할레 5~6일 (QF~SF)

Novak Djokovic : After reaching the final

Q. That was hard work today. Right?
DJOKOVIC: Yes, it was really a lot of long rallies. I had to work for my points, especially on my serve. I knew that. That was no secret. I had some tough encounters with him in the past. I knew he is a player, who likes to play on fast surfaces. You could see what a great touch he has. From the baseline, he barely makes mistakes. So, I had to change the pace, maybe make some variety, go to the net and serve out well. The first percentage of the first serves was quite well throughout the match. There were a couple of games that I had ups and downs but generally I served well which was important.

Q. Did you feel you moved better in this match or in the previous rounds?
DJOKOVIC: Well, with Melzer … Okay if you look at the falls, I didn't fall one time but again I didn't have any rallies with him. With Olivier I had a lot of long rallies and it's normal that I will have a little difficulties with the movement. The court now is in quite bad condition. You could see that there is barely enough grass around the baseline and service line, a lot of bad bounces, low bounces. So you have to be really focused all the time.

Q. You seemed to almost rethink around the end of the first set. You cut the rallies short?
DJOKOVIC: Yes, I knew he loves getting the same pace. That’s what I figured out playing against him in our past couple of matches. So, I needed to use the slice. I think it’s a good shot to use on this surface, then get to the net. As I said, variety in the game.

Q. Tommy talked today about difference in conditions. It’s obviously warmer, he played when there were shadows. Did you find any difference and also did it affect how you thought about your stringing?
DJOKOVIC: Well, I think with my case I don’t make any huge difference with the stringing. It’s more or less the same tension that I use in most of my matches. Of course, it’s adjustable according to the conditions that day. When it’s warmer the ball is flying faster and obviously you have to string a little bit tighter. But I used the same tension today and it was quite well. Our match was different from Tommy’s and Philipp’s because they played under the sun, we played in the shadow. Everything really affects.

Q. Now you are going to play Tommy in the final. He said you are the clear favourite. What do you think about that?
DJOKOVIC: It’s hard to say. Especially in the finals you don’t want to put yourself as a favourite. Obviously on the paper, yes I am because I’m ranked better but I wouldn't say that gamewise I'm a big favourite to win the match because he has been playing some great tennis this week winning against Tsonga, Kohlschreiber. You must give him credit for that.

Q. You were in the finals in Queens last year, now you are in the finals in Halle. Are you playing better this year, looking ahead a little bit to Wimbledon?
DJOKOVIC: It’s hard to compare. I think I played extremely well from the baseline last year but this year I am serving much better. The serve is a very important factor in the game on this surface.

Q. Can you compare the two experiences: What has been different about preparing here as opposed to preparing in London?
DJOKOVIC: Well, I thought weatherwise that I’m in London (laughs). So, I was happy to see the sun today. I think it’s very quiet here. The hotel and all the facilities in one complex, that’s very convenient for the players. It’s different. I don’t want to criticize courts or something but in my opinion Queens’ courts are better, but it’s two different tournaments. But if you are playing finals two years in a row it must mean that you are enjoying the event.

Novak Djokovic : After his brilliant play against Jurgen Melzer

Q. That was a lot better?
DJOKOVIC: Yes, it was quite a relief after two not so convincing performances in the opening rounds. Now, it was a different story and I think I was in control of the match all the time although I lost that break in the second set. But I managed to come back in a great style and break him on 4 all. Overall, I was moving much better today on the court. That was very important.

Q. You were about a metre closer to the baseline?
DJOKOVIC: True (laughs).

Q. Are you already thinking about winning this tournament?
DJOKOVIC: Well, I always have the highest possible ambitions on each event I play but I don't want to create any extra pressure, which is not necessary, on myself, meaning that I want to win the tournament. I still have two matches to go in order to do that. I have Rochus who came from qualifications and played a lot of matches on grass. I think I don’t have a positive score with him. Actually, I lost the last couple of matches we played. It’s going to be interesting to play him again.

