An upbeat Roger Federer had a busy day at Indian Wells yesterday, practicing and talking to the press before the start of men’s play at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. At the press conference, Roger talked about his recent man troubles with Rafael Nadal and Darren Cahill and also addressed both his outlook on the season and his decision not to play Davis Cup.
On Rafael Nadal:
“I am really motivated because I don’t know how much better (Nadal) can play. I don’t know how much better I can play, but I am right there and he’s playing the tennis of his life. I think for me that’s a good sign. He’s the greatest challenge I’ve ever had.”
“He’s a great player at the moment. He has proved himself on all surfaces now and I guess it all started for him when he beat me comfortably at the (2008) French Open. He forgot how it feels losing and I had lost to him a couple of times before that.”
On the loss Down Under:
“I thought I played a great match for four-and-a-half sets. I think I played great off the baseline, I just didn’t serve great and I think that cost me the match also.”
On skipping Davis Cup:
“It was a tough decision. It’s a priority for me to look at the long-term. It’s my goal to play for many more years. It was a tough decision. I know I let some people down. I felt after the U.S. Open and the Olympics that the schedule was good enough that I could play Davis Cup so I announced it, then the back problem occurred.”
On being dumped by Darren Cahill:
“It was a test. We said let’s see how it goes first and go back and think about it. He thought it was tough for him to do the traveling with his kids and everything. It never really got to the point where I had to think too far and make a decision on my own. I never really had to go there. He took the decision for me.”
Roger, we all noticed that little “at the moment” comment you threw in there while talking about Nadal. You just can’t help yourself, can you?
Tags: ATP, Federer, Indian Wells, Nadal, tennis
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Roger also called Rafael ‘challenger’, not ‘challenge’. I do think this makes a difference in context.
Hi Marron – it definitely makes a difference, thanks for making the point. I took the comments from a news report, not the actual transcript, so who knows if the reporter heard it differently or what. But, personally, I think it sounds more “like Roger” to say challenger instead of challenge.
Yeah. Challenge is totally different from challenger. Nadal is a challenge for Roger to prove his greatness and Roger is a challenger for Nadal the current NO 1.
Roger looks so cute in the picture!