Interviews

3rd Round (Kuerten)

Q. Not as easy as yesterday, what was the main difference?
IVANISEVIC: I can't play tonight. I don't see well. I didn't hit two balls with strings. I mean I won maybe two points on his serve. He's a good server, but not great. I couldn't return. My body doesn't go anywhere. I don't move. Just cannot adopt so well. Everything is strange. I see very late against a guy like him. You can't see late. He's good a player. You have to play very good to beat him. If I play like this, I can't beat anybody.

Q. Was it to do with the weather conditions?
IVANISEVIC: Yeah. It was a little bit humid and slow. These change between lights and days, I need to adjust on that. I can't. I didn't see the ball. I go on wrong side on return. When I hit the return, ten times with the frame from the back, and can't hit the normal shot. No good.

Q. Is that a problem you've always had?
IVANISEVIC: Yeah. I don't like to play at night. My eyes, I rather play during the day. I have better vision, everything is better, so... But unfortunately you cannot say you don't want to play at night, you know, you have to. But this can happen more and more, you know, when I play at night.

Q. Is it a problem that could be corrected with glasses?
IVANISEVIC: I can't play -- I don't think I can play with glasses. I was never the night player. The older I get, more problems. Before I had less problems, but I never liked to play at night.

Q. Indoor you don't have the same problems?
IVANISEVIC: It's different. The lights is different. You don't have this difference between day change, always light indoor. But this change was still day, but it's light on. And this is -- this is confusing me.

Q. What did you think about the way he played tonight?
IVANISEVIC: He didn't play. He just put ball in the court and that was enough. He stayed on the court, that's how I describe his play. He stayed there and he put couple of balls in, and he won. He didn't do -- I mean he hit a couple of winners, but he didn't have to do anything, if I win two points on his serve all the night. He don't play on the fastest court in the world, so -- not a great performance by me.

Q. Do you ever ask tournaments to play you in the afternoon?
IVANISEVIC: No. But I was kind of thinking I might play at night because this match was good, should be good, you know, to play at night. But the way I play, it was too quick, you know, to even people to get involved in the match. I don't know. Everything I try was no good, you know. Then you had the pressure that I don't try -- but, I mean, I hit 40-something percent of first serve, and that's terrible.

Q. Disappointing, or not so bad for your first time back on the court since Wimbledon?
IVANISEVIC: No, it's not so bad. But it's disappointing, when I play yesterday great match. And then come today, and this is another thing I can't solve because every time I play at night I'm going to have problems like that. So it's not a good thing.

Q. What do you think of Ljubicic as a player?
IVANISEVIC: He's playing well. He has a chance to go in the quarters. He's a good player, he can improve.

Q. Are you two good friends?
IVANISEVIC: Yeah.

Q. Is that a downside of being a Wimbledon champion, you're going to be a featured match?
IVANISEVIC: That's a problem. The last time I played at night I don't remember, because I was playing on the courts in a -- nobody could watch, out in the parking lot. So suddenly things change, you know, and I'm on the center court. And, you know, more and more here, you know, this hard court season you have this night matches. Unfortunately, today was one match that it's maybe the worse match I've played for the last couple of years. I just couldn't adjust with this change of lights. And a guy like this, you can't play like this. He is too good. He doesn't give you anything free. You have to work for anything.

Q. You mentioned you had serving problems. How much time do you spend on your serve in practice sessions?
IVANISEVIC: Not so much. It just clicks. I have a feeling. But all these matches 45 percent first match, 47 yesterday, and 40 something today, which is very low for my standard. I have to serve at least 55, 60 percent. And, I mean, and I did like three double-faults on the first time he broke me, and all this little mistakes, you know. But I don't practice on my serve. I just -- I can practice a lot and still don't serve well. I just have days I have a feeling. And today, like today I have problem adjusting. When I toss the ball in the light I don't know if I toss it high or low. I don't have a clue. And then my serve went into the net and everywhere. So those things I can see I don't have control of my serve. Usually I have control where I'm going to serve. Today I didn't. I lost the control where my ball was going. Because everything on my serve. I serve well, all the aspects of game picking up together, my forehand good, my backhand, then I don't have to rush. When I serve bad, I have to start to panic sometimes, a lot of unforced errors.

Q. So you're going to have surgery at the end of the year, where will that take place, back in Croatia?
IVANISEVIC: No, no. In Germany.

Q. You mentioned you didn't look like you were trying hard, even though you were just having a bad night. Do you feel more responsible being the Wimbledon champion?
IVANISEVIC: I don't feel any responsibility. When I step on the court I give my hundred percent whether I'm champion or not.

Q. But --
IVANISEVIC: People a little different. They don't understand why I play bad. If I win Wimbledon, still can play bad. If you win Wimbledon, look at Sampras last night. Lost to a guy, even when he's drunk he can't lose. He won thirteen Grand Slams, so...

Q. So anybody can have a bad night; is that what you're saying?
IVANISEVIC: Yeah. But I only worried about this night match problem for me, because for sure I'm going to play a couple of night matches. Come US Open, a big match at night, I don't want to have this problem. This is really bothering me, because I really can't see well, especially this early. I rather play later at night because it's dark, you have lights. This is the worst part, day and night, and really -- but, it's okay. I won two matches, still something to work on, and was a good experience, you know. But I didn't enjoy more tonight. What can I do? I mean, I tried everything, and didn't look very nice, you know, for a Wimbledon champion.

Q. So you do worry about it?
IVANISEVIC: No, you said, you know, I should worry about it.

Q. No, I didn't say you should, I just wondered if you did.
IVANISEVIC: Doesn't matter. I can still play bad, but I didn't expect this, can be such a difference between yesterday and today, but can be.

Q. So far, what do you think the biggest benefit is for winning Wimbledon for you?
IVANISEVIC: When you have confidence back. You know, I have more fun on the court. Okay, tonight I didn't have so much fun, when you play like that, but generally. The first two matches I have fun. The people respect me more, I think, the players do. And just a great feeling, you know. And when they announce, you know, this thing, you know, Wimbledon champion. Past years I was three times Wimbledon finalist. You know, always second. Second is good, but not good enough. Now when you say Wimbledon champion, it's nice.

Q. One more. Between a singles match -- who would win a singles match between good Goran and bad Goran?
IVANISEVIC: I don't think the match finish, it's an tie, or something happens, you know, something strange. Depends which part of the day they play.

Right, the disclaimer. The interviews do not belong to me and are not being used for any form of profit on my behalf. Just to feed our craving for Goran.