Janko Tipsarevic Monday Press Conference

An interview with:

JANKO TIPSAREVIC

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  How are you feeling?  Can you give us an update on your medical situation?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  I am feeling better.  Thanks for asking, if you compare to how bad I was feeling after the match in Paris.
At that point I was really scared in terms of thinking, Am I even going to come to London?
I was feeling disappointed because I was fighting so much to be here, maybe ending up not even coming.
But my medical situation has been improving day after day after day.  I wasn't playing a lot of tennis, I'll tell you that.  But body‑wise, apart from the nose dripping, I'm feeling okay.

Q.  What's the diagnosis?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  I did a blood test and everything seemed fine.  I guess it's just some kind of virus which I caught because of the fatigue.
London was a big goal of mine.  Maybe I even ended up playing too many tournaments, going from week to week to week playing so many matches.
I think this year, counting the Davis Cup, which I played twice for my country, I think I am in the top two or three in terms of guys, how many matches we played.  So I might change something next year.
But I'm not thinking about that right now.  I'm just so happy to be here because I have achieved a big goal of mine at the beginning of 2012.

Q.  Bearing in mind your illness, how do you feel about playing the six‑time champion in your first match tomorrow?  Feeling optimistic?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  It's not a good draw, I'll tell you that (smiling).
But then again, I'm either going to play Roger or Novak, so it doesn't get any easier.
Everybody knows Roger is a big champion.  He won the tournament six times, as you said.  I'm actually feeling a little bit relief that at least most of the pressure is going to be on him.
I don't believe in these stories that I have nothing to lose.  I have a match to lose and I intend to fight and do my best to win tomorrow however I can.

Q.  You were an alternate last year.  How does it feel to have qualified?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  It feels different.  I ended up playing two matches last year, and I played well.  I think it helped, the fact that I played two matches on center court, in terms of playing this year again.
I'm not a rookie anymore.  I'm not a first timer.  But on the other hand, I need to remember that I played really, really good tennis this year just to be in a chance to qualify here for London.  I think I should try and drain some positive emotions from that feeling, not from the feeling that I had to retire my last match.

Q.  So it's fair to say you don't feel a hundred percent?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  If you're asking if I don't feel now a hundred percent?

Q.  Yes.
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  No, I don't feel a hundred percent.

Q.  What are your expectations coming into this event, where there are no easy matches, but you can lose a match and come back?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  I'm definitely not thinking about retiring ‑ at least not yet.  It's a long week.  The beauty of this tournament is that nothing finishes with the first loss or first victory.  My goal is to pass the group and go one step more than I did last year.
I played all of these guys before.  I've beaten at least five of them more times, so I know I can do it.
I am playing good tennis right now.  The fact that I retired my last match will not have anything to do.

Q.  A couple of the players in the pretournament press were asked about this event possibly being extended in London.  They said they would like to see it here.  Yesterday Djokovic said that he had a more global view, would like to see it move.
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  He would like to see it moved?

Q.  Yes.
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  Why?

Q.  Because he wants to promote the sport in different parts of the world, so he said he had more of a global view about moving it around.  Just wondering what your opinion is.
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  By not being politically correct or incorrect, I can just tell you that I think the guys who are organizing the tournament are doing an amazing job.  This is the best event that I am participating in this year.  I don't know what is going to happen next year or the year after that, what are the plans of the ATP, what kind of contracts they have with this tournament.
But I can tell you that we have everything we need here and the organization is the most highest level.

Q.  Some of the players were asked about the amount of drug testing in tennis.  At the US Open you said you felt like it was enough, adequate.  Some of the others, Murray, Federer, said they think there should be more.  I'm wondering if that is still your opinion in light of what we've been seeing in some other sports.
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  I would stay with my opinion.  I think they shouldn't test us less, but they shouldn't test us more.
I have a feeling they're testing us enough because, as you know, we need to inform WADA where we are every single day of the year.  On top of that, they have the right to test us whenever they want during the event, and we have to do it.  And on top of that, they have the right to test us after our matches, regardless if we win or lose.
I guess that's enough.  I'm not saying it's too much.  I'm not saying it's too less.  Just the right amount.

