AO: Roger Federer Finals Press Conference

Courtesy of AustralianOpen.com

Q. Would you say maybe your ability to retrieve is just as important as shot-making, the balls you ran down?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think footwork is something of the most important things in tennis, especially at the level that we’re playing at. At the moment, I think it’s become extremely physical, you know, the game of tennis, especially at the baseline. It’s not as much back and forth. It’s more side to side.

I feel like, you know, my movement’s back. I think that’s a great thing. I definitely had to play some of my best tennis tonight to come through. That was clearly the case.

Q. Did you think it was a great strategy tonight, more than usual?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, he’s obviously a very patient man from the baseline, you know. I mean, I think this is how he made it to the top really. You know, not missing much, being dangerous, mixing up his pace very well, some loopier, some flatter. He can obviously go angle, hard down the line, as well as his backhand. I think that makes him particularly tough to play against.

I think the first set was very interesting on a mental and on a physical level. I thought he played at a very high intensity. I think the first set could have gone either way. So for me to get the first break and play well the way I did, and I think him as well, was obviously crucial for the match, you know, that we were both playing so well.

Somebody had to win the set. Thankfully it was me. I think I was hitting the ball well. I felt that from the start. So I always knew it was going to be a very intense match, you know. I’m happy I was able to play so aggressive and patient at the same time because that’s what you got to be against Murray.

Q. We saw you engage in psychological warfare, talking about the pressure on him, how long it’s been, using 150,000 years out on court. Was it so much sweeter beating Andy because he has a very good record against you and has got under your skin in the past?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think it got exaggerated. The on-court interview, I don’t take those serious anyway. If you think it was a mental thing, it was not the case, you know.

But you ask me a question, I’ll give you a straight answer. That’s how the press conference was after the Tsonga match. It’s not an easy thing to do to win your first Grand Slam. That’s not mental, you know, trying to screw with his head, you know. It’s just a tough thing, you know.

The next one is not gonna get any easier. But his game is so good that I’m convinced he will win one, you know. And I thought he did really well tonight because conditions were tough. I mean, I think I played a great match. So someone’s got to win, and I’m happy it was me.

Q. After the emotions of wins 14 and 15, how do you rate a 16th title?

ROGER FEDERER: I think you also got to see the way a match ends. Is it 40?Love point where serving and you’re up 5-Love, or in a breaker. I don’t even know the score, 13-11. Sometimes it’s over before you know it.

This felt similar to the Wimbledon victory in a way, because all of a sudden it was over and it hit me, you know. Whereas before I made the dropshot and I think I won, and might have been much more emotional, you know.

But then after losing that point, I’m thinking, My God, he just grabbed the trophy out of my hands. I might end up losing this thing. Two or three points later, I’m the winner after all.

It was very much a rollercoaster with the emotions. You know, you just try to stay focused. I guess the match point was over, and I was like, Oh, my God, this is it. That’s kind of how I felt. It was great.

Q. How do you keep doing it year after year, Grand Slam after Grand Slam? You make it look so easy, and obviously it isn’t.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, look, there’s no secret behind it. You know, I mean, definitely a very talented player (laughter). I always knew I had something special, but I didn’t know it was like, you know, that crazy.

I definitely had to work extremely hard so I would pick the right shot at the right time. For instance, on the match point I decided to hit a dropshot. You got to be crazy to do that.

But I just — you know, I always knew I had it in my hand. The question is do I have it in my mind and in my legs, you know. That’s something I had to work extremely hard at. Now I feel like obviously I’m being pushed a great deal by the new generation coming up. I always feel sort of tennis changes sort of every five years.

Because when I came on tour, matches were played very differently. It was more of a bluff game, guys serving well, but there was always a weakness you could go to. Today that doesn’t exist anymore. I think that’s also thanks to guys like Murray. They’ve made me a better player, because I think this has been one of my finest performances, you know, in a long time, or maybe forever.

Q. Would you have been confident even if you lost the third set? How were you feeling at that point?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I think it would have been very interesting obviously to see how he would have handled it, you know, coming off such a high of winning the third set. Then still I think it was very physical, so it would have been very taxing on his body and my body, you know, just to see how we would have both sort of pulled up after that third set.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen for him. But it was played at a very high intensity, I think, from start to finish. Rallies were long. They were physical. I would have been okay. I still had the lead, so wouldn’t have been a problem.

