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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 22, 2015

Alexandr Dolgopolov

CINCINNATI, OHIO

N. DJOKOVIC/A. Dolgopolov
4‑6, 7‑6, 6‑2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You had the win on your racquet there in the tiebreak. Talk about what happened when you were up 5‑4 and that unforced error changed tone of the match.
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, I think I just made a bad decision there. It was a tough point at 4‑All, I believe. Then I just played the shot I didn't need to play. I did a good kick serve.
I mean, I like that combination, but it wasn't really moment to play that in this match. It was too risky maybe. Could have also hit the first serve. Ifs, a lot of ifs. You make a decision and you have to roll on it.
Then I lost two good points. Maybe I was a bit passive and then it turned around.

Q. At the 3‑4 game in the second set he broke you at love and you came right around and broke him at love when he was serving for the set. Were you extra focused or extra determined to get that back, or did he let up?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Not really. I think I was just playing my game and concentrating on what I'm doing.
I mean, for sure I don't think I played my best match here. Maybe yesterday I played better. My serve was bad today.
So I was just concentrating on what I'm doing. I think I did it quite well. I was believing that I can play with him on the baseline. I had a lot of chances on his serve.
It just went that way that he broke me easy and I broke him easy. I think that's how it went.

Q. You obviously had a close match against him in Miami. What makes him so tough to close out, even when you have a lead and you're up? Why him in particular?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: I think he just makes you play and plays more careful on the big points. You have to beat him and go for the risk.
I think I did much better today. I got really tight in Miami, and today I don't think I did a lot of bad mistakes.
I really believed I can win and my game is enough to beat him. It was just the situation. You know, those few points decided everything.
Miami I really got tight. I was maybe thought I'm not playing too good or something.
Today I thought I belonged there with my game. Even though I wasn't 100% happy with my game today, I think I believed I could win.

Q. So maybe you are going to New York with a lot of confidence or something.
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, for sure it gives you confidence to play a semifinal from quallies at a Masters event. And playing a match like this for sure is going to be nice.
On the other hand, I have Winston‑Salem and I'm not seeded in New York. You never know what's going to happen, which draw you get, are you going to stay health. There arte a lot of things that may affect, but for sure I'm in a good position before New York, I think.

Q. You had some big wins and came through qualifying getting to the semis, very close to the final, and also beating the No. 1 player in the world. You said you felt like you belonged. Going forward, do you look at things differently for the rest of the season with the fact that you're right there with the best player? Playing anybody else, will that now seem easier for you?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, I think so. I had a little turning point yesterday on the match. I was 3‑2 up and I broke him, and I was starting to think about the occasion and I was getting a bit tight.
Then I just started to tell myself that I belong there, that I'm winning because my game is good. The matches before, I gave away a lot of them because I thought it's like a good day, you know, and maybe I wasn't prepared 100% to step on this level.
Now I think the last two matches showed that I can do it. I don't need a very good day to compete with these guys. Hopefully I can build on that and get more consistent than I was these few years.

Q. Overall. What do you think of your week? Are you happy?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, for sure I'm happy. I'm not happy I didn't get in the final obviously. I had chances today. Overall, I'm happy for sure. I had good matches; bad matches; I had nervous matches.
I pass through most of them. Not today, but overall I think I showed some good stuff.

Q. Novak showed some distress in the abdominal area. Were you aware and did it affect you at all?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: No. I didn't think that he had some physical troubles the way he was running around the court. I was ready that he will play full power, as he did before the medical timeout.
So, I mean, even that game, it was some unbelievable rallies after he got the medical timeout. So if it affected him and he played like that, then he's very good.
But didn't really distract me. I was ready for the fight.

Q. The design on your shirt looks like the Ukrainian flag. Is that intentional?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, that's the Dog Collection, actually, so made a little bit with the colors of Ukraine. It's quite nice from home to do that, and I'm happy with it.

Q. Have you felt more motivation to sort of represent Ukraine in the last year and a half with everything going on back there?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, for sure. For sure that affects you. It's not great to have problems in the country.
For sure you want to do your best to keep people happy and a little bit away from the politics and the war and everything else.

Q. You seem to hit your forehand very well this whole week. Worked very well for you yesterday and today too. There was one miss the first game of the second set on the break point. Outside of that, you hit your forehand very well. We usually think of you as an all‑around player, but do you think your forehand has become more of a weapon? Did you develop some extra confidence on your forehand throughout this week?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, for sure. I think the last two matches I was quite good on the forehand. I cannot say that something really changed in the shot. I think it's more confidence‑wise and getting the wins and the matches, and I'm just starting to play with bigger angles and more confident on the shot.
That's it. I don't think something globally changed in the shot.

Q. What's it like to play a tournament the week before a major? Obviously played here; you said you have Winston‑Salem. It's a 32vdraw, so a lot of guys are playing.
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: 48 draw actually.

Q. Oh, thank you. Obviously you're getting match play, but at the same point you're going to go for the big prize in New York after that. How does playing the week before help or hinder you to prepare for a major?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Well, it depends. Depends how seeded you are, if you're seeded at the major or not. Also if you play a final or win, it's quite significant points.
I mean, to get that at a major you need at least a fourth round or quarterfinal.
That's why a lot of players, they play, and if it goes good, you know, you make the points that you really need to fight for. Like three, four match wins in US Open. Obviously everyone wants to concentrate bigger one, but I think it's okay.
Depends how you feel. If you're healthy, if I'm confident now, why not play it and see how it goes? Obviously it's not the priority tournament of the season, but I'm still here. I'm in the U.S.
I'm not going to fly home and practice for US Open, so why not play an extra tournament?

Q. You mentioned seeding and everything. How much do you think it helped your week to get the Nishikori spot in the draw?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: I think a lot. Obviously it was a boost for me. I didn't play any seeded players in the first two rounds, I believe.
Yeah, for sure it was some help from Kei there. I had to raise to the occasion and use that draw, and that's what I did. I'm happy with that.

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