TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 2nd of July. R. Federer d. S. Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. An interview with Roger Federer
Q. After the disappointments of last year, what does this year mean to you reaching yet another semifinal at Wimbledon?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, there was a lot on the line today playing against Stan, you know. Quarters sort of shows the direction on how you’re playing and all these things.
I’m really pleased to have come through. Like you said, last year was a major disappointment for me because I always see Wimbledon as one of my main goals of the season, side-by-side with rankings and some other highlights that I choose that there are for me.
I try to be in the best possible shape, so last year was rough. I was very disappointed. Went back to the practice courts. Didn’t have any options left at that point.
So I’m happy that one year later I’m back in the semis and with a chance to go further.
Q. You’re playing either Raonic or Kyrgios. Yesterday Kyrgios said you were his big idol, it would be a dream come true to meet you. Do you have a similar story when you met your big idol?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I did have that moment here on Centre Court in 2001 when I played Sampras. That was my big moment. It was my first time on Centre Court. It was my first and only time I ever played against Pete. Huge occasion. Five sets. Had it all, you know.
I’m happy we never played after that, you know, so that one remains the only one for me.
Clearly I’d like to play against him, too. He came to Switzerland to practice with me actually the week before Rome I think it was. We had a great time together. Had good intensity. I already thought he was playing unbelievably at the Australian Open.
It was nice to see how he works and how he plays in the practice. I think he’s going to rise up the rankings. It’s not hard to predict because he will during this tournament or afterwards. It would be cool playing here in the semis with the ranking he has. It’s an amazing story.
We like these kind of stories from time to time in the tennis world, a youngster coming through the rankings so quickly.
Q. Is it more difficult playing against a friend and a compatriot, or are you able to shut that out when you’re on court?
ROGER FEDERER: I was thinking about it midway through the match actually. I was like, Oh, I’m playing Stan kind of thing. It hit me midway through the second set.
So, yeah, I mean, it goes in phases. You need some energy to push yourself. You want to win the match. You don’t necessarily want to beat him, but you want to win the match. So that’s the odd part. It plays its role during the match.
I still felt I was able to focus well and play as good as Stan allowed me to play, because he was playing really well right out of the gates. He came out and was crushing the ball, forehand and backhand and even serve, so it was very difficult for me.
I’m happy that throughout the matches we’ve played against each other I didn’t have a huge problem playing against him, even though it is unusual playing a friend and unusual playing especially a compatriot.
Q. I think Novak was saying on TV the other day he asked you about being a father, becoming a father. Is that the case? What did you tell him?
ROGER FEDERER: I told him what he wanted to know. Just answered his questions.
Q. What did he ask you?
ROGER FEDERER: That’s a conversation between him and me.
No, he just asked me how life was on the road, how it is to be a dad. I think it’s what like every dad, soon to be dad goes through. You want to get some information, something you can wrap your mind around. I think he’s super excited. He’s very happy. I’m very happy for them.
So he’s going through that period, which is so cool. I think it’s some of the best moments now leading into it, and then right after where I am now. If he can ask anybody, it’s me clearly.
Yeah, I was happy to share my things with him that worked well and didn’t work well for me in the past.
Q. What do you make of the period we’re in right now where there are these young guys on the rise and the four of you who have dominated the majors for nine years still in a position for competing for those?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, it’s exciting, you know, for the game to see new faces like Kyrgios, now Raonic or Nishikori, you name it. There’s been a few guys knocking on the door now. Still don’t have enough teenagers like I would hope we had.
It’s just hard breaking through. The points, you fetch them from semis on, not really quarters anymore like it used to be. So it’s hard I think for a youngster to win or be consistent over three, four, five matches in a row where the big points are.
But other than that, I think it’s good times in tennis right now. There’s a lot of excitement. Stadiums are always pretty much full on Centre Court, which is great. Seems a lot of press traveling the world to see what’s going on.
I’m really happy playing in this time really.
Q. Once you get to the semifinals do you relax a bit because it’s been such a big tournament, or do you step up the pressure because the matches get bigger?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it’s a different situation because I played back-to-back days. I’m really looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Good thing yesterday was that I finished early. Really I felt like it was half a day off afterwards.
Now it’s late. I don’t have much rest today other than sort of really treatment, get through the press, have dinner, and then go to bed really.
So tomorrow’s a big day for me where I can let it all sort of sink in a bit, you know, like what’s been going well for the last nine days or so and what do I need to do to get to the finals.
I can really prepare well. It’s a comfortable place to be. I must say, I know there’s pressure, but the confidence is there. You know there is a chance now to go a step further because you trust your game. That’s where I am right now. I’m really excited about the next couple days now.
Q. You move very well and you serve very well. In the end it was hard. Stan was really fighting for the last points. How is your confidence? In Monte Carlo he came back and won the match. Did that go through your mind because he was fighting so hard?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, in Monaco he got better as the match went on. Here he really came out of the blocks unbelievably strong. I think he had some physical issues at some point midway through the third maybe. It was more visible. He wasn’t like cranking his serve as much anymore, he wasn’t hitting as hard and moving as quick as he was in the first couple.
So from that standpoint I was able to take advantage of that, which is very important. Even though he did have breakpoints back at the end of the fourth, it was just still good to have that break lead. Even if he would have come back it would have been 5-All and still I didn’t have the back against the wall yet.
I mean, I was calm to a degree. I was nervous, too, that he would get back in the match. Then you don’t know if all of a sudden the adrenaline gets him back into the match entirely. But difficult have the upper hand for most of the match.
Once he did have a letdown physically I was able to capitalize on that, which was important today.