Q. Andy said he can cry like you, but he can’t play like you. You were very gracious about what you said about him afterwards. What makes you think he will win one of the trophies?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I just think he’s — I mean, he’s a wonderful mover, tactician, great backhand. He has got everything you need to beat the best and to win big tournaments. You know, sometimes it just doesn’t happen when you want. Sometimes it all of a sudden happens without you knowing that it did.

He’s going through, I mean, you know, a tough generation at the moment. There’s many guys. You know, I’ve dominated hard court and grass for a long time; Rafa did clay. Rafa also became very strong on the other surfaces and so forth.

So I think it’s just not an easy thing to do, Grand Slams, and I proved it again tonight. But I think he’s extremely strong in his mind, and I just feel like he’s got the game to do it. The question is just when.

Q. This is your first Australian Open for a couple of years. Can we now start talking about a Grand Slam? Is that on your mind with Nadal having some issues and you looking very good?

ROGER FEDERER: Look, I mean, it’s not something I’ve ever put in my mind that this is something I want to achieve. I’ll still go and play the smaller tournaments, you know, the Masters 1000s, the ones we’re supposed to play. I try to give my best everywhere I go to, because I think there’s not only the Grand Slams.

Of course, they are important, but I try to respect every tournament that invites me to go play there. There’s the fans who pay tickets. I want to live up to my expectations, too.

I won’t just put the entire calendar just around trying to win the calendar Grand Slam. I mean, it’s something if it happens, it does, it’s great; but it’s not something that’s like my number one goal. Not at all. It’s the same as I haven’t put a number on how many Grand Slams I want to try to win. Whatever happens happens.

You know, I really want to try to enjoy, you know, my end to my career, because I’ve reached already so many goals I thought were never possible. I really want to just enjoy the tour, and that’s what I’m doing at the moment. Obviously as a dad as well even more so.

Q. Do you let yourself sort of think about what sort of legacy you’d like to leave on the game when it is done?

ROGER FEDERER: No, neither. I just think it’s something that’s going to be once I hang up my racquet, that’s when people should judge me and talk about what great things I did, maybe less great things I did, you know.

But I try to be good for the game, leave it better off than when I arrived, even though that’s hard. I’m very thankful to the legends of the game who created this great platform for us. We did have another record crowd attendance at the Australian Open.

For me to be part of something like this is something also very special, of course.

Q. The way you feel and the way you’re playing, is there any suggestion that you couldn’t go on for another four, five years? Doesn’t seem to take that much out of you. You have a new physio working with you.

ROGER FEDERER: Sure, but there is never a guarantee. Tennis has always been that way. For the last 10 years I go week in, week out. Every practice I play, I hope I’m going to be healthy on the other side.

But I feel, like you said, my game is not as taxing as other players’ games. I also think I have a very relaxed mind when it comes to the game of tennis. I’ll definitely try my best on the court. I’m professional the way I’m supposed to be.

But off the court, it’s a matter of relaxing and enjoying it, you know, seeing friends and families. There’s more important things than tennis after all. I think that’s something I’ve always had a clear vision of how my life is, you know. I think that’s also helped me to go through better and tougher phases, you know, because I know this is an incredible trip I’m on.

We’ll see where it ends, you know. I hope not anytime soon.

Q. You mentioned a couple times it’s your first major win as a dad. Did you ever doubt you’d be able to keep winning as a father?

ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I mean, it was more put out there, you know, that apparently it’s hard to do. Not as hard as it seems (laughter).

I mean, I think the special win for me was winning in Cincinnati, I think. I think the girls were barely two, three weeks old. That was terrific. That was very special. Sure, this is the first Grand Slam, but it doesn’t feel as much as the Cincinnati victory felt like, just because there it was right off the bat; it was fresh.

It was all in my mind, you know. So to get through that tournament by beating Andy and Novak in the semis and finals was very special. Then, of course, being a dad, just coming off the whole thing was amazing.

