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COUPE ROGERS

August 16, 2015

Andy Murray

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

A. MURRAY/N. Djokovic
6‑4, 4‑6, 6‑3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you elaborate on the news you gave about Amélie. Any more detail or what you know?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know much detail because, yeah, we just saw a picture of her and the baby this morning when we got up.
But, yeah, I haven't spoken to her or anything since then. I'd imagine she's quite tired. Probably me and my tennis are the last thing on her mind just now, which is totally understandable.
But, yeah, glad she's okay and everything went well.

Q. How relieved are you to have finally managed to beat Djokovic in a final today? How much is it going to help you in the future confidence‑wise?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I've done it before. This year I've lost some tough ones to him. Last year for me, you know, I wasn't able to compete with the top players. I was coming back from back surgery. I wasn't able to.
This year I feel like I've been able to. I've had some close matches and some tough losses: the Miami final, the Australian Open, the French Open.
So, yeah, to win this one was nice, especially the way the match was as well. It would have been easy for me to let that one slip away. But I fought well and stayed calm in the important moments of the third set.

Q. Can you pinpoint exactly where it went in your favor today?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it's tough because at different times both of us were dictating the points.
I think, you know, I did come up and play aggressively when I needed to. Especially in the third set when I was breakpoints down, I finished a couple of points up at the net, got some free points on my first serve, as well.
Yeah, I would say the margins were so fine. I think there were only six or seven points over three hours. It's not exactly loads to pick from there. But I felt like I played as aggressively as I could today. That helped.

Q. I know you had beaten Novak before, but you were in a bad streak against him. Getting close to the US Open, is that a boost of confidence that you needed as we go to the US Open?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it's helpful for sure. The thing is, I mean, streaks and stuff of losing against guys, yeah, it's frustrating. You get obviously asked about it all the time. But each time you step on the court against someone, it's a different match. The previous 27 matches we played against each other, they don't mean as much as everybody else thinks.
You see Wawrinka winning against Rafa in the final of the Australian Open. I think he'd never won against him before. Same thing against Novak on the clay. I don't believe he ever won against him on clay before. He did it. Nishikori against Rafa the other night here. You know, there's a number of players that have lost seven, eight, nine times against someone.
But the most important thing is that you still believe that you can win the match when you go on the court against them. Maybe last year it wasn't the case. But this year I certainly feel like I believed in myself when I've gone on the court against Novak.
Yeah, had some tough matches with him.

Q. Do you feel you're back playing the best tennis of your career, like you were a couple of years ago, 2013?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, if I'm playing my best tennis now, then I wouldn't have been playing my best a couple years ago. It's always difficult to say.
I mean, I said in here last couple of days I feel like if you aren't improving... I think me today would beat me a few years ago. I feel like my back and stuff is much better now, more experience. There's things I'm doing a little bit better on the court, as well.
I think if I played myself from a couple years ago, I think I would win today.

Q. With Amélie having her baby, how does that affect your preparation, your team, going into the US Open? I know you have Jonas here working with you. Does that have any effect at all? How is the arrangement going to work out in the next year or so?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know the answer to the last part of the question because we haven't obviously discussed that yet.
It doesn't change anything through until the end of this year because we've had sort of six months since we found out to plan and talk about things.
Obviously I employed Jonas. He's going to be with me pretty much every event I play between now and the end of the year. Yeah, when Amélie is ready to sit down and chat, then we'll see what it is she wants do, if she wants to continue doing the job, if she wants to stay at home. It's really up to her. She's earned the right to make that decision. I don't feel like it's for me to decide. It's really up to her and what she wants. Just have to wait and see.

Q. At 3‑1 in the third set, that game lasted almost 18 minutes. What were you saying to yourself? How were you able to stay sharp mentally? How big were your serves when push came to shove?
ANDY MURRAY: I didn't realize how long it was. I just knew there was a bunch of breakpoints and game points. You know, almost every match that me and Novak play, there's a couple of games like that because we both return well.
You can sometimes get games like that where he's kind of reading your serve. Even in that game I hit some good serves and they were coming back with interest. Yeah, I was just trying to stay aggressive, try to make it difficult for him. It was very, very hot, hard conditions.
It is difficult to maintain your concentration in games that are that long. But the significance of that game was huge. To get through it was very important. You kind of know going onto the court against him when we play each other there's going to be some games like that and you just need to kind of accept it.

Q. Was there anything different overall that allowed you to win in terms of how you compare it to times that you lost? Is it technical, emotional?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I feel like I fought for every point. I feel like I competed better from more points during the match.
I think at the Australian Open this year, I got very frustrated with myself in that match, the situation. I let the match slip away from me.
Obviously, today, in Paris, I didn't feel like that was the case. Something that I've been working on, and hopefully I can keep that up the next few months and try to finish the year strong.

Q. You're expecting a child. Have you talked to Roger about how you spend time with the child on the road? Do you see yourself traveling with your child a lot or going back home to Scotland more?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know. Wait to see. It's a bit like with Amélie: I have no idea how I'm going to feel. I don't know everything that's going to change.
I'm sure it's going to be extremely positive, but I don't know whether I change my schedule. I don't know if I spend more time at home or whatever. I haven't thought about that.
Just wait and see, play it by ear. You know, definitely the early part of the year next year will be pretty light for me. I won't play a full schedule the first few months of the year next year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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