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MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL


January 14, 2009


David Nalbandian


SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

D. NALBANDIAN/M. Llodra
6-1, 6-3


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've had, I think, more time on court than anyone today in today's hot weather. How did you find it?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, it was pretty hot. I think it was worse maybe in the morning, and then it was a little bit more windy so it's a little bit better.
It was tough. I don't know how much degrees it was, but it was pretty tough to play, to breathe, to everything. So it's better to get used to it before the Australian Open, so it's better.

Q. How much time have you had here to prepare?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: I arrive on Thursday night.

Q. So do you feel acclimatized yet?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, pretty much.

Q. It's been quite some time since you last played Lleyton. Looking forward to it?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: It's going to be -- I mean, Lleyton is a great player, former No. 1. I mean, he wins a lot of titles. Great player. It's going to be a tough one, like everybody else. He got injured last year. So I don't know how he is now, if he's 100% fit or not. Always a tough match play against him.

Q. You've had some famous matches with him. I think early on you said some things that annoyed him and he played better in that circumstance, but the last time you played you beat him. Do you think he's easier to play if you don't annoy him before the match?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, of course if you know the opponent it's much better than playing with somebody that you never play before. But like I say, all the matches that we play was tight for both. It was hard for both, too.
So it's going to be tough. A little different that he's playing in his own country, so nothing special, just tough one.

Q. How do you feel your form is right now? Are you in peak form?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. Today was my first match officially in the year, but I think match after match will be better and better. I hope will be better and better.
But I'm feeling that I played good today. I hope -- I will try to improve some things for tomorrow and play better.

Q. What you do you think you need to improve?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, the match of today was short. I mean, was serve and volleying, and tomorrow is completely different. I just hit a few shots from the baseline, and tomorrow I will need to be playing more. So I just thinking about try to hit better from the baseline or more time from the baseline.
So it's going to be a different -- completely different match than today.

Q. Do you take for granted that you understand how everyone plays, or do you do research to prepare for that particular player?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: For tomorrow, or...

Q. Each person you're going to play, tomorrow and others.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: I just try to do something at the warmup the same day as I play. For example, today was this guy serve and volley, and I practice a little bit more returns than normally. Tomorrow it's going to be like a normal match, so I don't needed to nothing special.
Anyway, you have the match in your mind all the time, so you know what to do and how it's going to be. Sometimes they surprise you or the opponent surprise you and play better than you thought or whatever, but it's going to be like a normal match.

Q. You had a great year last year except maybe at the Grand Slams. Is your goal to do better at the Grand Slams this year? Is that one of your goals?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah. 100%.

Q. Do you have other goals for this year, too?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Davis Cup.

Q. Winning the Davis Cup?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah.

End of FastScripts




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