R. FEDERER/N. Djokovic
7‑6, 6‑3, 3‑6, 7‑6
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Q. Bad luck. Do you think in retrospect four days off was good or bad? Do you feel you started slowly?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think I started slowly, actually. I think I had a good first set. It was really unfortunate to lose that set. You know, after the first set I was slowing down a little bit, and he was using that. So he was taking control of the match.
But, you know, I managed to come back. I managed to come back two sets down against Roger. It's definitely not easy.
But, you know, I tried to motivate myself obviously. It's a big match, and I tried to think about the first point of the third set, the new match is starting. And I think I played well, you know.
He played really good in the important moments. I congratulate him for a great performance. He really played well. We were, I think, part of a very good match, and feels bad losing. (Smiling.)
But, you know, it's the way it is. I was serving for the fourth set, and he played couple of really good points. So he deserved it.
Q. You're famous for big sportsmanship whether you win or lose. But after all this media attention on your shoulders, don't you feel any kind of relief?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You do feel a relief when you finish a tournament; if you finish victorious it's much better than finish with a loss. But, still, it is a relief, because even though I haven't played for four days, I still practiced every day.
You know, during the tournaments, once you're in the tournament, you are in the tournament regardless if you're playing or not playing.
Really mentally you feel that energy going on around, you know, and you need that focus. You need the concentration. You need to do the daily routine, you know. You need to work hard and hope that this work will pay off.
It was a great tournament. It was best five months of my life, my tennis career. I cannot complain. It was definitely an incredible period. It had to end somewhere. I knew it's coming.
Unfortunately, it came in the bad moment. It was a big match today. But, look, you know, it's sport. I will keep on working hard.
Q. You had a great year, and you were a little bit unlucky to meet the best Federer of the year, because I don't think he has played so well since the Masters in London last year. Do you agree on that? And what do you regret for yourself? I mean, do you think you should have done something different or, well, that you're a little unsatisfied?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, you know, he has played ‑‑ the fact is that he has played an incredible match today, and all the credit to him.
I don't know really. I can't judge if he's played the best match of the year or not; he's gonna say that. He's definitely played really well. He went for the shots when he needed to. He served really well when he needed to serve well.
I don't regret. You know, I try not to look behind. What happened, happened really. I cannot affect it anymore. In some moments I was lucky; in some moments he was lucky.
But this is sport, as I said. A couple of points really decide the winner, especially at this level. I was aware of that, you know. There's not much to be sorry for.
Q. Sorry to ask so soon after, but do you head straight to London now for the grass?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. No. I pulled out from Queen's, and I will take a rest before Wimbledon.
Q. You've been wanting to be No. 1 since you were you were a little kid. Do you think that was a factor at all when you played today? Did you feel a little bit more pressure on your shoulders?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: There is always pressure. There is always expectations. Obviously it's a big match. Playing against Roger in semifinals of a Grand Slam, it's always intense regardless what is at stake, you know.
You know, both of us, we were very focused on the start, intense. You know, we played a very long first set. And, you know, if I won that first set, who knows in which direction match will go.
But look, I think I did well coming back to the match. Just unfortunate not to finish it out in the fourth.
Q. Do you think at the end of the day that this four‑day rest was an advantage? I would also like to know how was the light at the end? Was it difficult to see the ball?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think it was disadvantage. And the light was ‑‑ you know, it was not great, you know. What can you expect? It was 9:30 in the evening. It was very hard to see the serve. It was very hard, especially in the last couple of points of the tiebreak.
But it was the same for both of us.
Q. A question if I could about your opponent. Obviously you've played him many, many times: sometimes good results for you; sometimes not. On this stage, what did Roger bring as a champion? What was out there?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Just mental toughness in important moments. That's what makes him a big champion. He's a big player. He knows how to handle the pressure and big moments, and he was serving really well in the right moments.
That's it, you know. It was a very close match.
Q. There was a lot at stake obviously on paper for this match and for you. Would we be wrong to think this is a shattering loss for you, or is it just, Okay, it's a big loss, I move on?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it is disappointing loss, you know. A loss cannot feel good, that's for sure. We are all competitive and we are ‑‑ I mean, we are professional tennis players, and we want to win on the court every match.
But, look, I know what to do, you know. I handle myself better, you know, off the court, on the court. I'll just accept it as another loss.
Q. A lot of people already say that it was the most beautiful game since Wimbledon final in 2008. Are you pleased to be now part of sports legend, or with the defeat you don't care?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it was ‑‑ it is a pleasure to be part of a great match, of course. Unfortunately, one had to lose. It was me in the end. But, you know, we keep on going.
Q. You guys, if you had gone to the fifth you would have had to play tomorrow. Just a word about the schedule and whether it was the right way to do it today, you think, in your opinion?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I can't blame on the schedule, you know. It's just the way it is, you know. We started ‑‑ the first match was quite long, and then our match was almost four hours.
Yeah, it was ‑‑ you know, I knew if we finished the fourth today, if I get that fourth set, we would continue tomorrow. But that's the way it is, you know, for both of us.
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