Roger Federer: “I wish I could have played a bit more freely today overall. But then again, I think it was a solid match” - UBITENNIS
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Roger Federer: “I wish I could have played a bit more freely today overall. But then again, I think it was a solid match”

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TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 28th of May 2014. R. Federer d. D. Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. An interview with Roger Federer

Q. How are your impressions making a first time slammer like Diego playing on a big court and like in front of an idol like you? How do you feel about that, please?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I think it was kind of tough all the way through, for me, anyway. I didn’t feel relaxed for the entire match.

You know, I’ve always felt he had a little bit of an upper hand from the baseline. I feel he was doing a really good job being aggressive and making good plays. Clearly because of his height he doesn’t have the biggest serve, and that kept me sometimes in two minds. But I think he handled the conditions really well.

I can see why he’s ranked where he is and why he probably is going to move up in the rankings. He’s very steady, very fast. He’s got some good qualities, you know. It’s just a matter for him to be really fit and continue what he’s doing, you know, working hard.

I’m sure like a match like this or tournament like this where he was able to win four matches is going to give him a lot of new information he didn’t have before.

 

Q. I just want to ask you in terms of your forehand going off sometimes in terms of timing, how much do you think the game needs to get better for you this week and next so you can be content?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, today was special in its own way because I got into every return game because of his serve. So clearly we are going to have many more unforced errors than forced errors.

It’s always going to happen when you play big serving guys who push you and take chances, you cannot make unforced errors because they are trying to hit a winner.

So from that standpoint, the statistics today for me is totally secondary. It’s just really important to moving along in the draw. My next round opponent plays entirely different to Schwartzman today.

Yeah, I wish I could have played a bit more freely today overall. But then again, I think it was a solid match. I served well. That’s always the key to stay solid in your own service games.

I will see how the next match is going to be. It depends on weather, on wind, all that stuff, how free you can actually really play.

 

Q. Kim Clijsters just sent out a tweet with one of your comments that you made, which was: Sometimes it’s okay just to be happy to be playing, that it’s okay just to enjoy the game. You don’t always need to be a success. Some people don’t get that. Could you just talk about that comment and sort of the balance between tennis as a job, your profession, and the joy of the game?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I have a hard time understanding it, as well. I don’t know what I was trying to say back then.

Anyway, I mean, I think sometimes in the media or people think it’s only fun when you win and when you lose, clearly it’s a disaster, it’s all really bad. Yeah, it’s disappointing, and it’s not great fun. But at the same time, you can also enjoy a tournament, enjoy a city, enjoy life, you know, as you move along with your career.

I think that’s what I mean, that sometimes things are totally just based on unforced errors or on the little things in life and if you have the big picture in mind, then you realize that missing a few too many forehands has zero impact on how I will actually sleep tonight.

 

Q. How do you feel physically after the first two rounds? Next is going to be Dmitry Tursunov, as you said, he’s a different player. Do you feel good versus last year when it was difficult with your back?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I don’t even think about this. I feel good. I mean, physically I’m fit and the two first rounds were really okay. I didn’t lose any of my energy. I had two days off, so I’m really relaxed as far as this is concerned.

Tursunov is a different player all together versus Schwartzman today. He tried more with his serve, but also with the forehand. And also I played against him at Indian Wells. It was 7 6, 7 6, that’s how I defeated him. It was a tough match.

But at least I know Dmitry, I didn’t know Schwartzman at all. I didn’t know if he was a great player, average, or not really good.

That’s why there was pressure on me throughout the match today probably.

 

Q. Roger, Wawrinka, after being defeated, after the first round, said that it’s difficult for him to manage the pressure due to the title in Australia. He said that’s the difference between him and Djokovic, Nadal, or you, because you can do this. Maybe we don’t realize this all the time, but you can take the pressure and you know you’ve got to win and you manage to win tournament after tournament. Do you understand his position today, that is, it’s difficult I think for him to take this title he won?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, for me, you know, it’s totally normal. I have never really understood how Rafa, Novak, and myself, we can play at such a level all the time, being consistent. You know, for me, that was a shock to see all of us so consistent like this, steady if I can say.

