HE SAID/SHE SAID: Oz Open Day Eight

Q. You mentioned tonight you played some amazing shots. How often are you genuinely surprised by some of the shots you come up with?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, quite often. Even though I know I can play really good shots and come up with great backhands, forehands, serves and volleys, and stuff, when you can really produce them in the most important stages of a match it's so rewarding and such a good feeling that all the hard work you put in in the off‑season is so like ‑‑ it's just a beautiful feeling, you know.

Then if you can start to hit a dropshot or dig in the corner and get the ball back that you think you would never get, but it's a match situation and the adrenaline is there and you just got that extra speed and you get the ball back and end up winning the point, it does still obviously surprise me even today.

Q. Lleyton was saying you're still pretty much the best in the game. What makes you so good, do you think?

ROGER FEDERER: You guys are the experts.

Q. We try to answer it all the time.

ROGER FEDERER: Right. I know. I don't know, I mean, like I said, I think the love for the game is very important, that I go through the daily grind and practice and matches with a very positive attitude, and how much I like to play it.

I think the variety of my shots. Like I said before, I can always change it up and surprise myself again. That makes it a lot of fun for me. Very challenging as well.

I can always adjust to any type of player. Maybe those are the reasons. I don't know. I think with the experience and the mental toughness and the physical capabilities I have, I think it's a very good combination obviously.


Q. Yours and Sam's match here was supposed to be showing live. We only got to see a couple minutes of it, and they went to the news and some sort of soapies. How does that make you feel?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we just got to get the guys to finish earlier, before five sets. I'll talk to Fernando about that. Like, Dude you got to finish earlier. You can't hold all the TV time. They got Nikolay, Mr. Personality now. He just wanted to be on TV, and they took all our time. Have to have a talk with those guys next time.

Q. When Hollywood ends up making a movie about the Williams sisters, who would you like to see play, and you how would you like to see it end?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't want to see it end, that's for sure. But I've never thought about who would play me. I don't know. Maybe some up‑and‑comer‑no‑namer that's just able to do the job.


Q. For years you've said you don't want to be a star and you don't mind playing on the back courts. But you seem to have quite a profile here. Has this been fun? What's it been like?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't say ‑‑ I like to play show court. I don't want to play Court 20 or 22. It's too windy there. For sure I would like to play in show courts. Maybe not center court, but another courts.

Q. Has this been a fun week for you being in the public eye a little bit more than usual?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You mean now, in this moment?

Q. Jim Courier is interviewing you on the court. That didn't happen in years past. This room is full.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah. That's was surprising. Why you guys here? (Laughter.) Just I don't know what has change. Why you come now and you asking me some private questions? I don't know. It's you. You need to ask yourself why you come here.


Q. Why were you the better player today?

NA LI: Why?

Q. Why were you better than Caroline?

NA LI: Maybe I eat Chinese food. (Laughter.) No, I was play aggressive today. I know she's good player, and I also I play her in ‑‑ last week in Sydney. So it was tough match.

I know if I give her a chance, maybe she just beat me. So I was trying to hold on every point. I didn't want to give her chance.


Q. Djokovic is next.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, Djokovic is next, and I have to recover and I will be ‑‑ I think I will be ready for that.

Q. What is your game plan against him?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Against him, stay aggressive, very aggressive, and give everything. (Smiling.)

Q. What do you feel you've learned since the 2008 final against Djokovic?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: What I learned, I don't know. But I beat him four times, I think, since this moment. So I learned to beat. (Laughter.)

Q. You don't have any fears going into this match?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no, I don't have. It's a tennis match, and like I say every time, I will do my best and we will see.

[Photo(s): AP, Getty]