Whoooooooweeeeeeeh!!!!!!!! He did it!!!!!!!! He's in the Quarters!!!!!!!!!!!! Now Nole is waiting there..... Go kick his ass, sweety
;D.......
Day 9 - An interview with Igor Andreev - Monday, June 4, 2007
Q. You've had some big wins over some great players, but being where you are and what round you've just gotten to in a major, is this the biggest win of your career?
IGOR ANDREEV: Yeah, first time of my life I'm in quarterfinals in a Grand Slam. So, I mean, it means a lot for me. And well, always something happens for first time. So today's a great day. But still I am in the tournament, so I'm satisfied with what I've done, but I think it's not enough. And I feel like I can do something more here.
Q. Baghdatis a few minutes ago said he thought your forehand was comparable to Nadal's?
IGOR ANDREEV: My forehand compared to Nadal's?
Q. He said it's as good as Nadal's, and it hurts him more.
IGOR ANDREEV: My forehand (laughter)?
Q. Your forehand, yes.
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I appreciate it. Well, yeah, forehand, I'm like, it's my best shot, I think. No doubt. And especially it works much better on clay courts where the ball bounce higher, so it creates problems for other guys. So that's my best weapon, so I'm trying to use it 100%, you know.
Q. For a long time you were the last player to have beaten Nadal. That's not the case anymore. But what do you remember about that match? Do you still think about it, and what do you remember about it?
IGOR ANDREEV: I answered already, like, I don't know how many times. But great memories. We played in Valencia, the town I'm practicing so, like, it's my second home. And I played very well that day. And Rafa, maybe he was sick, kind of tired after, like, he made the final in Miami. So it's also in part a little bit maybe his physical condition.
But against Rafa, he's such a great player, so when he gives you like a small chance, you have to use it. If not, then he's not going to give you it a second time. So this, I think, may be the key to beat him. If you have many opportunities, you have to take it. If not, then he just kill you.
Q. How difficult was it for you to recover from your injury, very bad injury? Because six months out of the tour, it's a lot. And you recover very quickly now?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, it's actually more than six months. It was last year, I stopped in Barcelona -- in Bordeau. And then, like, I played Paris, but still I went just to try, I mean, because I was missing so much tennis. I mean, like start practicing a little bit, and I said, okay, I'm going to just try what I can do, and one round there, so it was good.
But then still, like a lot of practicing, like beginning of the year was not so good, because I was still -- like, the leg was, lose a lot of muscle, so I have to recover it, and it takes a long time.
Now I'm feeling much better, especially on clay courts, which is softer. So I can move much better, and like really good. I get in my physical condition, the level like I was before. Like now, I'm feeling good, and I'm playing great tennis.
Q. When you had the injury, were you able to stay positive the whole time?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I mean, you get the injury, it's -- I mean, we're professionals, so these things are happening. And you have to take it like, you know -- I had a great summer, actually. I was in Moscow at home, like being with my friends, probably the best summer for, like, the last, maybe, I don't know, seven years. And you just try to enjoy the life, you know. It's a little different, of course. Like, the first few months, it's okay. You are enjoying very much. But then, of course, you start understanding that the tennis, it's your life. It's everything in your life, and you start missing it so much.
But well, now, I'm happy because I'm back and I can enjoy the tournaments and be here. Now I'm enjoying the quarterfinals, so it's a big deal for me.
Q. Do you feel like your level now is better than it was before you got injured?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I was -- like, before the injury I was in the moment, I was growing, and ranking was getting better. Like in the end 2005, like, I won two tournaments, made one final. Then the beginning of 2006 was also very good.
But I don't know about the level. But I think that now I'm, like, mentally I'm much more stronger. But tennis, maybe, it's the same or, I don't know, maybe a little more. I cannot say how about tennis, but for sure, mentally, I'm much more stronger than I was before.
Q. A lot of players say in their careers they regret not having more time to, as you say, hang out with friends or whatever, but do things that other people do. Do you think that time you had just hanging out with your friends helps you stay fresh mentally now, now that you've done that?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, it helps me now. It helps me a lot when I was injured. So like if you're -- when you get such a bad injury that I had, like the person, they're just depressing, depressed, depressing. It change completely your life. So you get used for one rhythm of life when you're traveling all the weeks. You know, you have tournaments, playing, and then it's the life, like sports life.
But then you completely change, it's hard. But, of course, like, when friends help you, like parents help you, so these all things are working. And now, I think it's also a good, positive things that are helping me now playing, yeah, tennis.
