US OPEN

August 26, 2002

Roger Federer

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

ROGER FEDERER: The last bit, I didn't understand.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, the only thing that really helps right now is to win a few matches because lately I haven't been winning at all. Kind of missing the matches. Always a lot of practice in between. You just get bored with practicing the whole time because you want to go out there and play matches and compete. That's missing a little bit right now. It would just be nice, you know, to get a few more matches here. I'd be more happy. I'm already happy now, but I want to be more happy.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, obviously, what can I say? I still don't feel great. What happened outside of tennis and also on the tennis today wasn't that great. But I have to be happy the way that I advanced to the second round. I don't see much positive out of this match really. Didn't feel very good. But hopefully it catches up next round.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, that felt good. Then also that I held easy. It does well for the confidence because I think both of us, Jiri, was not overconfident. I think you could see that in the third set. It was going back and forth. It's just how two players play. I tried to change my game a little bit to put more balls into play. I'm playing more safe. When it doesn't work out with breakpoints, saving breakpoints, suddenly it gets very tough on your mind because you can't hit the ball anymore, you're just pushing basically. It's kind of tough on the mind.

ROGER FEDERER: Chang, yeah, he won. Yeah, I played him four times, I think. I lost in Halle. Beat him three times. Last two times I think I beat him quite easy, straight sets both times at the Australian Open.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, he beat Haas in Cincinnati, was it? So, yeah, I have to watch out definitely. Right now I have to watch out with everybody. It's a little bit different than it used to be, you know. Before I would go on the court. Now if I play okay, it should be all right. Now, anybody I'm playing, I'm a little bit careful, which I think is a little bit normal after such a bad month, few bad months. I just hope it's going to be a good match and I start to play better. Today was maybe a little bit better, but not more.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it's not so easy, you know, just to hit hard and hope they go in. I have to kind of make sure the balls come into play. Sometimes you play too safe, you know, when you should go for it. You have too many things on your mind, what you should play, and you miss. Also my footwork is not right on like it used to be, just because the confidence is missing. When you're confident, you don't think about footwork. But I do.

ROGER FEDERER: When you're winning, you know, it's easier. You're up a break, you can relax a little bit on the other guy's service games. You can try a few things. Is it better maybe to hit or not? When you're down a break the whole time, you're down a set, it's different. You have to try to come back in the match. You don't have time at all to try stuff. It's tougher on your mind when you're always down. This is what I have problems with. I was always early down a break, trying to come back. It is very difficult.