Tommy gewinnt gegen Vliegen

Tommy Robredo vs Kristof Vliegen 6-1, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4

Tommy gewann sein Auftaktmatch in Wimbledon gegen den Belgier Kristof Vliegen in vier Sätzen. Nachdem er in den ersten beiden keine Probleme mit dem Belgier hatte und sich eine 2-0 Satzführung erspielt hatte, musste er den dritten Satz im Tiebreak abgeben. Im vierten Satz machte er dann aber alles klar und zog in die zweite Runde ein. Dort trifft Tommy nun auf Tommy Haas. Die beiden sind 2-1 im Head-to-Head, ihre letzte Begegnung liegt aber schon eine ganze Weile zurück: der World Team Cup 2005 in Düsseldorf.

Tommys Postmatch-Interview (von der offiziellen Seite):

Q. The Spaniards are doing quite well on grass. I think they've all won so far, and in the past some of them skipped playing Wimbledon. You've played pretty much, I think, every year that you've been able to. Third round is your best result. But what's changing for the Spaniards on grass?

TOMMY ROBREDO: I don't know. I think the guys in the past, if you talk to them, I was talking to the guys and saying maybe we should come a lot more, because it's the thing that maybe now that it passed, now I'm thinking that I was doing a mistake, no, but it was just a comment in the locker room.

But anyway, before it was not that much important about where you get the points because you could get it in every place. So far the Spanish players, obviously we prefer to play on clay because we have a lot more chances than to play on grass. Then after they changed the rules and they give us the obligation to go to all the Grand Slams and all the Masters Series. We have no chance if we don't want a zero, so we have to go and play.

I know obviously the grass doesn't help us, our game, a lot more than clay or hard court. But we prefer to try and play and let's see if we can get a couple of matches so it gives us some points to be at the end of the year in the rankings.

I think the mentality changed because of that thing that they give us the obligation to play.

And then also year by year we are just coming a little bit more and trying a lot more, and it gives us the chances to play a little better. It's never going to be like clay, but it can be good, as well.

Q. If you look at Costas and Bruguera and Corretja, they played Wimbledon maybe four or five times their whole career.

TOMMY ROBREDO: Yeah, but I think that's why, because before they were getting the points after Wimbledon, and before Wimbledon on clay. So for them, Wimbledon, it was not counting 100 percent. That's why maybe they skip Wimbledon, because they were after the long clay season they wanted to have a bit of rest.

Q. Do you feel you've improved on grass in all the years you've played?

TOMMY ROBREDO: I think now also the grass is slower than what it used to be. The balls are bigger and a lot heavier. Also, the grass is not I know the ball bounces a lot more.

But anyway, it's grass, and it's a lot different. But, yeah, I think that the Spanish players, we are just getting used to playing a lot more because we are coming every year. And also, a lot of players, we are trying to prepare and play in a grass tournament before, so I think that every time it's like indoors.

Before we were not playing that good in indoors or hard courts, but now because we have to play always on that surface I think we are improving. I think we are good fighters and we like to improve our game, and that's why we play on all surfaces.

Übersetzung folgt.