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WIMBLEDONJuly 3, 2015Nick KyrgiosLONDON, ENGLAND N. KYRGIOS/M. Raonic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You really turned it on from 4‑3 down in the second set. Was it the headband? NICK KYRGIOS: No. Q. The headband help? NICK KYRGIOS: No. Q. Was it a tip to anyone? NICK KYRGIOS: No. Q. It's almost like a symbolic turnaround from last year. This time you win. Is it a measure of how far you've come in your own mind? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, definitely. I feel as if physically, massive improvements. I wasn't struggling at all. If it was to go into a fifth, I would have still felt confident. I didn't want to lose again, I lost to him twice at Grand Slams. I thought it was a good day. I played some really, really good tennis. Q. He brings a lot of heat with his serve, 10 miles an hour more often than you. You seemed to out‑serve him. Your impression, as well? Can you talk a little bit about your serve. NICK KYRGIOS: Serve was good. Great execution. Q. You had a wild double‑fault. Is that kind of the way you are, then you get calibrated, because the serve was fantastic after that? NICK KYRGIOS: You know, on grass, it's a bit of a risk to go for a big second serve. Most of the time it does pay off. The guys don't expect you to go big. I thought we both sort of felt the pressure a little bit from the serving standpoint. He started double‑faulting a little bit also. I thought that was a result of me chipping and making a lot of returns. We served well. But I thought I just maybe made a bit more of an impression on the return games. Q. What are the things you have to do well against Richard, he'll be chasing revenge himself? NICK KYRGIOS: Serving is key. He's going to make a lot more returns. He's going to obviously play solid from the ground. He's a magician from back there. I'm going to have to play the same type of tennis. I'm not going to change anything. Q. You have a pretty good record in Grand Slams compared to the regular tour. How do you explain that? Is it a question of motivation, five‑set format or... NICK KYRGIOS: I don't know. Maybe turn it on a little bit. I feel as if this is why we play the game, I feel. This is why I play, the big, big stages. When there's a chance to do well at Grand Slams, all that. I really don't know. I think I just turn it on for Grand Slams. I don't really know what to say. Q. Can you reflect on the match with Richard from last year. How important was that for you? NICK KYRGIOS: I just know hanging in is key, obviously coming down from two sets to love last year. He's played plenty of Wimbledons. He's good on grass. He's made semifinals here, I think. He knows what he has to do out there as well. I'm going to play my game. Whatever happens happens. That's what I did last year as well. Q. Three days till the match. Routine stay the same? NICK KYRGIOS: I have mixed in about an hour. That should be a bit of fun. Can't be all serious out there. I think it's actually a good thing. I'll obviously hit every day, do everything I can to prepare. Recovery, nutrition, sleep. Q. You mentioned sort of feeling different physically out there than a year ago. Is that a result of any changes you've made in the way you prepare? If so, tell us a little bit about that. NICK KYRGIOS: I've just been doing a lot more work off the court. I've been putting in a lot of hours, not so much on the court, but in the gym, running, you know, just some things. I've cleaned up my diet a little bit, as well. I think I'm in better shape than I was last year. I'm just a lot more confident with my movement. I'm trusting it. Not always trying to hit the winner, trying to construct some points as well, which is good. Q.  Everyone got excited last night watching Dustin Brown playing. How important is it to play entertaining tennis? NICK KYRGIOS: I think it's important. I think it's good. Dustin was very entertaining yesterday. I was watching it. You know, I knew what he was feeling, because sort of like me last year as well. I thought he played some really courageous tennis as well. The crowd loved it. He's very unorthodox what he does out there and I thought it was pretty cool. Q. Can you explain what you did with the headband? They were telling you to turn it inside‑out. What is your general thought about the dress code here? NICK KYRGIOS: I like it. What kind of question is that? Q. What's the situation with the headband? NICK KYRGIOS: They told me to turn it around, so I turned it around. Q. Thanks. NICK KYRGIOS: No problem, mate. Q. About the entertainment, do you feel sometimes to lose your focus or concentration when you play with the crowd or with the ballboys? How do you keep focused after? NICK KYRGIOS: I think when I'm in that state of mind, when I feel relaxed and I'm playing around, I think that's when I play my best tennis. I'm focusing, but at the same time I'm having fun. When I find that balance, I play some really good tennis. I thought I was doing that today in the second, third and fourth. I was chanting to the crowd every now and then, playing with the ballboys. That's a good place to be out there. Q. There was a guy in a Batman T‑shirt that you were speaking to off the court. Did he help you during the match? