WIMBLEDON
Date: 2008-06-25

WIMBLEDON

June 25, 2008

Roger Federer
LONDON, ENGLAND
R. FEDERER/R. Soderling
6-3, 6-4, 7-6

The Moderator Questions.

Question Good to get that third set out of the way?
Roger Federer: Yeah, it's a tough match, like I expected. He's got a good game for grass - for any surface really. He's got the potential to be a good player.
So I was happy to get the match out of the way, yeah.

Question He's a big server. Do you like it when the serve comes at you faster than normal? 140 miles an hour at one point.
Roger Federer: Well, I mean, it's challenging, yes, but particularly on grass, you know. You know, even from the baseline, he hits really flat and aggressive, so I had to scramble a lot today.
Same thing when I played him in Hamburg recently. You know, I really had to dig deep, as well, really concentrate on my own serve, because it can go very quick once you're broken, like in the third set.
So I was quite relieved to get back and win the breaker. That was a big moment.

Question Did you see anything of Marat's win over Novak?
Roger Federer: Yeah, I saw quite -- probably second and third set, because I was practicing in the first set.

Question What did you make of it?
Roger Federer: Yeah, I mean, Marat played a great match, so deserved to win in the end.

Question Not a bad day for you all in all with Novak out of your half of the draw, a good workout today against Soderling.
Roger Federer: Well, that Novak lost doesn't make my day any better, but my match counts. You know, I did well. Beat a quality player. I'm through to the third round, so that's really what I'm focusing on, you know.
But it's true, you know, it's a big upset. I'm anyway concentrating on my section, so...

Question Was there anything in Robin's play that annoyed you during the match?
Roger Federer: Well, just the dangerous game he has. You know, he has huge shots. He can also mix it up, you know, a little bit with serve and volley, stay back, play aggressive. Conditions were difficult, as well. It was a little bit of a swirling wind. The sun being really low.
It was really hard at one stage to play from the one end where I actually finished the match. I was quite happy once the match was over.
No, I mean, he's showed many times against me that he's a good player, and today was no different.

Question What do you make of the condition of the grass this year?
Roger Federer: Good. Same to the last few years. I mean, no complaints from my side.

Question When is the last time you actually looked at the rankings to see who's coming up behind you?
Roger Federer: Well, I mean, sort of every other week, you know, in a way. You look at the rankings, not particularly because of your own ranking, but just see who's moving around a little bit.
For instance, when Stan, you know, a friend, sort of moved up the ranking, fun to see where he came from, 25, 28, to No. 10 in the world. So then you look around a little bit.
Yeah, it's always there. But I wouldn't know now how much my lead is, for instance, or what it takes. This is up to other people.
But, no, as long as I'm No. 1, I don't really look at my ranking very much.

Question You hadn't dropped a service game since the French Open. Obviously you don't like to lose streaks like that. Was it better to sort of get it out of the way in the third-set situation today than in a tighter situation?
Roger Federer: Well, yes and no. I mean, I would like to have not been in the situation I was in today in the third set. But at the same time, he did well. He played a good game. It was against the sun. Made a couple of errors. You know, had the chance to in the end also win that game. But, you know, it was a tough game.
It was okay. But I've been on a good streak, not having been broken in seven matches on grass. You know, that was very good. I was actually on a similar streak I think like a few years ago when I didn't get broken from the quarters on in '03, I think, until all the way to the quarters of '04 or something like that.
It was starting to get a burden because people start to remind me of it. So it was good to get it out of the way against Lleyton there, I remember.

Question Do you remember Nishikori, the Japanese tennis player? He had a Grand Slam debut this Wimbledon. Could you tell us your impression of his performance this year.
Roger Federer: Yeah, I mean, I practiced with him in Miami last year for quite a few times. I was very impressed how well he hit the ball. I could tell right away that he will be a good player.
I mean, in a way, surprising that he right away won Delray Beach. But I think we'll see much, much more of Kei in the future. He's a nice guy, as well. It's good to see a player from Japan also making his move.

Question Do you usually change racquets a game or two before the ball change? You seemed to do that today. Was that the conditions, or do you usually do that here?
Roger Federer: I usually do that. I don't like to serve with a fresh racquet. Either I do it the game, you know, before or after new balls, depending if I'm going to serve or not. I've been doing that for five years. So nothing new.

Question Novak said after the first round that you sort of spoke a little bit between your match and his. You sort of talked about the grass, what condition it was like, all that sort of thing. Did you sort of meet him today after his match or between matches today at all?
Roger Federer: If we met?

Question Did you talk at all between the matches?
Roger Federer: Not really, no. I mean, he was doing his thing. I was doing really mine. You know, once he lost, sort of he left. So I didn't really -- no, we didn't get to chat at all. It's not the right moment to do that kind of talk. We'll do that some other time.