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AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 18, 2011


Juan Martin Del Potro


MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

J. DEL POTRO/D. Sela
7-6, 6-4, 6-4


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How good does it feel to be back in a Grand Slam arena after so much frustration for you?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I feel good. Is nice for me be here with these players, this tournament, and of course playing a Grand Slam.
Today I play good tennis again. But I'm really enjoying this week. I met with all the players, especially the top-10 players. They support me when I was very bad. So now I face to face with them and I say thank you.

Q. Did you have to change your technique a little bit to put less pressure on your wrist?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I trying to not. I feel in good shape again. I work very hard with my physical trainer. I need time to play harder and to play stronger. But just I need time.
Sometimes some balls I play, I hit very, very far, and sometimes not. But with time and with training and with focus in every practice, I will take again.

Q. Have you become a very patient person? Usually young people are impatient; they want to see everything very quickly.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, I know the way to be with good ranking again. But it's a long road. I need to work very hard because all the players are very tough at this moment. All players playing good tennis, especially here in the five-set matches.
But I'm still improving my game. I feel good with my wrist. That's important to training every day and to feel comfortable for the next tournaments.

Q. Can you describe this last year with your injury.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I had a very bad year. For three or four months nobody knows about my wrist. I think that's a bad thing for my mind. But after the surgery, the doctor say between four and six months you will be playing again. I was very, very quiet. Because if I do my step by step very quiet, I will be playing again. That's what is happen now.
I have a good start season. I beat Feliciano López last week and today I won another match. That's what I need. I need time, I need matches, I need sets, I need hours into the court. Then in the future, I will be better.

Q. You talked about the support of the fellow top-10 players. How did they support you? Did they call you or send messages?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Everything. They call me and they send an emails, everything. It's important. They have all his schedule very close, very completed. Sometimes if you got his callings, is good because they are thinking about you and about yourself. So I just want to say thank you to all of them. For me it's good playing against them again.

Q. Was someone calling you or writing you more than others, better friends you have on the circuit?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: My better friends are in Tandil. I don't know. With one matches is good, is enough to feel they support. I don't care if Federer send me ten message and Rafa send me two. The important thing, it's they send to me and they was thinking about me. So I just want to say thank you.
I was watching his matches in my home. I'm really want to congratulate all of them because they are making amazing tennis for the fans - and for the players, too.

Q. I know you have to play more matches, but do you feel as strong now as you were when you won the US Open?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I don't think so. I say last week I have this present today from this tournament. To my future, I will try my best. I don't want to think in the past. I won a Grand Slam, but I'm working to improve my game. I don't know if I can play like two years ago or not, but I will try.
Every practicing, every day, I speak with Franco. If he say, Make hundred service, I will do it for be good with myself. I'm trying to improve every day. I'm trying to fight with the top-10 players again.

Q. What is the most difficult thing for you now that you've been away for such a long time?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Everything. Everything is difficult. But I am really enjoy be here again. I know maybe two years ago, play against 200 players, feel good. But this is my present. If I play against Rafa or if I play against 50 different player, I will feel - I don't know - very complicated. It just depends my game. It just depends my mind, my physic.
I know the way to win matches, but I need time to do it.

Q. Do you realize there were only two players who won a slam out of the last 23 slams? One was you and the other was Djokovic. Is that something you almost don't believe today or something that gives you pride and hope that you'll be back?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I already won my Grand Slam. Djokovic, too. But maybe Murray, Novak, Soderling, now they have the game to beat Rafa and Roger.
I am very far away, but I'm working to be in that level in the future. I'm trying to beat Rafa and Roger in same Grand Slam to win another one.

End of FastScripts




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