Q. Is it more difficult because you haven’t played him for four year?
DJOKOVIC: Yes, we haven’t played for a while. But you can see that he has a great game for grass courts. He’s not that tall and then he has this low balance. He has a great touch and is moving extremely well on grass. So, from the baseline he’s a tough opponent to play on this surface.

Q. Even though he dropped in the rankings, you don’t want to underestimate him?
DJOKOVIC: Of course, you cannot underestimate anybody. I might be on the paper the favourite to win this tournament but I wouldn’t put myself as a first favourite in this tournament because I think that there are great players. Kohlschreiber and Haas are playing fantastic. So, it’s going to be interesting to see.

Novak Djokovic : After the thrilling match against Serra

Q. Have you ever saved five match points before?
DJOKOVIC: Actually I did on grass. Three or four years ago I played second round in Wimbledon against Garcia Lopez. I was down two sets and 5:4 and 40:0 on his serve. I saved I think six match points and I won. That’s when I got to top 100. So, this victory meant a lot to me back then. Hopefully this one can prove to me something more that I need to believe all the time that I can come back. That’s what I think is most important in this win today.

Q. Did you learn anything in terms of how you played up to 5:7, 5:2 and after?
DJOKOVIC: Well, I still think I’m not playing even close to my best on this surface. I’m making too many big steps. That’s why I’m more or less most of the time unbalanced and I’m too defensive. Of course, the court is slippery. It’s slippery if you are playing three metres behind the baseline. That’s not the way to play on this surface. So, I have to stick more to the baseline and try to get to the net more often. I think I have a good game when I’m performing that game on grass. Today that was not the case. But you have to keep on going and believe.

Q. You discovered the drop shot?
DJOKOVIC: Well, it’s actually a great shot to use on this surface because the ball doesn’t bounce that much. It actually stops. So, slice, drop shots, some variety in the game is always needed. That’s what I was trying today to give him different paces because he hits the ball well when he’s in his comfort zone. When you change the pace then it’s different.

Q. You even played the drop shot at the match point. Quite risky.
DJOKOVIC: I don’t know, what wasn’t risky today.

Q. How can you get closer to your best game? Is it a process?
DJOKOVIC: It is. We are coming back to the question of how long you have time to prepare for this surface. I think it’s not enough obviously. If you are playing … In Roland Garros this year it wasn’t the case for me to get far in the tournament but yet again the last couple of years I’ve been getting to the final stages. And you only have a couple of days time to prepare from the slowest surface to the fastest surface which are totally different surfaces. It’s always a question if you can get used to it quickly or not. The early exit in Roland Garros obviously got me worried a bit. So, psychologically I’m not at the top level. But this is sport. You have to overcome the crisis and try to find your rhythm.

Q. Did you feel that today again you had to reset your psychology as you said a couple of days ago, but this time you had to do it during the match?
DJOKOVIC: Yes, I guess so. You have set and break and 0:40 down. For most of the people there’s not much you can do. As I said, it’s a big lesson that I have to learn, play to the last point and that’s it.

Q. Do you think the big problem today was the footwork?
DJOKOVIC: The footwork is a problem. It’s crucial on this surface to be balanced all the time. The court is slippery two or three metres behind the baseline and that was my region of movement in the match. That shouldn’t be the case because then I’m too defensive.

풋~ 이 정도는 해줘야 니가 잔디 썰매타다 엉덩이에 풀물 좀 들어봤구나~ 한다능 -_-)/ 별거 없습니다. 무념무상 공이 움직이는대로 열심히 뛰어다니다가 잔디가 이끄는대로 가볍게 몸만 던져주시면 됩니다. 참, 겨울 시즌에 세르비아 산에서 스키로 기술 좀 다져주시면 한결 수월해질겁니돠. 눼..;;
- 잔디코트 풋웤의 신기원을 열어가고 있는 놀레 -_-a