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Q. How are you feeling out there? You looked pretty good.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it was a good match for me on the start of the tournament. It's always good to have a straight-set win in your first match.
Usually the first matches in any tournament are the most trickiest ones, because you know you play a player who has already one match before you.
Again, you were the favorite in this match and a lot of expectations, and I still didn't have any official matches from Monte-Carlo when I retired.
I was a bit skeptical in the start if I'm going to be physically in the first place ready for this match, but obviously in the second set -- and in the first set -- I felt good.
You know, I had a little struggle in the first set, but anyhow, in general I'm satisfied.
Q. The court seems to be a little slippery. Is that the feeling you have?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. I had a couple times a chat with the chair umpire about the condition of the court. He said there is not much he can do in that moment. I just said in the courtesy of players and for their own good, I think it's important to pay attention on the courts in between matches, even though there is no time.
The most important people here in this tournament are the players, so you don't want to see them falling down on the court or playing bad. The fans come to see good tennis, and good tennis comes with a good court. The condition of the court is not good enough. Hopefully it can get better.
Q. Are you still on any medication at all, or are you 100% back?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. I finish with my medications yesterday, so hopefully I can get better in the future.
Q. Some were saying you were not trying to change too much of your game from hard courts. You're hitting a good tempo and a lot of down the line. How are you using your tactics on clay?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's not true that I'm not changing it at all. I am getting used to this surface and adapting to, you know, its system of the game.
I'm trying to play more patient because I'm aware of the fact that I'm going to get a lot more balls back on clay than I do on hard court.
Obviously, hard court is my most preferred surface, but I think I have good game -- good enough -- to challenge the best players in the world on this surface.
Q. A lot of hard court players have had success here and say that the court plays faster than other clay courts on the European circuit. From having your match today and last year, do you feel like the court plays faster here?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I would agree with that comment. The ball bounces a lot higher than on the other surfaces and the courts are really fast. The fact that they are slippery makes them even more faster. It's suitable in some way to my game.
Q. You were not slipping so much the second set?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yeah, of course, you know after a while you get used to a lot of things. As a professional tennis player I have to adapt myself on the conditions and just take them as they are. That's what I did.
Q. Where did you learn your Italian? Watching Italian TV?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I'm always. No, I was practicing with Italian Coach Riccardo Piati and with Ljubicic as well. They help me in some way. I was trying to communicate with them throughout our incorporation in all Italian more than English.
I like languages a lot, especially Italian. I'm still far away from perfect, but, you know, it takes time.
Q. How many languages are you able to speak?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, you know, four languages I can speak pretty much okay. You know, to understand, I speak German. I spoke German really well -- not really well, but pretty well when I was living and practicing there, but I didn't speak it for four or five years.
I already forgot a lot of things, but I'm trying to get better, you know. Because I think more languages, you know, more is your worth and more people respect you. I really like languages.
Q. (Translated from Italian.) Will this put you to the test? What would be your advice to a 12-, 13-year-old wanting to become a tennis champion.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: He has to just believe in himself and dedicate to the sport, because tennis requires a lot of time on the tour traveling and on the court. Tennis is, in fact, the longest season in sports, that's why he needs to really take it seriously and enjoy, of course, with a smile.
※ May 8, 2008 N. DJOKOVIC/I. Andreev 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 (Round 3) (Highlight)
Q. You like the draw now at this moment?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's okay. You know, you don't know what to expect. You can't expect an easy draw in a Masters event.
Q. Was it as difficult as it looked?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. Yeah, it was really. I knew that he's specialist for this surface and a player who's really physically strong, and one of the strongest players, and this is his advantage, I can say, playing against his opponents on this surface.
So I tried to be aggressive playing my style of the game but with a little more patience than I usually do. Because I knew that I have to be in charge of the game but still, you know, get some chances, because it could go either way I think, especially in the third set when he had the breakpoints on a couple of my service games.
But I held on, and I'm very happy to get through.
Q. Did you have better feeling today than the first match with the ground?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: With the court?
Q. With the court, sorry.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, not too much. The condition of the court is still pretty bad, but you can't do much about it. Sometimes during the match it gives you a little bit of the frustration, but the conditions are for all the players the same, and you have to get used to it.
Q. (In Italian) Was there a problem with the wind?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, a little bit, but the conditions are the same for every player, so we just have to make due with them.
Q. (In Italian) Did you feel the warmth of the crowd behind you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: A little bit. You know, I was mentioning before that I liked to play in Italia. I played many tournaments in junior events and been through a lot of places south, north, all over the country.
You know, this is the Italian Open. This is their biggest event, and a lot of people come here and they're very passionate about the sport and they appreciate the players, and we respect that.
I'm very happy that the crowd is able to stay behind me in the important matches.
Q. (In Italian.) On Sunday there will be the final, and at the same time your country will be going through an election. On Sunday perhaps you will be in the final at the same time. What do you think about this?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: We have to go slowly, because I'm just in the quarterfinals. It takes time to get on the Sunday. This is something that I will probably want to do.
The other question about political situation, you know, Serbia is a country which has been in the last twenty years through a lot of difficult times economy-wise and wars, a lot of negative things happened.
But I'm trying to be positive as much as I can, and present, of course, on the first place myself and then my country. Every time people see my name in the big events on the screen and my country name next to the name, this is, you know, a big thing for Serbia. I think the people respect that.
