N. DJOKOVIC/S. Stakhovsky
6‑3, 6‑4, 6‑1


Q. How hard was it not to finish yesterday and have to come back today? Was it especially hard, or not that much?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, it's not pleasant when you don't finish a match in one day, especially on the Grand Slams when you're playing best of five. I was lucky to come back in the second set and be two sets up, so that was really important.
Today I played really well all third set and happy to, you know, to finish early so I can have more time to recover, basically, for next match.

Q. Were you a bit angry to be scheduled maybe so late yet?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, no. I mean, I'm not angry. It's just the way it is. That's the schedule. There is so many matches, so many good and interesting players and interesting matches to see, so it was difficult to organize. And we had yesterday some matches from two days ago, as well.
You know, it's difficult when you don't have lights. Then you have to, you know, end up quickly. And if the weather is not good, then the schedule is really packed.

Q. How do you feel your game for this first round? Because you seem to be already playing quite a bit of tennis.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, first round I haven't played a lot,really. Nicolas had to retire already second set, so I didn't get a lot of rhythm, which I could feel in the opening two sets yesterday. I didn't really get a lot of, you know, long rallies left, right. I made some unforced errors here and there.
It's important thing to really stay focused, not underestimate any opponent and really try to give your maximum any match you play. I already felt today much better, and, you know, next round going to have Ferrero or Kohlschreiber, whoever won the fifth set.
Any of those two, they're really good clay court specialists and good baseline players, and we're going to have a lot of long rallies.


Q. After winning Shanghai last year as a Masters Cup, how are you looking forward to it as a Masters Series, just sort of the whole tournament?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's a different format, but again, every tournament I play I try to get as far as possible. I think I have enough quality to be a really successful all‑around player. I've been making a lot of success on different surfaces.
China left a great impression on me last year. You know, that's one of my biggest achievements in the career, winning a Masters Cup. I'll be very happy to come back there and play in front of that great crowd.

Q. I think it's going to be a lot different with, you know, 48 or whatever it is or spread around all those grounds. I mean, it's going to be a totally different tournament, you think?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It is. It's going to be different. The Masters Cup is a crown, you know, crown of every achievement, I think. It's the best eight players in the world,participating in that event.
Here you have, you know, Masters Series event. It's going to be different, but maybe for the crowd there maybe more interesting to see more players, more matches.

Q. You're in the same bottom half of Juan Martin Del Potro. First, we know that he gives you a T‑shirt of Boca Juniors.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: True.

Q. True?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.

Q. And then, on the other hand, how do you see probably match against Del Potro and his chances to win this tournament?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I hope the fans of River will not really read what you're writing about the shirt that he gave me. No excess for me in half of Argentina,no?
No, I'm really good friends with him. He's a really great guy. He's one year younger than I, but certainly stronger. If you look at him, he's really big guy and he moves extremely well for his height.
He's been playing fantastic in last one year, winning three or four events in a row. It was just great in his age last year.
He's No. 5 of the world for quite some time, and he's very consistent. Very, very solid from all the baseline, you know, strokes. He loves playing on clay, so if I get to play him in quarterfinals, will be a big challenge for both of us, I think.

Q. There's a chance that you play Ferrero in your next match. Are you surprised to see that a former No. 1keeps fighting to get back now he's out of the top 100?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, you have to give him credit for that. He was No. 1 in the world, winning a Grand Slam and, you know, playing on a highest level in tennis, and then, you know, he dropped for some time. Now he's trying to get back his confidence and his game.
He's been playing better lately. I mean, you've got to give him credit for that, because the Grand Slam champion, former No. 1,playing, you know, on court 17 and really fighting five sets to, you know, win the match.
I mean, he's a professional. Sometimes you have to, you know, deal with a center court and all these big matches, big crowd. And then, on the other hand, you have, to,you know, if you drop, that's tennis. You know, that sport. It will be fun to play him.


(via www.rolandgarros.com, photo/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic - Roland Garros 29. May Interview