P. KOHLSCHREIBER/N. Djokovic
6‑4, 6‑4, 6‑4


Q. Obviously it's an awful disappointment for you. What happened? What are your thoughts now?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I'm obviously disappointed a lot with the way I was performing today. More or less that I, you know, lost the match. What is disappointing was that I couldn't find the rhythm throughout the whole match.
This is what I was always managing to do. You know, that's why I'm in the top of the men's game for a while now. But, you know, I was trying not to be frustrated with a lot of unforced errors. Tried to be positive and just wait for the chances.
He didn't give me a lot of chances. But yet again, I didn't work for those chances. This is the problem. I played too passive, and he played really solid from all the strokes. So congratulations to him, of course.
He's been ‑‑ he was playing a good match. But again, next year.

Q. I think you played him once before at Indian Wells, and you defeated him. Was that the same player you were playing today? I mean, he was mixing well his shots, and he had the upper hand in the rallies. Do you think he played the match of his life?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, that's a question for him. He's going to answer if he played the match of his life. Certainly, he played really well. You have to give him credit for playing tactically really smart and really good. Unfortunately, I had no solutions.


Q. Is your sense of frustration perhaps compounded by the fact that you had such a good clay court season? You've played some superb matches in Europe. Does that kind of mount the frustration you're feeling at the moment? Coming inhere you were thinking you had the best chance of winning it.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, but again, the good clay court season,very successful clay court season this year, only can give me a lot of confidence to try to continue the same run. That's what I felt. First two matches were going quite well, and then I felt good before this match. Suddenly on the court it was a different story.
I can't really explain why. Physically I felt good, but it's just ‑‑ it's just a bad day at the office, how they say it.
What can you do? This is sport.

Q. Perhaps too much pressure, that can explain?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I mean, pressure is there. The pressure is always there. If you're, you know, for a while, third or fourth player in the world, top of the men's tennis for a couple of years, of course you always have expectation and pressure. This is a part of your life.
But I was always dealing with the pressure in some way, quite, you know, quite good, and, you know, quite consistent and having really good results in all the Grand Slams I've played, except Wimbledon last year.
You know, as I was saying before the event started, the opening rounds are very dangerous because the players are a bit lower ranked and they have nothing to lose. Philipp is a clay court specialist, and he went out in a five‑set match and played incredibly well today.

Q. You had a good play three days in a row. Do you think it affected your play today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no.

Q. Was his serve extremely difficult to control?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it was my movement on the return that was difficult to control, to be honest. I wasn't moving toward and just trying, move left, right, back, forth,you know, trying to find the comfort zone. Didn't really work out. My legs were really stuck.
So if you have no explosivity [sic] and your legs are not dynamic enough on this surface, you have not a lot of chances if the guy plays such a high level as he played today.

Q. You talked about Wimbledon last year. You were in the final in Queen's,and then you lost second round, I guess. This year here you're maybe one of the two top favorites, and then again it's a bad day. How can you compare both disappointments and matches?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's a different surface, you know. Different Grand Slams. But suddenly I haven't played in the last three Grand Slams the way I wanted, and I don't know...
I will try to change some things for Wimbledon this year. Last year was really the worst match I've played on that surface. I mean, I lost to Marat who later reached semifinals. Of course, he was playing really well in Wimbledon last year.
I think I have a quite good game, but,again, I cannot allow myself to have such a bad performance as I had today. I cannot allow myself to be that defensive. This is not me. This is not my game.

Q. In the third set, you were leading 3‑2. You seemed to come back. At the end of the fifth game you were looking at the sky with your arms wide open. Were you kind of praying for a miracle for your shots and game to come back?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I couldn't believe I made a forehand winner after three sets. (laughter.) That's why.

Q. You said you had difficulty moving well. Your feet were stuck. Do you have an explanation for that? Is it more a physical reason for that, or is it more like you were tight or...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I didn't find the rhythm. That's all. It was not physically anything. I think it was more mentally just to find that zone, but I couldn't.

Q. Nothing that was hurting?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No.

Q. Today on the court you looked not to have the energy to fight on every point. Are you mentally exhausted after the season, middle of the season?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I've played a lot, so mentally I'm a little bit exhausted, yes. But still, that's not an explanation for my loss today. That's not excuse, for sure.
I mean, it's a Grand Slam. Look, you know, I'm one of the favorites to get far in the tournament. This cannot happen. Of course,it's all my fault, and I accept the responsibility.

Q. Is there any chance at all that having a new fitness trainer and doing some new things off the court, are you over trained? Is there any possibility that just that change has made a difference?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think so. I really don't think so. I'm going to analyze all the things I've done, but I don't know.
I mean, to be honest, I think it was just me and my head today. I don't want to blame anybody else.

Q. The strength and depth of the men's game now is probably as good as it's been ever. How hard is it to sustain your level all the time against the quality of players that you're facing week in and week out?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it is, you know. And it's really hard as well to keep up with the guys, top five guys who are reaching at least quarters or semis of each event they play.
It's a really strong competition, but that's the way it is. It's a big challenge for all of us, obviously. I've been playing for three, four years on this level.
I mean, okay, I took this loss quite badly and I'm disappointed. But, again, I have to try to focus for continuation of the season, and I hope for some good results on the grass courts.


(via www.rolandgarros.com, photo/Reuters Pictures)

Novak Djokovic - Roland Garros 30. May Interview