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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSFebruary 24, 2015Andy MurrayDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES A. MURRAY/G. Muller THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You had to work pretty hard for that, didn't you? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, in the end, yeah, I think the end of both sets I didn't serve so well. But apart from that, I didn't give him any opportunities really. I feel like I got a little bit unlucky at the end of the second set. He got a couple of net cords in that last game, the 5‑4 game where I got broken, and yeah, did very well to respond straightaway and get the break right back. I thought I played a fairly high quality match. Q. What do you think you did well? ANDY MURRAY: Well, I made him work very hard I think on his service games. That was something I wanted to try to do from early on in the match. And I think in the second service game, although I lost the game, I don't know, it felt like it was eight or nine deuce points in that game‑‑ I don't know how many there was. Q. 11. ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was a long game. I had a few chances. You know, I missed one return there that maybe I could have made, but he played some good points on the break points there. Then I managed to break him in the next game, I think. Even though I lost that game, you know, it was good to sort of build a bit of pressure and make him realize that, you know, I was going to make a lot of balls on the return games and make it very hard for him. That was probably the most pleasing thing. Q. How do you find the court conditions? ANDY MURRAY: It's quick, yeah. It's a quick court. It's much faster than what we played on in Rotterdam and I would say quicker than the Australian Open, for sure, yeah, although it probably doesn't seem it because the ball flies here through the air. The ball moves pretty quickly through the air here. When there is a bit of a breeze, you know, it can be tough to control the ball sometimes or you can lose it. Like in the first game I had a slice backhand on the first game point that he had, and I thought I hit it really well and it went about three meters long. I actually said to myself, Whoa. You've got to really be careful here and concentrate on your timing and make sure you're feeling the shots well, because it's tricky. Q. Does that suit you teeing up for Indian Wells and Miami? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, I think the conditions are probably similar to Indian Wells. The court is quicker than Indian Wells. Indian Wells normally is a pretty slow court, you know, whereas here, I would say it's quicker. They use the same balls here, and, yeah, the air is ‑‑I think it's kind of similar. It's maybe a bit more humid here, but yeah, it's good, good conditions for getting ready for Indian Wells. Q. There were a group of guys in uniform sitting‑‑ I don't know if you saw them. Do you know who they are? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think they are from the Navy. I think they are just outside here. I was going to say hi to them when I'm done here. Q. Compared with this time last year, how much further advanced do you think you are? ANDY MURRAY: Mentally completely different. Much more confident in my body and in my game. There are still things I can do better, but I think, you know, even last year if I was playing well I felt like I was still doubting a lot of things. I didn't have confidence really in my body or in my game. So even when I was playing well, I didn't feel like I was. So, yeah, I feel much better at this stage of the year than I did at this stage last year. Q.  What do you make of your next match? You played him recently in Australia. ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I played Sousa a few times. You know, he's a tough opponent. He fights hard. In Australia, even though I was playing very well the first couple of sets, he still hung in. I was up two sets and a break, and he kept fighting and got himself back into the match there. I would say that's, you know, one of his biggest strengths. And, yeah, I will need to play a solid match and be on it, you know, throughout, because if you let your level drop against him, he takes advantage of it. Q. You moved above Rafa in the world rankings, up to third yesterday. Is that nice at this early stage of the season to be on the upward curve in world rankings? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, obviously the race is the thing that, you know, really matters during the year. I mean, we are only a few weeks in, but, you know, I feel like I had a strong start. The end of last year was obviously good for me. This period of the year I don't have many points to defend, because I didn't do particularly well at Indian Wells and Miami, and then, you know, also really the clay, the first few weeks of the clay court season I didn't win many matches, either. So these next few months are a good chance for me to sort of capitalize on that. If I can string some good tournaments together, hopefully I can try and move higher. Q. Looking ahead to Davis Cup, I guess there is a possibility of the Murray brothers playing the Bryan brothers. Is that a match that would intrigue you if that happened? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I think we played them a couple of times, obviously not before in Davis Cup. And, yeah, obviously fun to play against them. They are for sure one of the best doubles team to ever play and great ambassadors for the sport. Have the U.S. announced their team yet? They haven't? Q. But they came here to get on the time zone. I'm sure they are going. ANDY MURRAY: No, I'm not disputing if the Bryans are going, but yeah, I didn't know if it was Isner and whoever the second player was, but I think they need to decide today possibly. So it should be a good tie and tough one for us to win but winnable if everyone plays very well. Q. You like playing doubles with Jamie? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, obviously there are certain things about it that are great, you know, and then some things about it that are tough. I think Davis Cup for me is maybe easier than, you know, playing on regular tour events because in Davis Cup we aren't playing, you know, for ranking points and money. You're playing to win for your country. It's not like I'm playing to help my brother out. I'm playing to help, you know, to try and win matches for the team. I do feel a lot of pressure when I'm playing with my brother in tour events just because if we lose in the first round he doesn't make any money or a living that week, really. He will lose money. So I get nervous in those events. Whereas I think Davis Cup, you know, will be much easier to just go out and play, yeah, if we play together. I don't know if that will be the case or not, because Dom Inglot's played extremely well and beat the Bryans in Australia. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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