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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSFebruary 26, 2015Borna CoricDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES B. CORIC/A. Murray THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Well done. Biggest win of your life? BORNA CORIC: One of the biggest, for sure, yeah. I would say Nadal, Gulbis, and him. This is top three, for sure. Q. But Rafa wasn't well when you beat him. Andy had just played a great match against Sousa. BORNA CORIC: Yeah. Maybe I need to see with my coach, as well, but he's one of the ‑‑ him and Rafa, yeah. That's my two biggest wins. Q. Did you have a specific game plan going in today? BORNA CORIC: I mean, no, not particularly, because you can't‑‑ you know, he doesn't have any weak spots that you can actually say I need to play on his backhand or on his forehand, no. I was just trying to maintain the level, you know, stay in the rally as long as I can, which I was doing really good, you know. I was also running very good. So, yeah, that was some of the game plan. Q. That 41‑shot rally very early. BORNA CORIC: Yeah. I started to think of Dumalyev (phonetic), when I was playing him and I got cramp on 2‑All in the first set, you know. But this is hard court and, you know, I'm just a little bit fitter. I'm a little bit older, as well. So it does make some small difference, for sure. Q. Was it hard to keep your focus? He started to make a lot of errors and everything. Did you have a hard time... BORNA CORIC: Maybe I had one ‑‑I lost my focus I think somewhere in the second set on 2‑1, and I was a little bit struggling there, because I got some small pain in my back, you know. I started to think about that, you know. Actually, I started to realize that I can win this match, so I started a little bit overthink, you know. But after two games I think I got back at my focus. Q. There were problems yesterday in the match against Baghdatis. What was it? BORNA CORIC: Nothing special. My muscles in my back, I think that's quite normal. I was playing quite a lot of matches on last two weeks, on hard court, as well. So I don't see it as a big problem, you know. If this is my biggest injury, I'm going to be happy. Q. It's some change‑around, isn't it? You lose in the last round of quallies and get to the semifinals. BORNA CORIC: Yeah. I mean, you know, this is the life. Sometimes you have some opportunities in the past years which I didn't take, you know. Now I think I know I got a little bit lucky with coming in the main draw. And also yesterday I think I was actually very lucky because I was 4‑1 down, double break, and also 5‑3. But that's the tennis and that's life and another day. Q. Does it feel more like you belong at this level now? Are you getting used to it? BORNA CORIC: Yeah, kind of. I'm still a little bit struggling with the best players when they are playing really good obviously, and Andy didn't play his best tennis today, but it's not easy to play against him. I always need to be on the 100%, and when I'm on the 100%, also mentally also tennis‑wise, then I think I can play with them in let's say good match, competitive match, no? But if I'm 95% I think I can't play. It's actually quite tough, because all the time I need to be 100%. Q. What's your relationship with Nole? He was speaking yesterday a bit about... BORNA CORIC: Yeah, we are very good friends, because we speak almost the same language. It's not the same, but we don't need to speak English. We spoke couple of times. I was practicing with him couple of times, you know. All I can say, he's very nice guy, you know. He did help me a lot in Australia, as well, because we were practicing a couple of times, you know. It means a lot to the young player when someone who is No. 1 in the world and won, I don't know how many Grand Slams, invites you to the practice and to play with him so I can see some things what I need to improve overall. So also he can say those kind of stuff. Q. You hit quite a lot with him in Dubai during the... BORNA CORIC: Not quite a lot. I hit with him once, once. Q. On that court? BORNA CORIC: No, no, we were practicing somewhere else. I can't remember where. Q. How do you feel you came here like lucky loser? What's the feeling now? BORNA CORIC: Yeah, you know, like I said, I think I was really lucky with Kohlschreiber pulling out. That's the life. Sometimes you're going to get lucky. Maybe next tournament I will have match point and I'm not going to take it. That's tennis. One week you gonna play good, you gonna be lucky, and it's those kind of days for you to take opportunities. Q. You've got the same agent as Stan. BORNA CORIC: Yeah. Q. I see you've also got a quotation on your arm? BORNA CORIC: Yeah, I do. Q. Is that because Stan did it? BORNA CORIC: No, no, no, no, not even close. I mean, you know, I like Stan, but I have my own... Q. What's it say? BORNA CORIC: "There is nothing worse in life than being ordinary." Yeah, I did it for the offseason when I had some time off, you know. I just really like it, you know. I like the tattoos, so I said, Why not? I'm 18 now so I can do whatever I want. (Laughter.) Q. What did your mom say? BORNA CORIC: That I'm stupid (laughter). Q. There is a lot of expectations on you. Nole has been speaking a lot about it, Ivanisevic and Cilic. Do you feel there is a lot of expectations on you? BORNA CORIC: Well, it is, yeah. That's always a little bit. I was actually listening to Nole yesterday after his match, and I think he did say one very good sentence, and that is when you have pressure and where you have expectation, that isn't bad, because obviously you're doing something well, like he said. So I'm happy that I have that kind of pressure and all the people expecting from me. And obviously it is pressure, you know, but there is going to be for the next 10 or 15 years, so I need to deal with it, you know, and just take it as advantage. Q. If you do play Federer now, what will be your thoughts going into that match? BORNA CORIC: Yeah, I have nothing lose, just literally nothing to lose. I felt so special after I lost in the second round of quallies. So, you know, just go on the court, enjoy, learn, you know, see how he's playing. Mostly, you know, I'm going to try to beat him. I'm not going to go in the match like I'm going to lose, because otherwise I'm going to stay in my room or go home. But my main focus is going to be that I play as best as I can and I enjoy on the court. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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