This is obviously terrific, as well. Maybe not as much as the dad part, but just more that I can still do it, you know, after losing the US Open final.

Q. How will you celebrate tonight? Any different?

ROGER FEDERER: Friends and family, you know. See if the babies are up. Hope not (smiling). Otherwise I’ll wake them up tomorrow or I’ll just grab them because I’m so happy.

No, we’ll just have a good time tonight with drinks and food. That’s what I usually do, regardless if I win or lose. It’s something I’ve got the habit, you know, because I got a lot of support. I just like to let the tournament unwind a bit, you know, see where it ends. At 12:00 apparently we have a photo shoot.

Q. Can you understand why Andy got emotional at the end? You’ve been through that yourself. You say it’s hard to win the first one. Can you appreciate why he felt as deflated as he did at the end?

ROGER FEDERER: Uhm, yeah, I mean, of course I do. I mean, it happened to me, too, you know. I think the US Open everything happened a bit quick for him there. I think he played back-to-back Saturday, Sunday matches, a match with Rafa.

Before he knew it, he was in the US Open final and he didn’t know what hit him. He lost. You know, I think he was still happy with the outcome, you know, because to Rafa the victory for him was a huge one. But maybe he didn’t have time to really get emotional about it.

I don’t know if you ever heard me say, but the US Open is very loud, so you don’t maybe start thinking too much of, how did I play, am I disappointed. Here in Australia or Wimbledon, it’s very different. It’s very quiet. It’s very respectful. Standing ovation. It builds up in you as the trophy ceremony goes by.

I thought he was actually doing fine until he told me, I think there will be some tears. I’m like, Don’t worry, it will be all right. And he actually did.

You know, in a way it was hard to watch, but at the same time I like seeing players who care for the game. I don’t know. It’s nice to see, you know. So you wish, you know, only the best for him.

AO: Andy Murray Finals Press Conference

Courtesy of AustralianOpen.com

Q. You had those chances in that third set.

ANDY MURRAY: I had chances in the first set as well. You know, I had a chance to go up a break. Maybe three chances to go up a break at 2-All. You know, he started to play a lot better after that second set. Second set he deserved to win for sure.

I thought third set I had more of the chances. I thought I deserved to take it into a fourth, but it didn’t happen.

Q. You’ve played him 11 times. Did he show you anything different?

ANDY MURRAY: No. I mean, I think his level is a lot more consistent, you know, in the slams. You know, I don’t know. Maybe, you know, in the other tournaments he tries a few more things out.

But, you know, the shots that he hits great, you know, all year round, they’re still great. You know, he just makes fewer unforced errors I think than he does the rest of the year.

Q. How are you feeling now?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I don’t feel great. You know, obviously worked really hard, you know, to get to this stage. I wanted to win the tournament. You know, I think it was more the way the end of the match finished. You know, obviously it was pretty emotional end to the match.

If it was a complete blow-out, if I lost 3, 4, and 2, you know, it probably wouldn’t have happened. But I had my chance to get back into the match. That was probably why I was upset.

Q. Was that tiebreak some of the hardest tennis you’ve played mentally?

ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, throughout the match, it didn’t — I didn’t feel nervous. It’s obviously against him, he puts a lot of pressure on you with the way that he plays. You know, you need to focus really hard, you know, throughout the match.

I mean, obviously, you know, I wanted to win. I probably played, you know, I don’t know, maybe more important tiebreaks. I mean, he was obviously still two sets to nothing. I would have obviously liked to have taken it into a fourth set.

Q. The end of the tiebreaker you were touching your left hip. Was there a problem there or just tightness?

ANDY MURRAY: It’s not really a problem. It’s not really my left hip. It’s quite hard to explain. It’s more sort of my lower back is just stiff, like I had most of the tournament. It’s just where we play — I wear cycling shorts, and sometimes they’re quite tight, so you need to — you know, Roddick does it a lot, it’s kind of what Rafa does on his other side.

I don’t really know what I’m trying to say, but basically my hip is fine. It was just the cycling shorts were tight (smiling).

Q. Is there a sense as matches go by that you feel closer to him in these terms? Are you getting closer in Grand Slam terms?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, tonight’s match was a lot closer than the one at Flushing Meadows. You know, like I say, I had a chance at the beginning of the match, and I had chances, you know, at the end of the match.

