TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 25th of May 2014. T. Berdych d. P. Polansky 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. An interview with Tomas Berdych.
Q. What can you say about the match?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, he makes me work really hard. It was not easy opponent. I mean, he needs to pass three matches in the quallies.
I think he brought some confidence and some good rhythm to the first round. He has basically not much to lose.
No, he was playing really solid, so I’m happy with the way I handle it. I won in three sets. Played quite good game.
Q. What did you know about him before the match?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, not much. I mean, it’s getting more and more these guys that you play for the first time.
You know, quite getting used to that. It’s not easy, but especially for slam it’s the advantage is that you play best of five sets so you have some kind of a time to adjust, to find out what’s the way how to play, what’s the good and bad part of his game.
But anyway, the most important is just to focus on myself, playing the way I want to play. That’s what I was able to do.
Q. There is quite a lot of rain expected this week. Mentally, what would you do to make sure that it doesn’t affect you and stay focused?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, I think first step I already made. I played on Sunday, which was pretty nice weather. Now I have two days off, so let’s see what’s going to happen in those two days.
I can be really relaxed because I just pass the first match, and now let’s see what’s the weather going to be like.
Well, I had experience from 2010 when it was raining quite a lot and the weather was not good and I managed to go far. So I’m going to try to get something from that, you know, and just to stay focused on myself.
You cannot change the weather at all. When you get a time, just be ready for it and just go and play.
Q. Playing on a Sunday, to start on a Sunday, what do you think about that for you and for the fans? Is it a good thing?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I think it’s really great thing, and many people come up. It was almost full stadium there.
You know, it’s something that it’s a bit different to the others because I think it’s the only one that we start on Sunday.
You know, probably every place want to have something special. Sunday of second week in London we don’t play at all and stuff like that.
So, no, I think it’s really good. The fans can come up. They have one more day, one extra day of tennis. I think it’s, yeah, a good idea.
Q. I’m sure you get asked about your fashion sense a lot. Can we talk about your T shirt this time and what kind of thought went into it. Did they come up and you had to approve it? How did you decide to wear it?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, they brought the idea of making the flowers for, well, spring and summer basically. As you know, I think it’s very popular, like through all the fashion brands. You can find everything with the flowers for the summer, so I was just really convinced in the first second and I said, yes, of course.
It’s really nice. It’s very different. Especially like today, you know, when I was like watching my opponent and then you see that the ball boys are running all around, and basically you have to find out if he’s a ball boy or it’s a player because everyone wears the same and everyone looks the same.
So this is something different, which I like. You know, it’s a fashion brand, so they need to have something what is not like simple like what you can have from the sportswear.
