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SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERS

October 14, 2016

Andy Murray

Shanghai, China

A. MURRAY/D. Goffin

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. There were many long games out there, and basically you won every important point. Are you happy about the focus you keep getting on each point, trying to win everything?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I thought there was a lot of, you know, long games and tight games where, you know, he had chances on my serve but also on his own serve, as well. You know, a lot of long rallies, good rallies.

Even when I lost them, I was still, the next point, I was back on it. There was one or two games where, you know, he was up like 40-Love on his serve and I got back and I made him work for all of those games. So I think that paid off as the match went on.

But, yeah, when I was behind on my own serve, you know, he had a couple of chances, one pretty easy one to get back on serve. I think it was in the first set. But I played pretty well on all the other break points, so it was a good match for me.

Q. I don't know what the score is, but just your thoughts on your next potential opponents, Gilles or Jack?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I never played Jack before, so obviously that would be a new experience. You know, you can watch them play, but then when you get on the court you don't know necessarily exactly how your game is going to match up against them and how the ball comes off their racquet. You know, he obviously has one of the sort of spinier forehands on the tour, you know, similar to Rafa's, but it's obviously coming from a right-hander, which, you know, not loads of right-handers that play with that much topspin, especially the top of the game just now.

Gilles I have obviously played against a lot. I mean, it feels like we have played almost every year since I've been on the tour at last once, so I know his game a lot better. They are pretty different players. I mean, Sock is playing with a lot of spin on every shot, and Gilles is obviously hitting the ball much flatter, more of a counterpuncher, whereas Jack is trying to dictate the points as much as he can with his forehand and his serve.

Q. I don't know if you saw any of Novak's match earlier. He had some struggles today. Went three sets. He said at one point in the third set he tried humming to himself to try and calm himself down. It's something new he's been doing. Have you ever done anything similar like this or used music in a way like that on the court, sung to yourself maybe?
ANDY MURRAY: Not that I can remember. I don't think so, no.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about this 15 minutes' game and the six break points on Goffin's serve and what you made about his resistance today?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, maybe had I got that game, you know, I would have been able to maybe get ahead, you know, quicker in that second set, but then, you know, he fought hard in those moments.

The second set was a tough set, you know, that we played obviously eight games, but, you know, most of them, you know, probably five or six of them that could have gone either way really. They were tight games. So, yeah, he fought hard and there was a lot of close games, long rallies, like I said.

I just managed to win a few more of them than him in the end. But, you know, kind of halfway through the second set most games were very close. He fought hard and saved a number of break points himself. So it was tough, and I had to stay strong there in the second, because physically, although it was a 6-2, 6-2 match it wasn't easy because a lot of the points were tough. He plays close up on the baseline, takes the ball early and makes you move a lot.

So I thought I did well, and I think he played a pretty good match. Maybe not the whole time. Maybe the end of the first set could have played a bit better and the end of the second. But for the most part I thought he played pretty well.

Q. If it is Gilles, what is it about you and Frenchmen? Beating Pouille last night, you're 21 in a row against French singles players. Jo kind of got in the way in Montreal, but before that you had a long run as well. Is it just coincidence, or...
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I should have won that match against Jo, as well. I was up a break in the third set, too. Didn't quite finish that one off. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I would assume it's just a coincidence really.

Maybe some of the guys, you know, I match up well against in terms of game style, but, you know, some of the matches have been extremely close, too. It's not like every time I'm playing them they are comfortable matches. Gilles I think served for the match against me in Acapulco a few years ago. The match I played against Tsonga at Wimbledon this year was also very close. The match I played with Simon in Davis Cup was also, you know, a tough match where he was up, you know, a lot and I managed to fight back.

So, you know, I think it's just a coincidence, but I have obviously had good results against the French players over the last five, six years.

Q. Looking ahead to next year, if you could wish one thing for yourself and then one thing for the game of tennis in general, what would those two wishes be?
ANDY MURRAY: Wish something for myself? On the court?

Q. It's up to you.
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, on the court I would love to win the French Open. You know, if I could guarantee one thing next year, then it would be that event, one I have had many struggles at over the years. But, you know, last couple of years I have come close and, you know, that's something that would be nice to win on that surface.

And then for the game of tennis? I don't know. I mean, I think it would be great if Rafa and Roger could get through the year sort of injury-free and be playing, you know, their best level again, because I think tennis is better when they're around. They're two of the best players of all time, and, you know, that's been unfortunate this year. So hopefully, you know, they are both fit and healthy next year, and I think that's good for the game.

Q. You were getting annoyed with the crowd towards the end. Was that just the noise they were making?
ANDY MURRAY: No. Well, I was getting frustrated at the end because I got a time violation in the 2-All game, which I was probably playing a bit slow then. So I wasn't -- you know, I didn't get frustrated with that, but then after you get a time violation you then tend to try and play quicker and you stop maybe doing things that you might want to do.

Today I was sweating loads, so maybe I don't towel myself down after the point. And then you're waiting to serve, and if someone shouts out, you're, you know, nervous about stopping, because then -- you know, on that game it was an important game. It was 4-2, I was Love-30 down, and, you know, you're nervous about stopping in case you lose your first serve.

And sometimes, you know, throughout the match if there is people making noise the whole time throughout the match and the umpire hasn't said anything and then you have a time violation, you don't know if he's going to accept that you have waited to serve because someone's made a noise.

Yeah, that was it. I was just getting frustrated maybe because I was nervous about losing a serve or that I just had the time violation I was trying to speed up. But then sometimes when there is noise or movement in the crowd you want to slow down and stop until they have stopped. That was it.

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