It’s just the second set that didn’t go my way. Not that any of them went my way. But obviously I felt like I had opportunities in the rest of them.

Yeah, I mean, obviously I’m getting closer. I mean, my results in the Grand Slams would show that. Just got to keep working hard.

Q. Was there one set point in particular you felt you should have taken?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, I would have rather served it out, you know, when I had the chance to do that. You know, obviously didn’t. I don’t think I had any set points in that game. But that was more of an opportunity; whereas, you know, in tiebreaks it’s normally one in a row.

I had a chance. I don’t even know what the score was, but I missed a forehand in the net that I probably should have taken into his backhand side.

But, I mean, on a couple of the others, you know, he served pretty well. You know, you can’t really remember the points right now. Normally takes a bit of time.

Q. Everyone talked about your aggressive approach against Nadal, and others as well. How would you compare that match and your approach there with your approach tonight?

ANDY MURRAY: Uhm, I think the second set was not good in that respect. The third set was a lot better. I started playing closer to the baseline, taking more chances. You know, in the beginning of the match, like I said, I had chances as well.

It’s a different match, you know, against Roger. You know, with Rafa, he can hit the ball short. You know, he plays a lot of topspin. Roger hits the ball a lot flatter. You know, the ball comes onto you a lot quicker, so it’s harder to go for huge shots against him.

You know, whereas against, you know, like in the important points, he can come up with big first serves. And Rafa, you know, his serve is very good, but you always have opportunities, you know, when he’s serving. Tonight I didn’t have as many.

But, you know, I mean, I thought in terms of my game style, it was right for a lot of the match and wrong for a few parts.

Q. What did you learn about dealing with that weight of expectation from the UK?

ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I didn’t feel it on the court. You know, you get a lot of good luck messages. You know, everyone wishing you well from back home. You know, that’s obviously nice.

You know, once you get on the court, it’s not what you’re thinking about at all. And then obviously after the match, you know, I would have liked to have done it for everyone back home, you know, won the tournament. Obviously for myself and for the people I work with as well.

But it wasn’t to be.

Q. What does this do to your mindset for the rest of the year and what’s to come?

ANDY MURRAY: I don’t know. I’ll take some time off now and rest and see, you know, what I want to do, you know, in terms of my game, you know, what my priorities are going to be. Uhm, you know, but obviously it’s pretty quick after the match, you know, to know exactly, you know, how my game’s gonna feel or what this does for me.

But obviously, you know, getting to a second slam final, you know, it’s a great achievement. So I’ve got to be proud of that.

Q. Does getting to the second one make you hungrier?

ANDY MURRAY: I’m hungry to win one. I haven’t since I was 16, 17 years old when I started playing the junior Grand Slams. You know, I realized I wanted to win one of them, you know, when I was playing.

Like I say, I worked really, really hard to try to do it and give myself the opportunity. You know, so far it’s not been good enough.

But I’m sure one day, uhm, it will be. When it comes, maybe because of the two losses, it will be even better.

Q. If you have one chance to go back again out there now, what would you do differently?

ANDY MURRAY: I probably would have gone for a bigger forehand at 2?All with the first set when I had breakpoint. He miss-hit a backhand; wasn’t really expecting it. I hit like a high topspin forehand into his backhand and made a pretty long rally after that.

But probably would have gone for a bigger forehand at that stage. But, you know, it’s a lot easier to say when you look back.

Q. Is there anything in your game that you were particularly disappointed with tonight?

ANDY MURRAY: I didn’t serve well in the first set. You know, I served pretty well after that. You know, I mean, no. I thought it was a high-standard match. You know, the second set I just wasn’t particularly happy with.

But, you know, the rest was pretty good. Obviously I need to improve, you know, and try and make my game better for these situations.

Q. You’ve fair enough to say you probably played some of your best tennis over the last fortnight. Is it dispiriting you’ve not been able to win a title after playing like that the last couple weeks?

ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I’ve just come off the court. I’m obviously very disappointed. But, you know, I mean, I think I’m getting closer and I’m playing better.

