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WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2016

Nick Kyrgios

London, England

N. KYRGIOS/D. Brown
6‑7, 6‑1, 2‑6, 6‑4, 6‑4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A match like that, is that enjoyable? The crowd is into it. What is it like to play it?
NICK KYRGIOS: It was tough. But at the same time I knew it was going to be like that. You know, as soon as we got out there, the crowd started getting into it.
It's actually easy to play. Makes you feel kind of relaxed out there. There's some patches of the match where he's playing unbelievable, and some patches where he's not playing great. It's hard to get rhythm.
Really only came down to a couple points. Both of us got lucky at times. Both of us sort of played well at times. Really came down to a couple points. Could have been him sitting in the chair just like me.

Q. How do you stay the course all day, navigating a day like this?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it's tough. I feel really tired right now. I mean, to be scheduled at 11:00, and actually finish the match, I don't know, like 20 minutes ago, it's tough.
Going back in the locker room, getting in the zone that you're going to go play, it's raining again, you go back in, you take your shoes off, lace them back up. It's not easy.
Credit to both of us for still being able to play pretty well.

Q. It seems as though you slightly lost your, I suppose, nerve or you were angry about some decisions out there. How do you reflect on your behavior and the image that you create by the way that you act out there?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, I thought my behavior was really good throughout the match. Obviously went a little bit off track towards the third.
At the same time, I thought it was okay, to be honest. The crowd was loving it. I'm sure a lot of people around the world were watching that match. That's what sport is. It's entertainment, isn't it?

Q. Physically, how much did that take out of you? It was two hours in duration. Did it take much out of you?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not so much. I think grass court tennis, especially when you're playing Dustin, you're not really having any rallies. I think the longest rally we had today might have been six or seven balls. Physically I feel fine, which is good.

Q. Fifth set, you get the rain delay, what's going through your head?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not easy. Obviously however long I was in the locker room, hour, hour and a half after the rain delay, that's all I'm thinking about really. All the guys in the locker room watching my match give me a bit of stick about, Where is he going to serve? All this stuff. I was like, I don't really want to think about it that much.
It was tough. I knew what he was going to do. He was going to serve and volley. I just didn't know where he was going to serve. Then he came up with a ridiculous volley. On the inside I was fuming, but on the outside I had to stay composed.

Q. You got a bit upset with the drop volley call. Did you feel that players like you who express your emotions a little bit to the umpires, do you feel you get a bit of a raw deal sometimes?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't think he meant to just do it for the sake of doing it. He obviously thought I didn't get there, and I thought I did. I'm pretty sure I did. Looking back on it, it doesn't really matter. It was a pretty irrelevant point.

Q. Radek in the first round, Dustin, now either Feli or Fabio. Is this one of the tougher draws you've had at a slam? In a way does it help to get you tested?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, if you look at it, I've played a wild card, I played Dustin, who is ranked around 80. On paper, like, you look at the rankings, it's actually a good draw. Then you look at actually who the players are, it's one of the toughest ones.
I think Feli has one of the best serves on tour. Fabio, obviously, we've seen him produce some great tennis at times. Radek and Dustin both are some of the best grass court players there are. No one wants to play them.
I'm taking confidence out of these wins. I'm not nearly playing any of my best tennis yet as well, which is also a positive. I'm finding ways to win these matches.

Q. When you have those moments when you disagree with the umpire, there's a distraction in the crowd or whatever, do you find that you can feed off that? Sometimes it makes you angry and it helps your game or it can disrupt your concentration?
NICK KYRGIOS: It can do both. I don't know why you guys always ask me these questions. There's plenty of players that ask the umpire questions. I'm not necessarily arguing with the umpire, I just want to hear what he thinks. I just want to tell him my opinion. I'm not necessarily getting angry at the umpire, I'm just having a conversation with him.
It can either bring negative energy... If I'm asking a question, it's just a question.

Q. Would you say more often than not, it brings negative or positive for you?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't know. I'm two for two on matches, so positive.

Q. What was the most ridiculous shot Dustin hit today, in your opinion?
NICK KYRGIOS: He hit one through‑the‑legs dropshot, made me feel horrendous. He was hitting volleys that are spinning back over. There were times out there where you literally don't want to play. You just want to put the racquet down.
That's what you get from him. He's going to hit jumping backhands that are going to hit the fence, but then he's going to hit three of the greatest volleys that you've ever seen.
I think it's important to have a guy like him playing. He's completely different to me. He's completely different to Gael Monfils. He's a different athlete. He's a great athlete. He's a great talent and a good guy as well.

Q. You said you don't feel you've been playing nearly your best. Does it have to do with the kind of opponents that you've played that don't give you rhythm?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yes and no. I thought I played well in my first round. I didn't think I was playing anywhere near my best. I'm not playing guys that are giving me rallies from the back. I'm not getting much rhythm.
I played Raonic on grass. I played Stepanek. I played Dustin Brown. Three guys that the match is on their racquet a lot of the times. That's how I like to play, I like to play aggressive. It's whoever is playing the game style better. It's been tough.
I just don't feel like I've got much rhythm yet on the grass to be honest. I'm trying to pick up shots off my feet or I'm trying to serve very well. That's grass court tennis.

Q. Do you find it a bit strange that Dustin is not ranked higher?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I do actually. But at the same time, like, when I see him play, when I'm watching him on TV, I think he should be winning most of the matches I'm watching. I don't watch it all. I see he's ranked 80 in the world.
We all know what he can do. He can produce tennis that beats top‑10 players. At the same time he can lose matches as well. I think that's the type of guy he is. He's happy in his own skin. He knows he can beat the best players in the world. He's the boss.

Q. That was an incredibly quick match for five sets. Not much over two hours. Dustin's first round was about two hours for five sets. You like playing fast. Do you think there should be more done to speed up tennis?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not really. But, you know, I think they want to play to all these rules all the time. They don't really stick to the time in between points. There's numerous players that take more than, I don't even know how long we got, something like 20 seconds between points. If you play by the rules, the game of tennis is pretty quick.

Q. You know Dustin very well obviously. Are you concerned with players you don't know so well that your language with the umpire might put them off, might have an effect on their game?
NICK KYRGIOS: What did I say to the umpire today?

Q. You got a code violation, didn't you?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not for swearing at him.

Q. You said he did a horrendous job.
NICK KYRGIOS: Is that bad language? Have you never said a swear word before? Have you never said a swear word in your life?

Q. It's‑‑
NICK KYRGIOS: Can you answer my question?

Q. No.
NICK KYRGIOS: So you've never sworn in your life?

Q. It's your job to answer mine.
NICK KYRGIOS: No, it's not. He actually asked me the question. It's his question, mate. It's his question.

Q. So you didn't swear? You're saying you didn't swear?
NICK KYRGIOS: What did I say to the umpire today?

Q. I just said what you said.
NICK KYRGIOS: So I didn't swear. So how is that going to affect another player by saying 'horrendous job'? I think you can figure that out, champ.

Q. I wonder about the banter you had with the umpire.
NICK KYRGIOS: Did you see Dustin arguing with the umpire as well? Did anyone see that? Did you see Dustin arguing with him, too, or just me?

Q. Yes.
NICK KYRGIOS: All right, great.
THE MODERATOR: Next question, please.
NICK KYRGIOS: Great questions, guys. You got a question?

Q. No.
NICK KYRGIOS: Okay, good.

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