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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 19, 2017

Kyle Edmund

Monte Carlo, Monaco

R. NADAL/K. Edmund

6-0, 5-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were going for your shots like he was just another player across the net. You certainly delivered. Is there a sense of achievement, or disappointment of losing in the end?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I mean, disappointment obviously losing. But it was a good match. You know, I'm disappointed I lost, but I'm happy with the game I put on court, the areas that, you know, for me I need to improve, which is good that, you know, I'm able to play like that and feel like I can improve.

I was pleased to see where my game was at, how I was hurting on the court, and stuff. Lots of positives to take. Lots of good things to work on.

Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, I definitely felt I had my chances. A few points here and there... You know, he's pretty much arguably the best player on clay ever. So I take confidence from it.

Q. How did you manage to turn that around? Obviously the first set...
KYLE EDMUND: Just point by point really. You know, 6-Love is not a great start. It wasn't looking good. So, yeah, you just got to start small and just build momentum very slowly.

Obviously never had been down the other end against Rafa. You take a bit of getting used to the ball, the pace, the shape and everything. But even still, I just wasn't there at the start. I was a bit timid out there.

It was important that I got it going. Then in the end I totally relaxed. My shots were flying. I was really pleased with what was coming out. So, yeah.

Q. What does it tell you, Kyle, about what you can achieve long-term?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, exactly. It gives you lots of confidence, these sort of matches. It shows me a player like Rafa, I lost, but I was close. You know, a few points different would have helped.

But it just shows, you know, you got to keep working, keep putting the effort in. No one's going to give it to you. There's lots of players out there trying to go for the same goal.

I already knew that, but these sort of experiences really hit home. Gives you confidence, again, like the one again Djokovic in Indian Wells was good. I got my game up on court. Had my chances. Should have won the second.

Today it was good that after a 6-Love start down, that I was able to come round and win the second, you know, take it to him.

Q. Are you playing Barcelona next?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah.

Q. What will you do the next few days? Stay here, go down there?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know yet. Haven't really thought about it. But, I mean, it's Thursday tomorrow. Tournament starts Monday. I don't know, Friday or Saturday I'll go, I think.

Q. Did he say anything to you at the end?
KYLE EDMUND: He just said, Well done. I said, Well done, too. Good luck (smiling).

Q. When you were growing up, you actually played at the Hull indoor center?
KYLE EDMUND: It was (indiscernible). Now it's called Nuffield.

Q. Any clay there?
KYLE EDMUND: No. The first time I played on clay, obviously I started off at Hull with Richard Plews. That was on indoor carpet. Then I obviously just played on carpet.

Once I got to I think it was about 11 or 12 years old, maybe a bit younger, 10 even, every Wednesday afternoon I'd come out of school one hour early, then we'd all get in a minivan, and about four players and Richard Plews would drive to Goole. That was the nearest clay, American clay. It was my first experience on clay.

Q. We all know your forehand is a major weapon. Do you feel it improving in consistency?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, definitely. It has to improve. You can't have a big shot, then just stay at that level. It's a good shot, but you have to get even better. That's what you have to do, that's what you have to look for.

In practice it's good working on stuff you're not so good at, but you also have to work on stuff you're good at to keep improving that.

It's finding the balance of doing that. Some coaches, some players have different ideas, work more on this, more on that. Obviously it's clear what my game is, so I can't go away from that.

Yeah, I mean, I was pleased with how I hit it. Also I wish I would have made some forehands when I needed them. Sometimes cost me, but that's learning from it. So, yeah.

Q. Did you sense when you pressured Nadal, he's got massive experience, do you sense he got a bit nervous?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know really. I mean, he's a human being. Every human gets nervous, you know.

It's funny. Like he's a good tennis player, but it's impossible for the human mind not to get nervous. You can try and manufacture or have routines in place to do it. But I think, you know, it's just normal.

Obviously the better players deal with it in better ways. But yeah, I mean, it's normal. I think if you use that, it can obviously help you.

Works both ways really. Players maybe not get nervous, but feel the situation. I don't think there's butterflies. Obviously, you know, at 30-All or breakpoints, that's the point. If you lose it, you're going to lose the game. That's just the way. You maybe play a bit more conservative I don't know. Just depends on the player.

I don't feel he got nervous. When you're 3-Love, 4-Love, 5-Love up, it's easy just to hit freely. But when it's closer, the rallies are going to be closer because you don't go for as many shots.

I think that's the same in every match, to be honest, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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