I mean, you know, I just spoke with my mum just now. You know, to have the opportunity to play in these tournaments, in these matches, is pretty incredible in the grand scheme of things.

I’m not going to be too disappointed. I got a pretty good life. I’ve got a long career ahead of me, and I’m going to have more opportunities, you know, to win them. I hope that I will.

But if I don’t, there’s a lot more important things to worry about than tennis.

Q. How painful was it to be standing on the stage for two or three minutes when Roger was joking with the crowd and making his speech and told you, Don’t worry, you’ll win a Grand Slam one day?

ANDY MURRAY: No, it was more — no, I was fine when he was making his speech. I mean, I was disappointed to lose the match, of course. But when he was giving his speech, it didn’t make it any more painful for me at all.

You know, it’s not like it sinks in that quick. But you’ve got sort of 10, 15 minutes before you get out there on the stage before you know kind of what’s happened. Didn’t make me feel any worse.

Q. Agassi won his first slam when nobody expected on grass. Do you expect you can do it on clay, which is not your favorite surface?

ANDY MURRAY: I don’t know. Last year, you know, I played a lot better on clay. But I need to get or make sure my preparation’s right for the French Open to give myself a chance and make sure I have enough training weeks. Because there’s still a lot of things I need to learn to play my best on clay.

But you never know. Soderling made the final last year. No one was really expecting that. So I don’t know.

Rafael Nadal’s Ranking To Fall To No. 4

When the new rankings are released tomorrow, the top 4 will be significantly different.

With his 16th Grand Slam victory, Roger Federer will remain at No.1, with Novak Djokovic moving up to the No. 2 position and Australian Open finalist Andy Murray will move up to the No 3 spot.

This in turn relegates Rafael Nadal to the No. 4 rank. It will be the first time the Spaniard has dropped out of the top 3 since 2005.

“It is not important for me, the ranking issue and losing a few spots—that’s normal when you are not able to compete,” Nadal said.

Nadal’s drop in the rankings will take place because he lost during the quarter-final stage in Australia as the defending champ.

Before many of us give up on Rafa, we must remember that the years he won Roland Garros were the years he never fared better than the semi-finals at the first Grand Slam of the year.

Nalbandian To Return At Buenos Aires Event

Injury-prone Argentine David Nalbandian will return to competition in two week’s time at the Buenos Aires event. Nalbandian pulled out of the Australian Open event with an abdominal strain.

Tennis Raises $700,000 For Haiti Relief

Courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com

The tennis community has raised nearly $700,000 for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Tennis officials announced the figure tonight as the Australian Open drew to a close.

The world’s top players gathered for the Hit for Haiti on the eve of the Australian Open and drew a crowd of around 17,000 to Melbourne Park.
The event raised around $140,000 in gate receipts and public donations on the day.

Roger Federer and the world’s best players have raised more than $44,000 thus far.

To see the full article click here

Croatian Tennis Fan To Be Charged

The Croatian tennis fan that ran onto the court after the semi-final match between Andy Murray and Marin Cilic will face police charges.

The man jumped onto the court after the two players shook hands at the net, and although no one was hurt, the incident once again raised concern towards the overall safety of players.

The man, 22, from Melbourne, would be “charged on summons with disrupting proceedings and unauthorized entry to an arena,” a police spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

AO: Federer Wins 16th Grand Slam Title

Top seed Roger Federer won his 16th Grand Slam title in 22 finals on Sunday, defeating Andy Muarry 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11).

Playing with purpose and control early on, Federer converted on a break point chance to take the opening set.

A reluctant Muarry would continue to struggle in the second set. Not playing with the same vigor that took him to the finals, the Scot fell behind another break of serve in the second set to trail by a wide margin.

Contesting a highly competitive third set, both players would play a down to the wire tiebreaker. Again, it was Federer who displayed his dynamic game in taking the contest in straight sets.

A joyful Federer had this to say during the trophy presentation.

“I never thought growing up it would be this way,” said Federer. “That I’ve been able to win this many titles is remarkable.”

Murray, who was attempting to win Great Britain’s first Major title in 74-years had this to say.

“I can cry like Roger, but it’s a shame I can’t play like him,” said a tearful Muarry.