I just want to do what I need to do: be a professional tennis player and talk about that, talk about the sport. Politics is something that I don't want to be involved in, because it takes a lot of energy.
Q. Just on the match today, where does Andreev's forehand sit in terms of the men's game, because it's pretty big?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, he produces a lot of spin. Obviously his forehand has the most effect on this surface because it bounces a lot, especially here in Rome.
I think it's suitable to his game and he's very strong, so he gets most of the balls. That's why it makes it more tough for his opponents.
Q. How does it feel to see the name of Nadal not in the draw, and did you see any of the match yesterday?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. I haven't seen anything, so it's pretty strange that he's out in the second round.
But, of course, he's's normal, as we all are. To lose, it's all part of the sport. I haven't seen any of the match so I can't really say if it was a difficulty with the health or whatever, but, you know, it's part of the sport.
※ May 09, 2008 N. Djokovic/N. Almagro 6-1, 1-0 (Ret'd) (QF) (Highlight)
※ May 10, 2008 N. DJOKOVIC/R. Stepanek 6-0, 1-0 (Ret'd) (SF) (Interview & Highlight)
Q. Could you ever imagine getting through the quarters and semis and playing two sets?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, honestly, not in an event like this. But these are the circumstances and this is sports. Anything can happen, you know.
I think this is another reason and another showing that the season is really tough, especially this year because of the Olympics.
The players are not getting injured for nothing, you know? There is a big reason why they're having these difficulties. I understand that because I was in that situation many times.
But for me the most important thing is that I have done everything that I planned to do before the matches, last night's match and today's match.
I'm happy with my performances so far, so hopefully tomorrow I can get a big victory.
Q. Did you know beforehand that Radek had a problem?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I didn't know anything about his troubles.
Q. Is it kind of difficult to prepare for a final when you've had short matches? In a strange way, would you have preferred to have played a complete match?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think my first two matches were okay. I think especially the second one against Andreev was a really long match. I think it helped me in the way that I get used to the court and atmosphere and everything in general, so I was really ready.
I got to the match against Almagro, you know, a little bit tired, but I think I was playing really well. It was good that I didn't have such a long match against him last night, because otherwise we would finish really late in the night, and who knows what will happen today.
You know, these are these things are part of the sport. You just have to deal with them.
Q. (From Italian) Do you think something could have been done in order to prevent this problem by not planning the Olympics or the schedule so tight around the Olympic Games?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, you know, now if we start talking about that I think it will be taking a long time. We are all trying to make this sport more popular and better. We're all working for the good of the sport.
Especially the players in the top and the ones who are playing a lot of the matches are not happy with the schedule this year. That's certainly a task to talk about because of the really tight schedule of the Masters Series events.
We're all aware of the fact that the Olympics are making it even more difficult, but this is something that we will need to talk about in the future. I'm not criticizing anybody, but it's just very important to take care about the players, because you don't want to have these kind of situations at big events, the players retiring in the semifinals and the quarterfinals after one set.
The stadium was not even filled up and suddenly one of the players retired, so I don't think that the tournament director or the crowd or anybody wants to see that.
Q. Do you ever remember in a tournament to have two players not playing against you, or is this the first time, retiring against you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. First time.
Q. Which sort of pressure would be tomorrow on your shoulder, because you are now a big favorite? You can say whatever you want about Wawrinka. Everybody has a lot of respect for him, but without No. 1 and No. 2...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Sure. No, of course. As the third player of the world you always have a certain does of responsibility and expectations behind your back, especially in these cases, in these matches in the big events when you play players who are lower ranked than you.
It's normal that the people expect. And considering the results recently in last couple of months, I would be certainly the favorite in the final.
Again, I don't want to underestimate anybody. It's finals, and he absolutely deserve to be there. This is the event that all the best players in the world are playing, so saying it again: he deserves to be in the final, and the better will win.
But I feel physically great and mentally as well ready. Hopefully, you know, I can stay at the high level of performance.
Q. (From Italian) We've seen that today Stepanek wasn't well and he retired because of an injury. But on the other hand, he was here with his girlfriend. Do you think the presence of someone close to you be can be an advantage or a disadvantage to you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: This is something that is differential on every person. You can't say that it's good or bad or advantage or disadvantage, because every person has something else that is suitable to his personality, to his life, to his career, for his job.
So I can't really give an answer to that question. I like to be surrounded with the people that I really care about. I always like to have a lot of people around me, because in that way I feel better. I feel more relax and I feel more support, supportive.
But on the other hand, there are tournaments that I want to be alone. A lot of person has a different opinion.
Q. What's your idea about Federer after your match in Melbourne and he lost so many times in different situations?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, you know, I was saying before, this is absolutely a normal thing, because after so many years of dominance and winning 90% of the major events on the tour, it's normal that in one point of your career you start to play worse a little bit.
But he's still the No. 1 player of the world and he still has the highest possible goals and he still wants to stay there. He still had pretty good results, you know, satisfying results in this year.
Of course, not characteristic for him because everybody expects him to win every single tournament, but players and times are changing. Players started to believe more that they can win against him or any other best player on the world, on the top.
So it's going to be interesting to see in the continuation of the season if he or Rafa or myself are going to be able to remain consistent with the performance, level of performance, with the results.
Because, you know, this year is very packed, the schedule, and the Olympics are there. So it's going to be tiring. It's going to be interesting, I think, for tennis fans to see who is going to finish in the top.