Of course, people are used to this, and it doesn’t happen. But for me it’s normal. It might happen to the best players.

You know, with Stan, I understand here, I understand where he is, because I was in such a position at a moment in my career, and it’s not even the pressure itself. You know, I think it’s how you look at yourself and at your game.

Without changing everything, you know, this is what he’s got to work on and solve this, fix this. Little by little. It will not happen overnight. But with Australia, with Monaco, it’s in his pocket already. Nobody can take this from him. It will give him time, time to work on this. I trust that he will find the right solutions in the months to come.

ATP

Alcaraz Halts Sinner’s Winning Streak To Reach The Final In Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz earns the right to defend his title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells fending off Jannik Sinner’s assault to his ATP no. 2 spot

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Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz (right) - Indian Wells 2024 (photo Twitter X @BNPPARIBASOPEN)

All good things come to an end. Jannik Sinner was on a 19-match winning streak since his loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Nitto ATP Finals that included his first Grand Slam win in Australia last January, and appeared as the most in-form player at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 tournament of the season. But as he faced Carlos Alcaraz in an eagerly-awaited semifinal, he was unable to continue his quest for the third consecutive title of the season, succumbing to the Spaniard 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The match was a face-off for the no. 2 spot in the ATP ranking that Alcaraz will still occupy next Monday regardless of the result of Sunday’s final, and this is a much-needed confidence boost for him after a disappointing start of the season where he was handily beaten in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open by Zverev and did not win any tournament during the South American clay court swing where he was ousted by Nicolas Jarry in Buenos Aires and had to retire for an ankle injury at the Rio Open.

The match, originally scheduled for 1.30 pm Pacific Time, had to be suspended for over three hours after only three games because of an unusual downpour. As the match resumed, Sinner appeared once again the perfectly-tuned machine that had been crushing opponents with metronomic regularity for the past weeks while Alcaraz was struggling to keep up with his opponent’s pace from the baseline.

The first set was smooth sailing for the Italian who cruised to a comprehensive 6-1 in 27 minutes: Alcaraz was tentative from the baseline and could not find the right position to fire his screamers and change the tactical discourse of the match. “Then at the beginning of the second set, as I saw he was making a lot of mistakes, I tried to be as solid as possible when I should have kept pushing instead – Sinner said during his press conference – and that’s what cost me the match in the end”.

While serving at 1-2 in the second set, a few uncharacteristic forehand mistakes started to dot his thus far spotless game, and that cost him the break that sent Alcaraz flying to a 4-1 advantage. The Spaniard then found the confidence to change his return position and make Sinner work a lot more on his service games, as the Italian struggled to find a countermeasure to the tactical shift in the match: “I kept doing the same thing over and over again”, Sinner stressed, and forehand unforced errors started to pile up to reach the burdensome number of 27 at the end of the match.

Sinner had the chance to find his way back into the second set while Alcaraz was serving at 3-5, but Carlos cancelled his break point with a laser backhand down the line that had the 15,000-strong crowd cheering on their feet.

The third set ran away very quickly from the Italian, who started touching repeatedly the back of his left leg around his knee. Sinner got broken again during the third game, and while going for a last-ditch attempt to recover a short volley by Alcaraz he tumbled to the ground slightly injuring his right elbow and arm. From there onwards it was just more mistakes by Sinner and a clinical execution by Alcaraz on how to take home a match.

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“It Feels Great’ – Novak Djokovic Marks Indian Wells Return With Milestone Win

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Novak Djokovic - Indian Wells 2024 (foto Ubitennis)

Novak Djokovic says he still has a ‘great feeling’ in Indian Wells after playing his first match at the event for five years. 

The world No.1 battled to a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, win over Aleksandar Vukic in what was his first taste of competitive tennis since losing in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. It was a far from smooth encounter for Djokovic, who hit 23 winners and won 83% of his first service points. In the second set, he was broken twice with the second of those occurring when he was serving at 5-6. Nevertheless, he battled back in the decider to win. 

