N. DAVYDENKO/F. Verdasco, 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7⁵, 6-3

An interview with: FERNANDO VERDASCO

Q. Two sets to love down. How hard is it to come back from that situation?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: So hard. It’s very difficult to come back always when the match is like this.

But you don’t need to think about that. If you think that, you have even more difficult situation. You must just try to keep playing and don’t think about that you are like this, no, that you were two sets to love.

You need to keep trying and trying all the time and don’t think too much about the other things.

Q. Did you think you had the game of the match when you were two sets all?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: You know, at the beginning of the fifth set, he looks like more tired than all the match before, all the sets before. But, you know, he really stayed there all the time. He serve good in one game with 30‑All. I made unbelievable return forehand so hard, and he touch the ball back and put the ball just to the line.

You know, it was ‑‑ I know that ‑‑ I think that the beginning of the fifth set I could have my chance, no, to maybe break him and take the advantage in the fifth set. Maybe he start to make more mistakes. You never know, no? But he really stay there in the fifth set, even though he was looking more tired than usual and making more mistakes.

Both of us was tired, no? It was hot out there, and it was a long match. So we both run a lot, so it was hard for both, no, to stay physically the same in the fifth set.

Q. Are you playing as well as this time last year when you had the five setter with Nadal?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, I think I played much better today. It was different, no? It was semifinals, and today was fourth round. Today was the first day with a really tough player, no? Last year I was already with Murray and Tsonga playing before Nadal.

With Nadal I played much better than with Murray in fourth round. So I think that in this tournaments you are getting better and better every match.

Today I start playing much worse than I played, for example, in the third or in the fourth. But in the fifth, my legs was not going the same, also his.

I was not able to play the same like maybe in the third or fourth set.

Q. Do you think he’s looming as a potential champion? Is he playing good enough tennis?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: I think it’s a tough question, because I think that in five sets players like Rafa or Federer, they have more chances, no? I think that he need to beat Federer, for example, that normally if Federer wins Hewitt tonight it’s gonna be quarterfinals. I think he must play unbelievable to beat Federer in five sets.

I think that Federer and Nadal in five sets are better than the rest. That’s why they always normally win all the Grand Slams. Davydenko, Murray and the guys just behind them, I think they’re not that level. Maybe they can beat them, but it’s tough, no? They had more experience, no, in tough matches. Nadal, for example, in finals in Wimbledon, Roland Garros, many times. It’s tough.

And Davydenko is, for example, like I was saying in the fifth set and fourth set he was looking more tired and making more mistakes. But today when I was like deuce in the beginning of the fifth set, he serve very good. Or when I was with any chance, no, he came back and he was out of the tough situation really good.

I think with players like Federer or Nadal, he will ‑‑ I don’t know. If I need to bet, I will bet more for Federer in five sets, or for Rafa to win the tournament.

But you never know. Davydenko is also playing very good.

Q. What do you need to do to get to that level of Rafa and Roger?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: Think it’s experience, no? Today was a tough match. I came back from two sets to love and I was playing much better. But, you know, I was not able to make the break at the beginning of the fifth set, take advance, and maybe break his game a little bit more, no?

So if I was able to make the break at the beginning of the fifth set, maybe he’s supposed to go for something more and he start to even make more mistakes than he was doing at the time. But I couldn’t do it, and he stays very good on the fifth set.
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Fernando had a tough fourth round loss to Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6⁵, 3-6. After fighting back from a two set deficit to level the match, Fernando was broken halfway through the final set and just couldn’t manage to pull himself back into the match.

I am not really certain what words to use to describe that match (clusterfuck comes to mind) other than the fact that it was more about outlasting and making the least amount of errors possible. Fernando served a ridiculous 20 double faults and made 81 unforced errors before the match finally ended.

You can check out the match stats as well as a detailed match report over at TennisTalk. I wanted to have my own, but the match went on so late and if I want any hope of getting to class on time tomorrow morning, I’ll go to bed now :) Hopefully the AO website will post up a copy of Fernando’s presser, which I’ll post tomorrow, as well as additions to the gallery once they show up at the photo agencies. Fernando’s got a couple weeks off to rest and get his head on straight. He’ll be heading to San Jose, California to take part in the SAP Open (as well as an exhibition against Pete Sampras before the tournament!)

So Fer’s run at the 2010 Australian Open has come to an end, but the year is just getting started and there’s plenty more tennis to play. Vamos and best of luck, Fernando :)