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QATAR EXXONMOBILE OPEN

January 7, 2011

Nikolay Davydenko

DOHA, QATAR

N. DAVYDENKO/R. Nadal
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First tournament of the year and another final. How do you feel?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I feel good, but I surprising because I'm in final.
Maybe I'm surprising myself, because it's pretty tough, you know, here and just Federer, Nadal, Tsonga. I'm not really top 10, and, you know, for me it's tough tournament.
Beat today Nadal, No. 1. I know he's last year have good form. I don't know, today he feel different. For sure he was not best form. Normally he's much tougher and plays -- he's stronger.
I don't mean tennis; I mean physically. He was completely tired running, fighting for points.

Q. But why do you say you're surprised? You certainly have the game, and you've won here in Doha. Why do you say you're surprised?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Because last year I won because I won London. That's was, for me, I don't care against who I play. I beat also Nadal and Federer in the Masters Cup.
Here in Doha, for me, it's like same situation, it was. Last year, if you see after Doha, I didn't win any tournaments. After my injury I play not so good, and I didn't make any semifinal. I have no good result.
That's was, for me, really surprising beginning this year. I am again the final, and I hope it's not be my last final, you know, in this year.

Q. What do you think your level is now? Is it similar level to here last year or not?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, every day is level different, because how you feel just -- you know, how you sleep and you wake up and you feel so comfortable and you are relaxed and not so much nervous and you play easy and fighting for every points and feel good balls.
I see already how I, before warmup, starting warmup before the match, and I already know how I play and how I feel, and I know I need to be nervous or not.

Q. And how did you feel before the match today?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Pretty good, really. Just was not so easy to run here, you know, just very difficult running on this surface here in Doha.
I don't know why it's really surprising me. Last year it's was -- physically I was much better and running much faster. Now, you know, maybe my tennis a little bit better, but physically I'm not so strong, you know. Every point running, it's not so easy.

Q. So do you think your best tennis is still to come?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: For sure, you know, by every match, winning, you know, guys, top 10 players beating on the tournaments, it's confidence coming back, and for sure it's helping me so much, you know, come back. Level, it's also coming, you know, tennis level, and automatically, you know, coming after physically, for sure, because fighting for the points, every points and running.
I hope, you know, for Australian Open I can be fit also for five-sets matches.

Q. It doesn't look you have to be nervous for the final. You have such a good record. You won the last six finals, so something special where you go on the last day of the tournament?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Now I start to be nervous, because you really pushing me, finals, six winning (smiling).
Yeah, would be nice winning seven. You know, it's not so bad. But I don't play, you know, against, you know, top 50 guys. I play against, you know, good player, Federer. It's different.
I never play final, I think, against Federer. Always play semis or quarters, but the final I play always against Nadal. That's was for me much easier to win. I don't know why. Now it's different situation. That's was I think it would be much tougher.

Q. I'm gonna push it some more. Federer said today that when you're healthy, when you're fit again, that you should be a regular player in the top 5. So what are your goals for this season?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: For sure I want to come back in top 10 this year, because I really good practice and I have good tennis now, and, you know, it's just starting tournaments.
Last year my hope was the same. You know, winning Doha, quarterfinals Australia Open was -- yeah, every tournament make result. But, you know, if you injury, and then you cannot play three months, then it already start different situation, and it's like you don't know what's can happen.
That's was I don't want to say anything. My goal, it's my goal. I just want to enjoy and not to be injured. If I enjoy tennis, for sure I can make good result.

Q. Which memories you have about your match against Roger in Australian Open last year?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Memory, it's like I can win easy and then I lost easy. You know, that's was memory.
Yeah, last year I lost in Cincinnati again in semifinal, and, you know, just -- but is already I have different level. You know, now is maybe my tennis level better, and that's was if I still continue like I play today or yesterday before, you know, and just I feel my forehand, backhand I can play good, I have good control, if I still tomorrow the same, you know, level or maybe better, you know, just important for sure I need to have good legs and I need to run and control the ball. Because I saw Federer try to play fast, easy, just two, three points, try to make winners, you don't want to run so much, and that's was for me I need to find this, you know, solution, how I need to play against him tomorrow.

Q. Can you tell us about your coaching situation? I think you had stopped working with your brother last year? Are you back with him? Can you tell us everything behind it?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I never stop with my brother, because he is now have tennis academy and he work with his son. Son plays some Futures every week most this year, and for sure he's come with me now Doha and Australian Open, maybe Rotterdam, but after America, like Indian Wells and Miami, I have another coach, because he want to spend time with his son also on the Futures.
A rare mix, but I never change coach, just for time, you know, just for couple tournaments. And then if he see I play bad, he just come back again. He coaching me again.
But now we have good time. We are practicing together all December, and he just -- he wanted, you know, because I need to defend points and he want to start with me now here and just see how I play. If I start to play good, he say, Okay. You play good and you can go now alone.

Q. Of the four Grand Slam tournaments, is the Australian Open the one where you think you have the most chances of going far?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: If I was five times quarterfinal, I think so, I have good chance. Just only problem I am not top 8 seeded player. I am already not top 16. That's was is already a different situation. That's was I can play against Nadal, Djokovic, or Federer already in the fourth round or fifth round, yeah?
That's was already difficult. You know, just need to see against who I play and how I play.

End of FastScripts

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