically I'm stronger, I'm faster, mentally I'm more motivated on the court. I know how to react in certain moments, and I know how to play on a big stage. It's the best way that I could ask for to start a season.
Describing how he improved his serve in the past year…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, hitting thousands and thousands of balls on the practice. It's all about hard work and patience, I guess, dedication to the hard work which in the end pays off. That's the situation. There is no secrets. Of course, I was aware of what I do wrong. But once it gets into your head, it's really hard to get it out of your habit. Everybody was, you know, criticizing me, Why did I change my serve? I didn't change it intentionally. It just came like that. I worked hard the last 10 months, and now it's back.
Commenting on how he feels after losing the men’s final…
ANDY MURRAY: It's better than it was last year. You know, it was obviously tough, disappointing. You know, I thought Novak played unbelievably well. And, yeah, it's tough, but got to deal with it…. I was in a much worse state last year than I was this year. I don't know why. That's it.
Responding whether he still believes that he can win a Grand Slam title…
ANDY MURRAY: You know, I want to keep working hard, try and improve. You know, but I said before the final, it's not something that, you know, I don't lose sleep over at night. You know, it's going to be tough for sure for a few days. But, you know, I want to try and win one, of course. But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. You know, I'm just working as hard as I can. I train very hard. You know, I take tennis very seriously. But, you know, I love my life away from tennis, as well. You know, that's why maybe this year, compared with last, I'm very, very happy off the court. I'm enjoying myself. There's other things to look forward to, too.
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