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Novak Djokovic interview transcript, Wimbledon 2009 on June 29, 2009 following his fourth round win over Dudi Sela of Israel 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. The Serbian world number 4 will next meet Tommy Haas of Germany in the quarterfinals.
Q. Your concentration on some key points was quite impressive. Also giving the history of Court 3, can you elaborate on that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, thank you. I have been trying to not underestimate my opponent, even though I was a favorite in that match.
But, you know, he obviously had a quality, reaching the fourth round in Wimbledon. So I knew he’s a very fast player that I need to be aggressive, attack all the time.
And I didn’t play for a long time, for two years, on the Court No. 3, so I needed some time in the start of the match to get used to it. It’s a different bounce, I guess, and it’s faster than the Centre Court.
But generally I’m quite happy that I finished in the straight sets.
Q. You will be the last player to win on that court.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Really?
Q. You play Tommy Haas next. Can you turn around Halle? What went wrong in Halle and what will go right this time?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think it was a very strange match for me because I haven’t felt comfortable on the court at all in that finals. I had some good matches and some really bad matches, ups and downs in that tournament. I was still getting used to the grass and movements, the way I should play.
But here it’s a different story, you know. I already played really well last two, three matches. Quite confident. So, you know, Tommy, he’s certainly a great player, and he’s playing really well lately, taking Roger to five sets in French Open, winning Halle, and here some marathon matches.
He’s very aggressive, you know. He plays serve and volley. He goes for both serves. He’s gonna put obviously a lot of pressure on me, so I just have to be patient and wait for the chances.
Q. You seem to be more serious these days than you used to be.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Am I (smiling)?
Q. Is that right, or am I getting the wrong impression?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, serious questions, serious answers.
No, no, maybe you’re getting the wrong impression, you know.
Q. Serious question, Novak.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Oh, really?
Q. Fourth seed on Court 3. Were you surprised to be out there in such an important game?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, look, you had so many important encounters today. So many good players, interesting matches. You had to put all these players to the show courts. I mean, I’m not pissed off or something. I’m not criticizing the organizers.
It’s all right. I’ve played on that court before. It’s normal you have to adjust all the time. You can’t play on Centre Court all the time.
Q. Your form has been a little bit variable this season. Is it much to do with the change of racquet or your health?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think combination of things. But on the start of the season was certainly the change of racquet that little bit affected more mentally I think than game?wise.
But I got time to get used to it, and things were going really well from Miami where I played finals, and then clay court season was fantastic until the French Open. There I just didn’t do what I needed to do, what I was expected to do.
But, again, I think I was quite consistent, except the French Open, in last two, three months. So I have to look on the positive side and try to motivate myself for the upcoming challenges.
Q. As far as you’re concerned, is your form coming good at the right time for Wimbledon?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, yes, yes. Well, now, of course, closer we are getting to the final days of the Wimbledon, of any Grand Slam, you get tougher opponents, you know, longer matches, and you have to I guess lift the level of your game in order to perform well.
So I’ve got Tommy Haas now. In case I win that match, I got Federer. So, you know, it’s not going to be easy certainly. But I think right now physically and mentally I’m in the right direction.
Q. Players have talked a lot about the courts having got slower. We seem to be on the way towards a Grand Slam record in number of aces being hit this tournament. Can you explain that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I’ve seen players working on their serves more than usual (smiling). No.
I don’t know. One thing is for sure, that the courts are slower than they used to be 10, 15 years ago. I mean, I was not playing, so I cannot say from my own experience. But just watching the tennis ten years ago and now, it’s a different sport because you got many serve?and?volley players who were dominating the game back then.
It’s a pity that you don’t have many of those today. That’s why I think we miss players like Ancic, these players, Henman. They were playing serve and volley. It was just nice to see that game. And now you got more baseline players, which I guess it’s more suitable to my game and it’s better for me. But still I think the people would love to see some serve and volley.
Q. You just played a young Israeli tennis player, Dudi Sela, who is ranked way below where you are located. How would you impressed by his tennis today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think I was dominating throughout the whole match. That’s what I needed to do. I mean, as I said before, Dudi obviously has a quality reaching the fourth round. Anybody who reaches a fourth round in a Grand Slam is a quality player, and he beat some good players here in this tournament. So you got to give him credit for that.
But I needed to be focused and I needed to be aggressive and serve well today and try to open the court and get some opportunities to end up the point, which I did. As I said, I was keeping the control of the match, and I needed to do that in order to finish in straight sets.
Q. The rest day in the middle of Wimbledon, is that a bigger advantage to the bigger players or the unknown players?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You mean…
Q. The Sunday off. Is that a big advantage to the big players?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It certainly is an advantage to the players ?? to any player who got maybe long matches in the first week. But it depends from what perspective you’re looking.
But I think for me it was good because I had two days of recovery and practice at the same time, so I can, you know, get fresh in the second week.
Q. Have you got a cold?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no.
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