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, he was just a fan, you know. I thought he was key in the match. He was actually saying some really good things at crucial moments. I think he helped. Q. There's not as many characters in tennis as there used to be. You're your own man, play with personality. Do you feel there's a bit of conformity in tennis? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I guess so. I like to watch entertaining tennis. As you say, Dustin Brown, Gaël Monfils, those guys have a lot of fun out there. At the same time, a guy like Federer, I love watching guys like that as well. They're unbelievable tennis players. I'm the biggest believer in saying nothing out there or being a robot. I feel you should express yourself. You know, it's a sport. Q. How important is it you're attracting a lot of young fans to the sport? NICK KYRGIOS: I think it's important. Obviously the future of tennis is important. So the more people that are interested in it and wanting to play, I think it's good. Q. You had some very good interaction with the fans. At one point you told one off for saying something that wasn't funny. Can you recall what that was? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. I thought she said something like, Pull your head in or something. She started laughing. I thought that's what she said. I didn't really find it funny. It's easy when you're just sitting there and you're just watching, when you've got no experience at all on the court. Q. He got you a lot on inside‑ins down the line. You were playing cross‑court, inside‑out forehands. Crucial points, he kept going to your forehand. Fantastic passing shots cross‑court. Do you think he went there too often? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, he does go to the forehand a little bit. I think that's his more favorite shot when he's coming forward. I think he's improved a lot from the ground. He was making really good shots today. I thought he played a really good match. Could have gone either way obviously with that third‑set breaker. I was impressed with his level. Q. How did you lift your level so dramatically after the first set? NICK KYRGIOS: Just hung in there. Focus. It's a Grand Slam. Best‑of‑five tennis. There's a lot of tennis to play out there. You lose a set, no need to panic. Q. How did you change your diet? NICK KYRGIOS: I'm obviously not eating as many carbs as I used to. I never used to hold back with the rice and stuff like that. I'm just looking out a bit more during the day and snacking and all that. Q. A fan at this year's Australian Open called out to Serena, telling her to bend her knees, which she did. She said it helped her. Could you tell us what the fan said to you that was good advice? NICK KYRGIOS: Before I was serving, he always said something like, Send down a bullet, or something like that. At that stage I'm thinking, Let's try to make it a really good first serve here. I think it's good. Q. Nick Bollettieri talked yesterday about the letter he sent to you. Can you reflect on this letter and what's inside? NICK KYRGIOS: I only briefly read it. I didn't really read it in much detail. I wasn't really thinking too much about Nick Bollettieri's letter today when I was playing. Q. You said you don't care what people think about you. Are you aware there's a lot of discussion back home in Australia about you and your image, your behavior? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. Q. Are you concerned at all about that? NICK KYRGIOS: No. Q. Do you think the further you go in the tournament, it might change people's opinion? NICK KYRGIOS: Not at all. I think if you keep winning, they'll just stay onboard, simple as that. Q. What about the ones who aren't onboard, and then if you keep winning, jump onboard, what do you think about that? NICK KYRGIOS: I don't care. Q. You have a lot of belief. Do you think you can go all the way and win the tournament? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think if I play the right style of tennis, obviously if I'm serving well, feeling good out there, I think I can go close. I have a tough task ahead. Gasquet is playing some really good tennis. Beating Dimitrov in straight sets is not an easy task on the grass. Q. Were you surprised by the Nadal result yesterday? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. I mean, I was surprised. I knew that Dustin had a chance to win with the style of tennis he plays on the grass. Very unpredictable. That's the style of tennis that can hurt Nadal on the grass. I didn't think he was capable of keeping it up for as long as he did. It was pretty impressive. Q. What were the dynamics or the physics when you hit the racquet and it went up? How did that happen? NICK KYRGIOS: I threw it, face down, it bounced over the fence. That's what happened. Q. You weren't planning to do that? NICK KYRGIOS: Obviously not. I don't want to hurt anyone. It was a good catch by the fan anyway. Caught my racquet. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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