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BNP PARIBAS OPEN


March 12, 2012


Tomas Berdych


INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

T. BERDYCH/A. Roddick
6‑3, 4‑6, 6‑2


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  How hard was that, Tomas?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah, I mean, it's always hard, and today was even‑‑ I would say even bigger challenge for me, you know, to play Andy, you know, in this place.  It's always something which adds something a little extra to the match and to the game.
So, you know, even that, I'm even more happy with the way the game went, and especially that I finished it with the win today.

Q.  You've played him a lot of times in your career before.  How does his game now compare ‑‑ when he's ranked outside of the top 10 ‑‑ compared to what it was like when he was in the top 10?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I mean, tough to say what's‑‑ how he is now and how he is before.  I mean, the tennis is so tricky.  I mean, if we're gonna play tomorrow, next two days, the game could be completely different, even that we play so many times.
So, you know, it's really tough to say.  It really depends how you feel, how is your form, how is your confident.  You know, if you have some winning streak, win couple of tournaments or you are a bit down with the confidence, it all can affect the game.
It was a close, close game, and it's really tough to judge, you know, if he's‑‑ if he was better or not.  I mean, there are many new guys that came up, and, you know, even make it harder to stay, to stay there.
So could be the reason, you know, he can drop few spots, but he's still former No. 1 player in the world.

Q.  When you were playing against him today, did you feel he was healthy or do you feel there was anything wrong with him health‑wise?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Actually, I don't know.  I have no idea.  I mean, I was just try to really focus myself.
And, you know, if somebody is not calling physio or really doesn't have any, you know, problem that you can really see that, then maybe we can talk about, you know, some injury.
I think that Andy is well‑experienced guy, that if he would felt that he is not 100% ready that probably he would not go on court just to try.
If you go there, you have to take the responsibility that, you know, you go there and you have to try all your best, and not if the game doesn't, you know, finish well just to say, well, actually, I wasn't 100% ready.
So that's definitely‑‑ or I don't think that Andy would do anything like that.  So I think, yeah, for me, it feels it was good.

Q.  There was a backhand volley you missed for two sets to love against Rafa in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.  Do you think about that, or do you think about how you play that game?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I don't know why you just remember it to me again, but...

Q.  It was a big point.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I know it was, so...
No, yeah, as you just said, it was a really big point.  But actually I watch it couple of times, and I thought on court it was quite easy one, but actually I know it could be even easier.
And I was just really fast moving from one side to the other, and, you know, just put the racquet in front of me.  Actually I just didn't hit it that clear that I would put it on the court.
So, you know, it was a tough one, but that's how it is.  Who knows?  Maybe two sets to love?  Maybe wouldn't be enough at all.  But hopefully for the next time.

Q.  Do you think going to the net was a good idea?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah, definitely it was.  I mean, it was working quite well during the, I would say, whole match.
And I would do it again.  I think it was‑‑ I get to the net after some dropshot or something like that, that I was playing forehand volley, and then moving to the other side.
So, no, I would go, anyway, same time.

Q.  Do you find ‑‑ do you do that a lot?  You said on court you felt differently.  Do you find that after a tough loss you're really hard on yourself immediately after, and then the next day you look back and you say, Well, maybe I didn't play all that bad?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, I think it's more about just to sit with my team.  You know, it's one kind of feeling, it's like my feeling, how I see it from my point of view on the court; then be the other one is like how the guys or my coach see it from the outside of the court, because the view could be quite different, you know, and the feeling could be different.
So it's more like, you know, that we sit together and we just try to find some positive/negative things from the game.  And, you know, every game is different.  So sometimes, you know, I think the most important thing is just to know how to learn from the bad experience, and then that's the only thing what can make you even better player.

Q.  Your next player, Almagro, what are your thoughts on facing him after how you ended things with him in Australia?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  What was happening there last time?

Q.  That you didn't shake his hand at the end of the match.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  I don't know.  I mean, that's really just the past, and as I said, nothing serious happened.  It's just the way that you guys coming up with these stories again and again.
So nothing.  It's gonna be same match like any others, and I'm gonna try to find, fight, go through, try to go for the quarterfinal.

Q.  Have you talked to him since then?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah, I mean, we meeting many times in the locker room, practice courts, anywhere else.  There is nothing wrong against it, and all is good.

Q.  Were your parents Australia?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  No.  No.

Q.  Because I saw them at a tournament sometime recently.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah.  Well, Monte‑Carlo, US Open, actually, they've been last year.  Yeah, they're gonna go...

Q.  Nowhere this year?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  No.

Q.  How do you feel when your parents are there watching?  Does your father know much about tennis?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  No, I mean, it's nice to have them with me on the couple of tournaments, because, you know, it's obviously not much time that I can spend with them.
You know, it's some kind of, like‑‑ because my father was the first who bring me to the tennis courts, give me the tennis racquets.  So for him, it's just the best, I would say, the payout, you know, of all the time what he gave me.
Then he's able to now to be sitting there and watching the matches straight at the tournament.  So, yeah, I like when they coming.  And, you know, I will be thinking to bring them maybe more often.

Q.  Does he have anything to do with how well you hit the ball?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Actually not now.

Q.  Did he start you at the beginning?  Did he start you, show you how to hit the ball?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah, definitely.  Yeah.  He was the first one just to bring me on court and starts to hitting the balls with me.  But actually, really like the basics of my strokes, I would say that it was my‑‑ it was my first coach that ‑‑ actually, he doesn't have to change it that much, but he gave me pretty much the basic of my tennis.
I start with him when I was like 9, 10 years old, so it was still good time to have enough to actually create my game.

Q.  Was it created from any other player that you liked to try to play like when you were young?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Actually, never.  Never.
I never had any, like, tennis idol that I would be just for one name or just following like a crazy that I want to look like him or play like him or anything like that.
So, you know, I always want to be myself, and hopefully it works well.  And I try to keep it that.

Q.  This tournament, they have increased the prize money significantly.  Have you guys noticed that?  What are your thoughts about that?  Most of the money is for quarterfinalists on and not necessarily for the whole field.  Any thoughts about that, and have people talked about it in the locker room?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  No.  Actually, I have never been in the conversation about that here that we would be talking about this prize money thing.  My opinion, you know, I can see it from the both sides.  You know, that there could be the side who likes it and they see why the tournament might like it like that.
I can also see why the people on the other side can find out actually we doesn't like it or we would like to see it a little bit differently.  So actually I'm just trying focus myself, you know, because if you're gonna do well, it's just how it is, you know.
So I'm not here about‑‑ I'm not gonna change anything with that.  So, I need to do my job and focus on court.  The rest, it's gonna be‑‑ it's gonna be afterwards.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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