	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BARCLAYS DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 23, 2010

Marco Chiudinelli

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

S. DEVVARMAN/M. Chiudinelli
6-4, 7-5

Q. Can you sum up the match?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: It was a difficult game for me. I was sick for a week back at home last week. So I didn't play for a while.
You know, but I've had great experiences here in the past, so I decided to give it a shot. I have nothing to lose coming here. But, yeah, as expected it was a very difficult game because I didn't feel that comfortable yet with my shots. So I was moving a bit slower than I usually do, and then, yeah.
He played a solid game. He didn't miss much and broke back a lot of balls. I was just not good enough today to beat him.

Q. Since you mentioned you've been successful here, how easy is it now than before for you like to get to tournaments at this level and also to get to play in the main draw as opposed to what used to happen in the past?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Well, it's definitely a good feeling. I was looking really forward to this year as things definitely have changed for me.
Yeah, it feels great not to have to play the qualifying every week. Yeah, it feels good, you know.
Well, hopefully it will continue this way. I can maintain my rankings and the position I have at the moment. Yeah, it could continue like this a few more years.

Q. The rankings you've come up from the last time you played. But what has been -- what has gone into it?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Excuse me?

Q. What has gone into getting the rankings up?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Why?

Q. Yeah, how?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Well, I've been injured, you know, for a long time twice already. Last time it cost me all my points because I haven't played for over a year. So it was normal that, you know, starting with no rank, that I'll get a better ranking. That's quite expected. But within one year I got up that far. I was even surprised myself.
You know, I always knew I had the level to come back. I've been close to the 100 a few times already before my injuries. And, yeah, this time around I haven't been stopped by any problems, physical problems. So it took me further than the other times when I tried.

Q. What will be goals for this year?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Well, one of the goals is at least as I said before, maintain my ranking. Most of my points come up in the end of the year. I'm definitely thinking I have to even improve my ranking until the US Open, so I can play there, you know, without too much pressure. Because from September to November, I scored a lot of points last year.
So if by the end of the year I'll be around 50, I'll make it a good year. And if I'm ranked even better, it would have been a fantastic year. If I'm ranked worse, well, then, you know, bad luck.

Q. How do you see the Davis Cup against Spain next week?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Well, it's kind of a mission impossible for us. We all know that still it's normal, normal tie. Just more difficult than most of the other ones. Last year we had to go to the States. This year to Spain. Both times without Roger, yeah.
But what can we do, you know? We can't just skip the week. We have to go and try and play our best. For myself, I'm hoping that I'll be back on track by then so I can, you know, play a few good matches there and maybe use some matches as a preparation for whatever comes up later in the year.
The clay court season-wise there is no better test than against the Spanish where you can test your game and see what's missing. Then, yeah, we'll see from there. But, obviously, our chances are close to zero.

Q. As you say you played almost always without Roger. Would you like to see a stronger commitment in him with the Davis Cup?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: Yeah, we all hope that he's going to commit to the Davis Cup. It's quite obvious for us that it would be fantastic if he would be playing each tie. Unfortunately, at the moment, he used to skip the first round matches.
Last year we were lucky he was going to play, and then he was injured. That was really unfortunate for us. Yeah, and this year, bad luck for us that he chose not to come. But we hope that, you know, after the expected that he's going back in September as usual, and then maybe get a strong commitment from him in the future. That's what we hope. Yeah, I'm quite confident that one day it's going to happen.

Q. He's got a lung infection. What is yours?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: I just had the flu virus last week. That's it. Nothing serious.

Q. Are you on antibiotics?
MARCO CHIUDINELLI: No.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297