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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS


April 18, 2015


Tomas Berdych


MONTE CARLO, MONACO

T. BERDYCH/G. Monfils
6‑1, 6‑4


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in English, please.

Q.  You must be happy with your year until now.  Every time finals or semifinals.  Only one quarterfinal.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  You mean this year?

Q.  Yes.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah, I mean, this year is going pretty well.  It's going almost the way we set it up.  We're missing a trophy yet as a team, and me personally, but it's another chance tomorrow.
I think I'm going to try to put myself in the best possible position to be ready for it, be prepared.  So far having a great week, so it's all good and positive signs to me.

Q.  What do you think you improved the most this season?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, I think it's quite a few things.  I think it's generally the approach of the preparation, the way that we train, the way of doing the fitness preparation I would say quite differently than it used to be in the past.  It's already quite enough things that are new and different.
The best thing for me is that I can see the results behind it, which is always very nice and always positive because it hasn't been a quite easy decision to me to make that change in the end of the last year.
I decided I still want to try to push myself higher and give myself another chance, you know, to try to compete with the best ones and move myself higher and better.  So, yeah, I think we going the right way.

Q.  Do you think you are more hungry in a way than maybe the last two years?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I think that's also one of the parts of the new team, that they are able to bring out the new basically daily challenges, short‑term goals that we are working on.  I would say it's a secret in the team, how to set it up, that time that we have to practice and prepare myself for the matches.
Yeah, I think it's a complete package of everything.  Always there is the goal in the end of each tournament.  We trying to go that journey every time.

Q.  Is it the biggest challenge for you to be able to reach that high level also on clay?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I don't really see a big deal playing on clay or on hard.  I think I'm quite a player that can adapt quite quickly.  Just with the right amount of time and the right preparation selected, I think it's quite fine with me.  I don't see it as a big deal in that.
I mean, my first Grand Slam semifinal was in Paris.  Basically I learned to play tennis on the clay.  It's not really like a Spanish way.  But I spend most of my time as a kid on clay courts.  I don't see really a big deal.

Q.  Why do you like to play Gaël so much?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  It's not that I like it so much.  Every time you go on court, you try to prepare yourself as best as possible.  You try to select the game plan that might work.  Then if you are able to stay and stick with that game plan, then the things are working.  It's just how it is.
I came better prepared today.  I was playing a good tennis when I was in the tough situations, I was able to handle it.  When I got some chances, I just take my chances.  It was a great game for me today.

Q.  Are you surprised you make it so easy against such a good player?  Gaël is a fighter, but he cannot fight against you.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, I think whatever, let's leave it on the side.
As I said, it's about having that game plan.  If the things are going well from my side, you know, I'm able to control the game, that's definitely the goal that I have.  I don't want to change that.  I just want to try to win as much as I can.
I think that the first set is just maybe not showing the real way what was happening today on the court.  I think the second set he was much better.
It was also part of my strategy, to have a good and strong start.  It all work out.  So I think it was just a good day in the office for me.

Q.  If someone would say that the ones they are playing now could be an anticipated final (referring to Djokovic and Rafa), would you get angry at anybody saying something like that?  You lost 36 times out of 42 versus Nadal and Djokovic.  Does it make you angry and more motivated to do something tomorrow, strategy, plan?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Did you say that (smiling)?

Q.  I'm asking you.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I'm asking if you said that?

Q.  Looking at the numbers, we have to say that it sounds like an anticipated final, but you never know in tennis.  You won six times versus those two.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  No, I mean, whatever.  I think this is a part of you guys.  You always going to create something around whatever is happening.  I'm going to leave it for you.  I'm just trying to do my job.  I'm just trying to use my chances, whatever it is.
I think it's maybe not so fair because we are in such a tough tennis era with all those guys.  When somebody manage to get the way to the final or playing them, you know, that it's not the ordinary way of having a final of Rafa and Novak or Roger and someone like that, even that it's so difficult, then there are talks coming up like this, that this should be the final, they are the ones that are supposed to be...
I don't think this is really fair.  If there would be only one guy for 10 years of tennis, okay, there would be no such a thing like what we are experiencing these last 10 years.  Everything would be normal.
I think that people just get maybe a bit spoiled with that, that every single final is a match of Rafa and Roger.

Q.  On clay especially.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Roger, he made a couple Grand Slam finals losing to Rafa.  I wouldn't underestimate him, as well.  That's another sign you're saying again that you don't even like Roger to be in the finals.  I think it's not really fair.
But for me doesn't change really much.

Q.  Between the two, if you had to play Nadal or Djokovic, they play differently, and you won twice with Djokovic and four times with Nadal, does it make any difference?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Not at all.  Both extremely tough competitors to me.  That's how it is, so...
I think there's always chance.  There's a chance every single day you're going to play them.  You know, you just need to try to make yourself as best as you can, try as hard as you can.

Q.  If it's Nadal, do you think your victory against him in Melbourne could help you?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yes, it's definitely a positive sign to me.  I'm not saying it can make rocket science for playing him possibly tomorrow, definitely not.  It's definitely a good sign to have.  Every single win with a guy from those three we always talking about, it's a good win.
Every single time you play the next match with him, it starts with zero, and you need to win at least two sets.  That's how it is.

Q.  Today everything worked very well.  But what are you most satisfied about?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, I would say it's the way that I'm preparing for the match.  I'm setting up the strategy, then I'm able to stick with it through whole game.  I think that's so far the best aspect of my game.
I mean, going into detail, I think we would be maybe too long here.  This is the way what I feel the most comfortable with.  It works out pretty well.

Q.  What would it mean for you to be able to hold the trophy tomorrow?  Another Masters 1000 here in Monte‑Carlo.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, it would definitely mean extremely a lot.  I think it's been a very while.  I heard that it's been 10 years already.  You know, why not?  It would be nice to have another trophy from the French field.  I wouldn't mind that.
But I think it's very far.  There are still at least two sets to win, no matter who is the opponent.  But, yes, it would be extremely happy moment for me.  It would be another good sign, as I speak, that the work I'm doing is the right one and I'm going the right directions.

Q.  If it is Djokovic tomorrow, do you think that's the toughest challenge in tennis at the moment?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, probably it is.  But again, we comparing those two, Rafa or Novak.  I don't know what to say or how to compare them.  It's extremely, extremely tough both ways.  Really it would be just a pure guess in that sense.

Q.  Speaking about 10 years ago, your first Masters 1000 victory, what are the things you're most happy about in your progress since then?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  That's a long time.  That's a lot of water in the river that's passed already.
I think it's the amount of the experience, even the good ones and the bad ones.  That's the most important fact.  I mean, it's easy to gaining those good ones.  That's very easy.  I think more important is how well you can absorbing the bad ones and the negative ones, how well you can learn from that.  I think that's the most important fact.
I don't think there's nobody perfect.  I mean, some of us looks like.  Well, of course, the gentleman in the first row.

Q.  He's my boss.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, that's okay (smiling).
I think this is definitely the biggest thing that has changed in that time.  Yeah, I have no regrets on that.  It's probably not really fair anyway.  You don't have a chance to change it.  You can only live with the present time and control the things that are happening right now.
So, no, I'm quite happy with the progress I've done.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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