Q.  You also retired in Valencia.  What was the reason there?  Also, how did you spend the time between Paris and here?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  If you look at my schedule after US Open, I went home only for a few days.  I was more working, doing some charity work, promoting the charity organization that I'm supporting back home than resting.
Immediately after that, I went to Bangkok, and then I went to Tokyo, and then Shanghai, and then straight from Shanghai to Vienna.  It's just too many tournaments.  Maybe the scheduling was not great.  But I'm not going to blame it on scheduling.
My shoulder was not feeling good.  Two years ago I was very close to a shoulder operation, and the same problem keeps coming back, even though for the last two weeks it was fine.
I'm guessing I'm going to make a change next year in terms of scheduling.  Just too many tournaments and too many matches.
On the other hand, I was winning a lot.  I'm one of the guys this year that has over 20 wins on clay and on hard court.  So I played a lot, but I also won a lot.
My goal for next year would be that I reduce the number of tournaments, but try and go deeper on Grand Slams, because if you manage to go deeper in Grand Slams, you can organize your schedule better.
I came straight here.  I was home this year I'm guessing not more than two weeks.  Not easy.

Q.  As you said, you have retired twice in a row.  Also the tournaments in Paris, Valencia, Basel suffered.  Do you think it was a wrong decision to put the World Tour Finals directly after Paris and shorten the season?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  No, I don't think it was a wrong decision.  I think it was a necessary decision.  At that point when I played in Valencia and in Paris, the one thing on my mind, and I was really willing to do whatever it takes, is to try to be ready.  First of all, qualify and be ready for London.
I knew in Valencia, I felt my shoulder horrible in Vienna.  But I continued playing and I ended up losing to Zemlja 6‑1 in the third set for no reason.  I maybe should have retired or not even stepped on court then, but I was in a position to qualify.  I wasn't chasing anyone; I was being chased by guys behind me.
I needed to win enough number of points to secure me spot at this year's World Tour Finals.  You have no idea how much I wanted to be here at one of the top eight.
So at that time I think it was the right decision to do.  Now I'm honestly not thinking about it.  I'm here.  I'm one of the top eight.  I'm trying to be ready for my match against Roger tomorrow.  I hope health will not be an issue.

Q.  Even though you've played a lot of matches and your shoulder is not great, it is a shorter season.  We see some players using that to play some exhibitions in the off‑season.  I'm wondering if you have any scheduled and plan to play any?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  I think I do.  But I'm guessing one.  It's not sure yet.  I'm playing one exhibition at the end of the year, then after that I don't think so.  I'm just going to try and focus on my pre‑season for next year because I realize that if you play too many exhibitions, even though I'm in a position to do that as top 10, on the long‑term it's not going to benefit you, especially a guy like me.  I'm not old, but I'm not young.  I'm 28.
My goal, even though you see me now quite tired, it's the last tournament of the year, probably most of the guys can't wait to go to holidays, I cannot wait to start pre‑season for next year because I realize that the only way for me to attack the top five, I need to improve.
I realize that currently I'm not good enough.  I'm good enough to beat them on some events, but I don't think I'm good enough currently to challenge them ranking‑wise, to challenge Novak, to challenge Roger, to retake the world No. 1, 2 or 3.  This is the reason why I cannot wait to start pre‑season.

Q.  You don't know where your exhibition is?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  It's scheduled to be in Singapore.

Q.  Late December?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  Late November.

Q.  Against?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC:  I don't know.  The exhibition is called The Clash of Continents.  I'm one of the guys representing Europe.  I'm not sure who the other guys will be.  I heard Mardy Fish, but with his health, I don't know what's going to happen.  I don't want to say something, you write something and it's not true, and damage the exhibition.
I know it's end of November and I'm one of the guys representing Europe probably. 

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