Contining his dominance of the sport, Federer now holds a chance at capturing the elusive true Major this season.

AO: Order of Play for Jan. 31, 2010

The highly anticipated men’s final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray is set to take place in Rod Laver Arena Sunday evening in Melbourne.

The match will commence no earlier than 19:30 hours Australia time (3:30 am EST). A sold out crowd at Melbourne Park should be in for a great match.

For the complete order of play for Sunday, please click the link below.

Order of Play for Jan 31, 2010.

AO: Andy Murray Pre-Final Press Conference

Interview courtesy of australianopen.com.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us what you’ve been doing since the semifinal win.

ANDY MURRAY: Uhm, yeah, not a whole lot. I mean, obviously finished pretty late on Thursday. Came in to practice about 2:00 yesterday. Practiced for about an hour or so. Pretty much slept quite a lot yesterday ’cause got to bed about 2:00 on Thursday night/Friday morning. So, yeah, sleeping a lot, practicing, seeing the physio, making sure everything is good, just resting.

Q. What do you need to do differently in this match than you did in New York in the last final?

ANDY MURRAY: Just play better. I mean, physically I’m going to be a lot fresher. And, yeah, just play better. I have a game that can cause Roger problems. I need to play my best tennis for five sets to beat him.

Q. He’s a heck of a frontrunner. Is the start crucial?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, against Del Potro at the US Open last year, he was up a set and serving for the set, and Del Potro came back. You know, guys have come back against him in the past.

Obviously, it would be nice to start well, but I don’t think it’s the end of the match if the start doesn’t go my way. Five-set matches, so much can happen. A lot can change in just a few points, like my match the other night against Cilic. It’s not the end of the world if the start doesn’t go to plan.

Q. You only played him once in a Grand Slam, but do you get a sense that he’s a different proposition in a Grand Slam than any of the tour events?

ANDY MURRAY: I don’t know. I mean, his record in slams is incredible. You know, I think in three sets some guys — you know, you can play great for a set and a half, and the match can be done. Like, you know, when Davydenko was playing the other day, if that was in a regular tour event, you know, maybe because he was closer to the finish line, he might have closed the match out, whereas in the Grand Slams it takes a bit longer, which makes it tougher.

But his record in Grand Slams is great. This is pretty much the same in other tournaments, as well. He’s had the few odd upsets here and there, but his consistency is what has been so amazing the last seven, eight years.

Q. How hard has it been dealing with the long wait to get through to Sunday night?

ANDY MURRAY: No, it’s been fine. I mean, you know, you can prepare exactly how you want to, get as much rest as you need. You can sleep when you want. So, no, that’s been good. You know, a lot better than when I played at the US Open, played three days in a row. I’d much rather have two days off in between and be physically fresh going into the match.

Q. Have you had much correspondence from Britain at all?

ANDY MURRAY: I’ve had a lot of good luck messages from friends and family from back home. Just trying to stay focused for another couple of days, not think about everything that’s going on back home. Then I’ll have some time to take it all in after the tournament’s finished.

Q. Feel like 150,000 years?

ANDY MURRAY: I’ve only been alive for 22 and a little bit, so… But, yeah, it’s been a long time. But, you know, it’s gonna be tough.

Q. What did you make of his performance last night? Why do you think you are a better player than when you met him at the US Open?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, obviously last night was very good for him. A quick match. Not many long points. You know, obviously got ahead early. Played well afterwards. Tsonga would have been understandably a bit tired going into the match. He played back-to-back five-setters. Once he got ahead, it was going to be tough for him to come back.

Well, I was only 20. I mean, 20 was pretty young when I played my first slam final. It was a year and a half, two years later, I just feel physically more mature, mentally more mature. You know, just a lot more experience in these sort of situations now.

Q. Mentally how do you prepare for a big match like this?

ANDY MURRAY: You have to try and — it’s not like any other match because obviously there’s different pressure, you know, being a Grand Slam final. It doesn’t happen every day of the week. So, you know, there’s a few things that you do, you know, a little bit differently in your preparation to make sure, you know, you stay focused.

Because you have a couple of days, you don’t want to be overthinking the match, playing it over too many times in your head. You just need to try and not think about it, if that’s possible, get away from it.

