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U.S. OPEN


August 25, 2014


Novak Djokovic


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

N. DJOKOVIC/D. Schwartzman
6-1, 6-2, 6-4
An interview with:
NOVAK DJOKOVIC

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel during the match? Did you expect something faster? Was okay?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I thought I hit the ball very well throughout the whole match. Diego is a talented player; very quick on the court. He has to work on his serve a little bit more, I feel. He didn't put so much pressure on his serve. You know, he's not so tall so it's difficult for him to serve well. But it was obviously first big match for him, first hard court Grand Slam match on the biggest stadium in the night session. I'm sure he was a bit nervous. I thought he played well. I was happy with the first match.

Q. Do you have a good relationship in the locker room with him? When the match ended, you hugged.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You know, I never saw him play actually before. He's quite a young player. I just wish him all the best for the future, you know, to keep on working. He's talented. He has a good potential to be a higher-ranked player.

Q. Did you feel better today than your previous matches in Toronto or Cincinnati?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, yes. Conditions were a little bit different, I have to say, from the ones that I practiced in in last week or so. I didn't practice in the night, so it's surprisingly very quick surface. But I think I managed to adapt very well. Yeah, I had a good timing in general. So last three weeks actually, Toronto and Cincinnati, were a bit tough emotionally for me. I wasn't finding my game. I wasn't able to feel comfortable on the court. But look, you know, this is sport. I had many things that happened in my private life as well in the last two months, so I probably was not mentally ready to still compete at a high level in Toronto and Cincinnati. But now it's different. I feel emotionally recharged and ready to go.

Q. You being the top seed, is there any pressure being in that position?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it's not the first time and hopefully not the last time that I'm first seed. It's definitely a privilege, you know, and responsibility. Pressure is part of the sport. I'm used to it already. I enjoy pressure in a way because it brings meaning to what I do. It definitely motivates me more.

Q. You were playing at 10:00 p.m. Knowing you're going to do night matches in New York City, do you change your preparation knowing you're going to have to stay on court longer?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, first of all, it's not nine, it's seven matches you play in the tournament [sic]. It's pleasure to play night sessions in New York. Of course, sometimes it happens that you finish around midnight. Sometimes even later. But, you know, as I said before, they're very particular, the night sessions, especially tonight with an opening ceremony night. It was almost full stadium for both matches. I enjoyed it. I always do.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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