Q. Could you please describe how your condition was at the Australian Open at that time?
IGOR ANDREEV: At the Australian? Well, compared to now, it was maybe, I don't know -- if now, let's say I'm 90%, that time I was like 60, maybe, 60. Because you can play, you can play one set or so. You can keep concentration. You feel well physically. But when you start playing more and more and more, it's just so hard to keep the same level, keep the concentration.
And so, it comes with matches. I mean, maybe good players, you know, like Federer or Nadal, maybe they can play, like, one tournament and take a rest for three or four months and then play again the same level. But maybe I'm not that kind of person which is, like, when I'm stop playing, then, like, from the first tournament, I'm 100%. I need some matches; I need some tennis, you know, to go back to the same level.
Q. This has been such a great run for you to the quarters. But if I could, can you imagine on Sunday being out on Court Central, and there you are holding up the trophy? Is that something you can imagine?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, in the very deep fantasies, every player imagine how he can, I mean, enjoy, like, on Sunday on Center Court and hopefully hold the trophy, the big one.
But I have to go slow. I have to have, like tomorrow, day after tomorrow, very hard match with Novak. He's a great player. When you start thinking so far, then your concentration is just not that good, if you think on your next opponent.
Q. How has living in Spain changed you as a person? Do you really feel like you have sort of half a heart in each country?
IGOR ANDREEV: No, personally, I'm still Russian 100%, for sure. I mean, like, Moscow will still always be my home, my town. Valencia, I think gives me a lot, like, -- I was in Moscow, I was one time, like, almost stopped the tennis because the results wasn't good. I didn't play much junior tournaments. So when you start playing, like, men's, it was hard for me, hard time. But then, like, in Spain, the people, they are really great because they explain me, like, I don't know, something about tennis which was so easy for me to understand.
So that's give me like inspired me to play more and more. And it all comes out really well. So now they give me a good opportunity now I'm playing here.
Q. What kind of opponents do you find it hardest to play against? Because Baghdatis was saying someone like Santoro would have made it more difficult for you. What opponent do you find most difficult?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I think, playing like different type, different type of game. Like, they don't give a rhythm, that's soft. So it's just you can't play your best tennis against them. It's not about tennis, it's all about concentration. If you keep your head cool, you keep your concentration, then you can beat them, too. But, I mean, just gets you crazy sometimes when you feel that you can play much better, but you can't, because the other guy doesn't let you, so that kind of person.
Q. You said that in Spain they told you something that made it easier for you to play. Just, can you talk about what that was?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I think that just the ways to show the tennis in Russia -- in Spain are quite different. I mean, in Russia, maybe it's the guys with the good backhand, because courts are fast. Like the tennis is much quicker. And in Spain, it's like forehands, baseline, you know, running and clay courts.
So that's what was for me what I need, what I understand, like my idea of tennis is this. And there in Russia, they try to explain, but they don't see that maybe every person is different. So they have to -- for every guy, they have to try to find what he wants, what he understands. So they have, like, one plan, so you have to do this. And in Spain, it was a little different. So that's maybe --
Q. So they were a little more flexible than the coaches you had when you were younger?
IGOR ANDREEV: Maybe not flexible. Just the base what they have, just directly came for me, like worked for me, you know.
Q. You talked in some depth about Spanish tennis. What is special about tennis in France and tennis in America?
IGOR ANDREEV: In France, well, in France I think every player is very talented, because they have, I mean, like Santoro, Llodra, they have sort of like, just -- it's completely different tennis, but, I mean, just the talent, or Gasquet. In America, maybe, it's like a strong guys, you know, hitting hard the ball, and, I mean Roddick or Ginepri or every guy. But, I mean, every place is different.
It's like, I mean, that's why the tennis is very good, because if everybody would play the same style, same thing, then it would be a boring to watch.
Q. Why did you choose Valencia and not Barcelona for instance? And if you were recommended by someone to go to Valencia?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, Valencia was -- I don't know why it was. Maybe because Marat is practicing there. Yeah, Marat. So my parents spoke to his mother, and he just asked -- he just say if he wants, you know, go there to try. If he likes, yeah.
So I went, first time I went for one month to try, and it was really good, and I like it. So now, well, I think it's a very nice town. Very quiet. Not as big as Barcelona, but it's very good to practice.
Q. Do you practice with Marat there?
IGOR ANDREEV: Yeah, Marat, David Ferrer. Tennis world.
and the video link:
www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multimedia/console/mflash.html?targetLink=/media/video/INT.andreev.igor.04062007_EN_480x360_400kbps.flv&lang=en_FR&localisIE=true
...I hope not.
) PHM, 7-6 (4) 6-0 ( ;D ;D) and 6-3
;D.......
...Yes Igoryok and Rafa!!...