This year is the first time Djokovic has been able to play in the Masters 1000 event since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the 2020 tournament was cancelled, he was unable to play the next three editions due to restrictions placed on unvaccinated foreign visitors to America. Despite the absence, the five-time champion states that his love for the event is as strong as ever.

“It feels great to come back with the win. It’s been five years and the great feeling is still there. I enjoyed myself very much. Beautiful stadium. Great atmosphere.” Djokovic said during his press conference. 
“I was a bit nervous at the beginning. I haven’t played a match in more than five weeks. I thought the start was good. Then I think he upped his game.
“I probably lost a little bit of the momentum. We got into the third set, I thought the level of the tennis was pretty good in the third. Great points. He made me produce some really important points in games in order to prevail in this match. I’m glad that I was pushed, as well, which is important.”

Djokovic’s latest victory is his 400th in a Masters 1000 tournament. He is only the second player in history to have reached this milestone since the tournament category was introduced in 1990. The first to do so was Rafael Nadal who currently has 406 wins to his name. 

He could create more history in Indian Wells should the Serbian go on to claim the title this year. If he does, he would become the first man to have won it for a sixth time. Although Djokovic is refusing to get too far ahead of himself. 

“I would love to,” he said of trying to claim a sixth title. “Obviously there is still a long way to get to the title match, but it’s a good start.’
“I know I can always produce better tennis. Obviously very self-critical, and I think some extent it’s also important because then it puts you in the right mindset of wanting to work more and being engaged in the process of improving on a daily basis, or trying to perfect your game and right the wrongs that you’ve done in a previous match or previous practice session.
“So that’s what I’m going to keep doing and hopefully building my game as this tournament is played over 10 to 14 days, so it allows you to have the practice days also between matches, which then allows you to work on certain specifics in the game.”

Djokovic will play Italy’s Luca Nardi in the next round. 

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Carlos Alcaraz Brushes Aside Injury Doubts To Reach Indian Wells Third Round

Carlos Alcaraz is into the third round at Indian Wells after a three set win over Matteo Arnaldi.

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(@BNPPARIBASOPEN - Twitter)

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame injury doubts to edge past Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(5) 6-0 6-1 at Indian Wells.

The world number two had to endure an aggressive opening set from the in-form Italian to reach the third round.

After a tight opening set, Alcaraz raced through the last two sets as he set up a third round showdown with Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The Spaniard had entered this match with injury doubts after retiring from his match with Thiago Monteiro in Rio De Janeiro.

However Alcaraz was very pleased with how his ankle held up as he moved on in California, “Honestly it surprised me. I felt great, moving normally without thinking about it,” Alcaraz told the ATP website.

“It was a really good match to realise that I am better than I thought. I think I played great tennis because of that. I had to change just a few things. I made a few mistakes in the first set… I had to put in more first serves in the second and third set, and I think that was a big key to improving my level a little bit, to be in the rallies — long rallies as well, to get the rhythm, and I’m really happy to get it at the end.

“But right now I’m getting better and feeling really, really well. But I think I have to get a good rhythm step by step. I think that’s the big difference between last year and this one. This [is a] really special tournament for me. I want to do it well. This is the first match playing high intensity and I didn’t know how it’s going respond, the ankle.

“I have to deal with it, but I didn’t deal with the nerves very well in the first set, moving differently, hitting the ball differently. My game is playing aggressive all the time. And try to stay calm and wait for my chances.

“When you get nervous, you don’t think about it. You don’t hit the ball as good as you want. You don’t move as good as you want. I think that’s the big difference.”

Alcaraz will hope for a good week this week as he defends the Indian Wells title as he aims to win a first title since Wimbledon this week.

Next for the Spaniard will be Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Constant Lestienne in straight sets.

Auger-Aliassime currently leads the head-to-head 3-1 but Alcaraz won their last meeting in Indian Wells last year.

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