parting words from the paribas open

i enjoy reading interview transcripts. eeeek. this is probably the researcher in me....but anyway...just wanted to share some from the post-match interviews in the recently-concluded BMP Paribas Open where rafael nadal once again snatched the Men's Singles title.

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....wondering what roger means when he says his and andy murray's fitness levels are different, but he doesn't feel the "age factor"...

Q. It's four times now that you've played him at one set all and come away behind in three set matches. What makes the difference?
ROGER FEDERER: Fitness. I'm old. He's young, you know. Makes a huge difference. No, I mean, those are best of three set matches. I think in the last few matches I always felt Andy came on strong, as the match went on, you know. This time was different. I think I played well in the second. Forced the issue a bit more and then played a shocking third set. It was one of those matches where it was very up and down from both ends, and today the better player won.

Q. You brought up that you were old. Do you feel the age factor?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I don't.

***

....one match at a time...admitting errors, but not getting stuck....always looking at the possibilities, not the potential upsets....minds of champions!!!

Q. I know you've answered this before, but why would you think winning the Grand Slam would be almost impossible, given that you've won Roland Garros four times and Wimbledon, the Australian on hard courts. You've won this twice. Is it because the year is so long, or are you just being modest that you think it's impossible for anybody?
RAFAEL NADAL: I gonna answer another time the same, no? I think when you start the tournament, you start from the first round. When I go to the tournament, I play first round and I don't know if I gonna win.
You never know what's going on in two months, in five months, in seven months. So it's very difficult to play during all the year at the same level, your best level.
Anyway, if I am playing at my best level, if Murray has a good day, he has a good chance to beat me or Federer or Djokovic or a lot of players.
So every tournament is really tough. And you are thinking a Grand Slam. Maybe it's tougher, too. Playing five sets maybe help a little bit the top players to have the better results because you have, well, more time.
But anyway, it's almost impossible. That's my feeling. I would love to have the Grand Slam. My feeling, is yeah, almost impossible.

***

Q. Do you recall struggling that much with your backhand in a long time?
ROGER FEDERER: Ah, yeah, I have those moments quite frequently.

Q. How disappointed? Are you disappointed? What's the mood? What's the feel?
ROGER FEDERER: Two minutes after the match I don't know. You know, you're just like disappointed a bit, but it was a decent tournament. Not the greatest of all time, but it was all right.
I still had high hopes for today, so I have to look forward. Hopefully I'll play well in Miami.

***

...lost in translation again! si rafa talaga nakakatawa....

Q. You seem to play every point as if it were an adventure, like something new and fun.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think so. (Laughter.)
No, no, no. I think I'm a serious player.

Q. I didn't mean you're not serious.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think my game is serious, like one time I go to the net. I think I play really similar points.
I try to have the control of the point with the forehand. That's the normal point on me. Serve, I have the control of the point on the forehand. Not one time go to the net, and another time, dropshot.
It's not like an adventure. That's my feeling. I don't know what you're saying.

Eye openers from the Australian Open

Watching another Federer-Nadal match made me realize something: I'm predisposed to root for the underdog.

Ever since Nadal started becoming a threat to the Swiss champion, I've always cheered Nadal on, wanting him SO much to win simply because I wanted to see someone new on top. Federer has been breezing through the tournaments, majors

 or not, and it would've been just refreshing to find someone else to receive the first prize. And I couldn't see anyone else more deserving of that glorious position than Nadal, given his improving performance match after match, year after year. He deserved to win with all his hard work!!!

But since Roger's loss on grass last year, the tables ha

ve turned. And in this Australian Open, I was whispering my prayers for Roger.

...

So it was another dramatic Federer-Nadal final.

I wouldn't say it was as epic as their Wimbledon encounter (none of those stupid rain delays!), but just as amazing nonetheless, simply because the

y are possibly the only two who can endure the long

est rallies and conjure the most out-of-this-world winners at the same time! And what made it quite a show was really the suspense, because you could never say who would seal each set. First set pa lang, they broke each other twice! Roger's serves kept giving him aces -- on the other hand, he had lots of double faults and missed f

irst serves as well! There were moments when Rafa's groundstrokes would consistently be long, causing him to lose point after point...only to find that Roger would later commit even more unforced errors.

Though the thought had been scratching at the back of my mind since Roger's loss in the 3rd set tiebreak, it was really only in the last set when I

 finally recognized it and started to lose hope. Roger was just really unable to win the crucial points. He had A LOT of chances to break Nadal in the games leading up to the tiebreak, but Rafa was just relentless. Roger was superb in mixing up the shots and the plays -- and executed them really well! -- but Rafa always had that extra energy to run and hit back, much to Roger's surprise almost every time!

I was still hoping and praying in the final set...cou

nt on me to not give up...but what can I say? It seems the pressure has caught up Federer. And  it was such a sorry sight. From the moment of loss to the awarding ceremony where he literally choked up and cried, I couldn't help but shed a few tears as well. I love Rafa and admire his discipline and still-accumulating-skill and believe that he deserves this win, but I can't help but feel deep sympathy for Roger.

Like I said, I'm predisposed to root for the under

dog. So even if the Greatest Players Of  All Time were putting their bets behind Federer on this match, I've always felt that the mental/emotional battle is always the toughest, which was why I saw him as the one with the bigger disadvantage. Nadal had all the reason to be confident and empowered -- he had been winning all his recent matches and swimming in great reviews. Federer, on the other hand, had been struggling to reach the final rounds. Add to that the various pressures...Internally, he's af

ter the 14th grand slam title to tie Pete Sampras' record; he used to dominate Nadal on the hard court surface; he'd like to redeem himself in the same tournament where he first one a major grand slam. Externally, people can't pick any better opportunity for Federer to rise to the challenge given Nadal's "disadvantage" of being tired from the Verdasco semi-final, and Nadal's first time in the Australian Open finals.

It was hard not to feel for Roger. Especially sinc

e he is such a distinguished, calm man, never flinching in his game and interviews, no matter how daunting the challenges are. But I guess we all have are moments of weakness. When we can no longer pretend to be strong and together. And in times like these, we just have to let the moment be, and allow the people around us to comfort us and share their strength. Like Rafa so graciously and humbly said, "I really know how you feel. But remember -- you are one of the best players of the history and you

 are going to improve the 14 of Sampras. It is always a pleasue to play you and best of luck for the rest of the year."

Now, it is just a matter of Roger believing in himself as much as others believe in him. Maybe, hopefully, that will make all the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Photos from http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html