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MUTUA MADRID OPEN


May 9, 2014


Roberto Bautista Agut


MADRID, SPAIN

R. BAUTISTA AGUT/S. Giraldo
6‑3, 6‑4


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in Spanish, please.

Q.  First of all, congratulations for making it to the semifinals for the first time in a Masters 1000.  I wanted to ask you, Pablo Andujar made it for the first time last year and also played Rafa.  The pressure have been a little bit too much for him, especially in the first set.  Do you think you have a possibility tomorrow to win?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Well, I think that Rafa is favorite no matter where he plays.  I will try to do the best match I can.  If I have options to win, I will always try to do so.

Q.  Your tennis, it's really good.  You started playing in Castellon in a hard court.  Where else did you play?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Well, I started playing in Castellon.  Now I train in the Club de Campo Mediterraneo.  I was raised in Castillon and I played on clay courts.  As you know, I play pretty well on clay.

Q.  And your type of game, well, you play more flat.  Is that because of a teacher you had or your own initiative?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  I think each us have our own style.  You know, my way of striking the ball is that maybe I strike it a little bit more flat than normal.

Q.  I wanted to ask you about the year as a whole.  You've achieved very important victories and have gone a step forward.  This year you managed to confirm it with those victories.
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Yeah, I started the year playing really well playing Auckland, Australia, the American tour pretty well.  I think perhaps the key is to be healthy and not to have injuries.
I have a very good moment right now.  Physically talking I feel really well.  I think of course the confidence that winning those matches at the beginning of the year now gave my a lot of calm to be able to go to these matches with a lot of confidence playing my tennis and with less pressure than what I would normally have.

Q.  Talking about something else, you were a great football player when you were young; is that true?  You left it because you wanted to dedicate yourself to tennis?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Yeah, it's true I played football until I was 14 years old.  After that, I quit it and I switched to tennis.

Q.  What would it mean for you to make it to the semifinal here in a Masters 1000 for the first time?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Well, I'm really happy for it being here in Madrid and for the fact of making it to the semifinals playing against the best, one of the best players of history.
I am very happy for the current moment that I have, for the tennis that I am playing right now, and especially for being just well.

Q.  What do you expect of the crowd tomorrow?  Do you think they're going to support Rafa or it's going to be equal, as it should be?  You're both Spanish.
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Well, I don't think that the crowd chooses who is gonna win.  Whether you support one or the other one is not the one who is gonna win.
I think that the good thing for Madrid crowd is that we do a good match and that the people enjoy the match.

Q.  You were talking about the Rafa as one the best players on clay courts.  Is that a little bit more pressure on you or does that motivate you more?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Well, for me, it is extraordinary.  For me, every round I make is an extra motivation.  Especially making it to the semifinals and playing against Rafa, it's also a motivation.

Q.  I know that you also do horse riding.  I know you do a lot of sports, and we have to say so.
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  Well, you know, I have to go because I have to go to the physio.

Q.  What do you think is more important right now:  the mental strength or physical strength?
ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT:  I think tennis is a very complete sport.  You have to be well mentally, emotionally, physically.  It's very important, as everyone knows.  I think that all those aspects are very important.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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