SONY ERICSSON OPEN
Date: 2008-03-29

SONY ERICSSON OPEN

March 29, 2008

Roger Federer
MIAMI, FLORIDA
The Moderator Questions, please.

Question You looked a lot more aggressive tonight than recently. Did you feel that way?
Roger Federer: Well, I tried to play an aggressive way, you know. I couldn't really chip and charge what I was trying to do because I think he's really improved his second serve. But other than that, he gives you always a chance from the baseline if you play aggressive enough to come in.
I'm really volleying well in the last few weeks, so I think that again showed today. And as I was winning points, I kept doing it.

Question Did you feel you played really well? It looked like you were.
Roger Federer: Yeah, I think I did. I played well on the big points. He missed his first serve twice on my breakpoints. So I really played two good points to break him there. And then times he had break points and many times he served well as well and stayed aggressive.
He played far back, and I think I got lucky on one, it was a net cord, I think. But all in all I really think I played a very good match tonight.

Question It looked like you handled that pretty easily. Did he maybe challenge you more than it looks like from the outside?
Roger Federer: Even if he comes back a break in the second, you know, we're still on even terms, so I always had the lead. It's easy to play that way, but I think the important thing was don't get in too much trouble, you know, on my serve early on in the sets, so I don't fall behind like what happened against Mardy, for instance, at Indian Wells.
I think I really served well when I had to tonight. I think it really came down to the big points. Those are the ones I had to win and did, so I'm very pleased.

Question Apart from at Wimbledon, I've never seen you in the fore court quite so often. What was your plan in coming to the net quite so frequently?
Roger Federer: I just answered, but it was just a tactic of me trying to come in. He plays in a way just sort of push your tennis; he waits for an error. You've got to take a little bit of a chance to come in, because the court is very slow here. So if you don't come in on a good ball, he'll always get a decent passing shot.
So if you can keep coming in and winning points on that, he'll start to change his game from the baseline, which he had to do to make more errors, and that's exactly what I wanted to force out of him.

Question In Indian Wells you said you like to play against French players because you can enjoy a lot of variety. Is this what you feel today?
Roger Federer: Yeah, the Frenchmen are always great shotmakers. You know, sound techniques and they learn the game in a similar fashion like the Germans do or the Swiss do, the Italians do. We grow up on clay.
In the winter times we play on hard court, so it's pretty similar most of the times. You know, they always have good coaching and everything. So, because of that, they become good players. Look at the amount of players they have in the top 100. It's quite amazing all the time. And even in juniors, you know, the French were always one of the best, if not the best. So it was nice playing against them again.

Question Did the match today indicate anything to you about your health, where you're at as far as that goes?
Roger Federer: Oh, honestly I'm not concerned about that anymore. I can always answer questions. But I think for me the proof, I don't know, came at Indian Wells. When I played well, I backed up match after match. You know, felt good also after the matches, before the matches.
In Dubai it was still a little bit in the air. I was sort of anxious to see how it goes. It was a three setter. But I also didn't have any problems there. But I'm definitely more match tough and more fit now again, and I think it shows on the court.

Question Did you get a chance to see any of Djokovic's match yesterday against Anderson? And if so, were you shocked by what you saw?
Roger Federer: I only saw a little bit on the bad TV in the locker rooms, you know. We missed the good TV coverage in our locker room anyway. But I practiced with Anderson the day before.
I thought if he maybe plays well he's got maybe a small chance, you know. But he played great and beat him. So it was a good performance by him.

Question Did you give him any tips on how to play Novak?
Roger Federer: Not really. Did it all by himself.