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AEGON INTERNATIONAL

June 18, 2011

Janko Tipsarevic

EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND

A. SEPPI/J. Tipsarevic
7-6, 3-6, 5-3, Ret.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So do you know what you've done, your injury?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: I don't know yet. I'm taking ultrasound now but it doesn't look good.

Q. Problems for Monday?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Problems Monday.

Q. Were you complaining about carrying on playing?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Yes. First day, my match with Ward when we were set all, we stopped at 7:30, which was the exact time what was -- what it was, when we split sets in the finals.
I know that matches here are played until late, but that's the case when there are no clouds and then you have enough light. In this situation, this was complete powering through the final.
I asked the supervisor and chair umpire and whoever on 4-3, What now? It's 8:20. There is no light. You're trying to finish this final as soon as possible.
And he said, Yes, but it's not wet. Three points after, I slipped. And I asked him again, What else does it need -- first of all, I'm not -- I'm disappointed because I lost and Andreas was the better player today. I felt he should have clenched the third set much earlier, but I feel he choked a little bit.
I used my chance, and, you know, he made some errors when he was 4-Love up that he didn't make, you know, in the beginning of the match or throughout the match.
So I just feel that why I came back was the reason was because he was a little bit nervous, not because I changed something in my game.
But it's an absolute disgrace. The organization -- not the organization, but the fact what happened today. At 4-3, 15-All or Love-30 when I slipped, I asked the chair umpire or the referee, What else does it need to happen for you to postpone this match? And he was just quiet.
He was just repeating like a parrot that we have enough light, we have enough light. Everything I said.

Q. Were you prepared to come back tomorrow?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Yes, I was.

Q. To finish it?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Yes. I feel that this -- I mean, it's tough enough for us that we have to play -- two days I played two matches in one day and with the wind. I'm not complaining it's just me. It's for all the guys out there, you know.
But to power through the final -- this is not first or second round. This is a final of an ATP event. I myself still don't have a title, and I don't want to lose it because of dark.
It's bad enough that I have to play on a slippery court with wind, but to postpone it because, I mean, for two, three games because they were, I don't know, too lazy or wanted to go home tomorrow or whatever, that's just a complete disgrace.

Q. Would you feel that your chances at Wimbledon are pretty small now?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: I don't know. I twisted -- I injured my leg, as you know, 10 minutes ago. I'm taking an ultrasound now. But at the moment I'm having difficulties walking.

Q. Why did you not play out the last three points?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: There is no reason. There really is no reason to, you know, walk around because it's bad enough, you know, looking at what everything happened on the court, you know.
And I really -- it's not that I didn't want to lose. But the only thing, if I stayed, I needed to give my best, which means I need to run for every point, which I was not able to.
So to give the tournament and the other player the satisfaction of beating me with all those stupid things that happened around, I really -- I really couldn't. Plus the main thing is that I didn't want to risk my leg for Wimbledon.
I'm having, as you know, a tricky enough opponent in the first round that if I want to have any chance of beating him, I need to be 100% healthy.
This grass court is my favorite surface and Wimbledon is my favorite tournament of the year. Last year I lost first round, which means I'm not defending points.

Q. Do you plan to take this any further?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: I think not. I just feel that, you know...

Q. You've got to accept it?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: I have to accept it, you know. I lost. He was the better player than me today. But all -- I don't want to call it scam or whatever, but everything that happened around is just -- it's a complete joke. It's a parody of tennis.
If you look at all the facts what happened and what happened in the previous days, it's just a complete mockery of tennis. It has nothing to do with Great Britain or England or the tournament. I love playing here for one reason: Because in this country and in these tournaments, you need to follow rules, which are really, really strict.
And today, those rules were just like, Yeah, okay. Let's just finish and let's go fast. Wimbledon starts next Monday.

Q. Did you see him have any problems with the conditions?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Him?

Q. I didn't seep him approach the...
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Did I see him having any problems? No, I don't. But as you can see, maybe -- I'm not sure if you saw the final. I'm wearing glasses and I'm having difficulties seeing when there is not enough light. This is the main reason why I wear them.

Q. So you struggle with vision and...
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: I struggled with vision. I'm not -- this could happen to him, as well, you know. But the course of action was first day, stopping the match at 7:30 at set all against James Ward on Court 1.
After that -- we continued playing 4-3, 8:15. I asked, Can we stop now?
No, we cannot.
Why not?
The court is fine and we have enough light.
I slip, I break my leg, whatever. The court is slippery, there is not enough light. The freaking scoreboard is shining. It's shining, which means that there is not enough light outside.
No, we play. We play.

Q. Are you resentful it might cost -- it might well cost you at Wimbledon, then?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: The only thing what will cost me at Wimbledon is if my leg is not 100%. I have a goal this year is to break for the first time the top 20 and I intend to do it.
So this is a tough loss, but I really feel that I am old enough and big enough professional that this, if I'm healthy, will not affect Wimbledon, my favorite tournament of the year.

Q. I think you ought to go and get it seen to. We thank you very much for coming in. That was very kind of you.
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Thanks.

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