Been watching some movies, some DVDs, some comedy DVDs to get your mind off of it.

Q. What sort of titles?

ANDY MURRAY: I actually don’t know the name of the movie. It was on after the tennis last night. Then I’ve been watching Gavin & Stacy, a British comedy series I’ve been watching from back home.

Q. How would you describe your relationship with Roger?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I get on fine with him. I speak to him in the locker room when we see each other and chat. We’ve obviously had — we played I think 10 times now on the tour. I’ve known him for four and a half, five years. No, we get on well.

Q. You’ve beaten him six times. Is there any one of those in particular you take real heart from tomorrow? The win in Shanghai, perhaps?

ANDY MURRAY: All of them. I mean, anytime you win against him is great, you know. If it’s one win somewhere, if it was one win against nine losses, it would be a little bit different. But that’s not the case.

I’m gonna need to play my best match ever. I’m totally aware of that going into the match tomorrow. That’s what I plan on doing. I’ll try and play my best. If I do, I’ve got a good chance of winning.

Q. What does it mean to you to have your mother here? Does she have an influence on you at all?

ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, I don’t see her that much during the tournament. You know, I see her a little bit after all of my matches. You know, she does some commentary, loves watching, you know, the other matches as well. You know, I like having her here to watch. She obviously enjoys watching. I see her a lot throughout the rest of the year.

This week’s business, you know, work. Just try and stick with the guys that I work with, not have any sort of distractions outside of the guys I work with.

Q. You mentioned Del Potro last year at the US Open. Have you studied that match and maybe some of Federer’s other big losses as to how he can be taken down?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I played him a lot of times, so I know, you know, the way you need to play against him. Yeah, I’ve watched so many of his matches that I know how he plays. It’s not going to be too many surprises on the court tomorrow.

But, you know, I’ve watched pretty much all of his Grand Slam finals, you know, bits of them at least. So, you know, I know what to expect. I know how he’s gonna play. It’s up to me, like I said, to play my best.

Q. What did you make of the Tsonga/Federer match?

ANDY MURRAY: It was quick. Roger played very well. I didn’t think Tsonga played his best. Looked physically a little bit tired. You know, once Roger got ahead, looked like Tsonga’s head went down a little bit. But Roger obviously played very well.

Q. Really stepped it up, didn’t he? Takes it to a new level sometimes.

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, he played great. I’m sure he’s gonna play great again tomorrow, yeah. Obviously, he plays very, very well. He’s probably the best tennis player ever. So you would expect him to play well in those situations.

Q. Can you beat him if he plays his best?

ANDY MURRAY: Have to wait and see, you know. I think, you know, if I play my best, I think I got a good chance against anyone. And then, you know, at the top of any sport, it can come down to, you know, a few points here or there, sometimes a little bit of luck. You have to wait and see.

But if I play my best, I think I got a chance against anyone.

AO: Bryan Brothers Claim Fourth Title in Melbourne

The American team of Mike and Bob Bryan captured their fourth Australian Open title on Saturday, defeating Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Up 5-2 in the second set tie-break, the Bryan’s lost five consecutive points to force a third set.

“Maybe another final, a smaller tournament, that could have broken us,” said Bob Bryan. “But when you play two weeks here and it’s a Grand Slam final, you don’t let anything get you down.

“I thought actually our energy went up in the third. We kind of had out-of-body experiences … just got across the finish line somehow.”

Changing returning positions against Nestor and Zimonjic, Mike Bryan told the media that their poor record against their opponents prompted the switch.

“We thought we would try something different,” Mike Bryan said. “They’ve kind of had our number. Last year they beat us in a lot of finals. We decided to throw a new look at them.

“We used to play like that early in our career. We’ve had some experience doing it. Our first time in a Grand Slam final playing that way, but it seemed to help.”

Turning 32 later this year, the American tandem had no thoughts of calling it quits.

“We’d love to keep going as long as possible,” Mike Bryan said. “I think we can. Bodies are still feeling good. Doubles is a sport or a game where you can play up until you’re almost 40. We’re loving what we’re doing.”

Quotes courtesy of the Associated Press.

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