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ROLAND GARROSJune 3, 2015Andy MurrayPARIS, FRANCE A. MURRAY/D. Ferrer THE MODERATOR: Questions in English. Q. You had some tough matches in the past against David. What made the difference today compared to the other times? ANDY MURRAY: Well, I feel like, I mean, clay is a surface for me that I think in general experience helps on this surface. I mean, a lot of players maybe didn't grow up on it tend to have better years the more time they spend on the surface. So I feel like obviously this year I played much better tennis on the clay. I feel like I understand how I have to play on the surface better than I did, you know, in the past. Yeah, playing much better than I was a couple years ago. Q. There was about a 40‑ minute gap between your first match point and the one where you actually did it. Were you annoyed with yourself? Were you just trying to refocus? It was there for you, wasn't it, at that point? ANDY MURRAY: The match point wasn't there for me, no. I mean, he served ‑‑ Q. (Off microphone.) ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, well, it's obviously frustrating when you lose that set. But, like, when you lose a match point and you feel like you have had a chance in the point, then it's more frustrating. But on the match point, he served like this close to the line and it was like almost his best serve of the match. And then, yeah, hit a forehand close to the line and the point was over. But, yeah, I was frustrated to lose that set for sure. But I got off to a good start in the fourth set, so my frustration didn't last long. Q. Now you've beaten a player you've never beaten on clay before. Does that cement in your mind you are better on clay this year? There is actually empirical proof that you are getting better on clay. ANDY MURRAY: Well, for me, the couple of weeks‑‑ well, especially Madrid. I mean, Munich, maybe, you know, not so much. I didn't beat any big names in Munich. I said it was important for me to win that event. Obviously Madrid, the quality of the players I won against there, for me, you know, winning against Rafa in a final on clay regardless of how well he's playing is an extremely difficult thing to do. So that helped. Then, yeah, winning against David here, a player that I have lost against on that same court a few years ago, was a completely different match this time around. Q. How easy was it to ignore what was going on with Rafa and Novak and just briefly look ahead to facing Novak? ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it wasn't too tough. I mean, the crowd didn't make too much noise. Maybe at the end of the match when the final score came up, so it wasn't distracting. Yeah, obviously I didn't see loads of the match. I saw a couple of games at the beginning. Yeah, that was always a potential outcome with the way Novak has been playing. So, you know, it's going to be extremely tough match on Friday. Q. Did you find yourself looking up at the scoreboard more often than you normally would to check what was going on in the other match? ANDY MURRAY: No. I mean, it was just more you're more aware of what's happening, because like at the end of the set when Novak won the set the crowd obviously will make a noise. That happens at a lot of the events. The Australian Open, when you play the center court they put up the results of the other courts. When the Aussies are playing, they make a lot of noise. That happens quite often at the major events. Q. Kind of felt like it might have been a crossroads match for Novak and Rafa; time will tell. Can you reflect on what that means for those two guys going forward? ANDY MURRAY: Look, for Rafa, I mean, the clay court season compared with what he's used to, you know, was obviously disappointing, but it's actually still been ‑‑ in comparison to any other player it's still, you know, a pretty good season. He made finals in Madrid, quarters here, and lost to the No. 1 player in the world. Semis in Monte‑Carlo. You know, he's still playing well. Just not as well as before. He's coming back from a pretty rough sort of 6‑, seven‑month period playing very few matches and struggling with injuries and illnesses. Obviously had a surgery, as well. And I think it takes time. I mean, last year I was in that position and a lot of people‑‑ you know, I was getting asked a lot of questions. Even at the end of last year after I lost to Roger in the Tour Finals, that was end. It was over. There was no chance to come back from that. I think Rafa will come back. It will take time. He will need to big wins to build his confidence back up. For Novak, so far for him it's been great. And in terms of a crossroads for those guys, I don't really know. I hope I can win against him on Friday. Him beating Rafa doesn't have too much bearing on the outcome. But, yeah, it was an important match for sure. Q. It wasn't the five‑set marathon you were kind of maybe hoping for. Not going to be any kind of physical after‑effects. But do you think psychologically maybe it might be difficult for Novak to sort of go again now after coming through such a big test? Is that something you could capitalize on maybe? ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, both of us are going into the match feeling confident. He's obviously played on Chatrier last couple of rounds, which is helpful. I think he goes into the match feeling good. I don't think there are any negatives that you can have from winning against someone that has won this event nine times and beating them in straight sets. I'm not buying that that can be negative in any way. Q. What will be the keys, in your opinion, compared to other times you have played Novak in this season? ANDY MURRAY: The keys are always pretty much the same. We have only played once or twice on the clay. Last time we played I think was in Rome, and I served for the match there and, you know, played some good tennis. But, yeah, it's going to be a tough match. I'm going to have to come up with a good game plan, and, you know, try to stick to it throughout, which is something that I feel like I have done pretty well the last couple of months. Yeah, that's the most important thing from my side. Q. I can't remember you, or pretty much anybody else, ever being called for hindrance before. Has that ever happened to you? Did it have any bearing on the sort of next 10, 15 minutes of the match? ANDY MURRAY: I mean, maybe the next couple of points possibly, but, you know, I did hold serve the next game and then had match point in his next service game. It didn't have any bearing on the next sort of few games, but the couple of points afterwards, yeah, you know, it's something that you think about a little bit. I don't think David quite knew what had happened, so I don't know if what I did was wrong, but, you know, a hindrance is if you're hindering the opponent, but he didn't seem to know what happened. So, you know, he kind of looked around like, Why did I win that point? So, yeah, the next few points I was thinking about it a little bit because it's something that's never happened to me ever on the tour before. Q. We are supposed to get some heat finally on Friday, quite serious heat, over 30 degrees. That going to affect anything? Is that something you can obviously take in your stride with your preparation in Miami and everything? ANDY MURRAY: I think if it does get up to that temperature, I mean, it will obviously makes it tougher physically and it will change the way that the court plays. You know, obviously makes it quicker. So, yeah, it will have some bearing on how the match gets played, for sure. That's a very, very significant difference to, you know, the beginning of the tournament. We were playing in 14, 15 degrees. So, you know, if it's almost 20 degrees warmer, that changes things, for sure. Q. Given Novak's form at the moment, is there anything you can do in the next 48 hours that can really make you go on to court, thinking, Yes, this time I can beat him, and put yourself in the best possible mental frame? ANDY MURRAY: I think I have done that the last four or five weeks, really. I mean, it's not about the next 48 hours, really. I feel like to put yourself in position to win against the best players in the world, it's not just about one day before the match. It's about what you do in the whole of the buildup to it. And going into the match having not lost on clay this year and having some big wins on the surface is important for me. I will just keep doing what I have been doing: have a good practice tomorrow, recover, and like I say, come up with a good game plan. Q. Do you visualize yourself beating him so you have these images in your mind, or is it not as simple as that? ANDY MURRAY: I do some things before the match. I don't do visualization. I know some players do. I don't, but there is other stuff I do. Make sure I take sort of control of my own side of the net and, you know, be mentally strong out there on the court. I'll need to be and accept that there is going to be‑‑ if I want to win the match, it's not going to be plain sailing. That's very unlikely that well you'll be comfortable physically. It will be difficult, and you need to prepare yourself mentally before you go out on to the court. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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