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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 22, 2017

David Goffin

Monte Carlo, Monaco

R. NADAL/D. Goffin

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. As you can imagine, we're going to ask you about the famous ball. It's one point. Even if you were right, you shouldn't lose 9 or 10 games out of 11. Is that your feeling? What was your reaction?
DAVID GOFFIN: No, the thing is, you know, when I started the match against Rafa, I knew that I had to be hundred percent focus on what I have to do. I had to be hundred percent in my match mentally, and physically also hundred percent.

I didn't calculate when I started the match. I was focused, really focused in my match. It was a really great match. When I started, I was playing really well. I broke him the first game. It was a really good match.

I think it was 3-2, after 35 or 40 minutes, so the intensity was really high. All of a sudden you have a mistake like the chair umpire did, it's really tough. After that physically, you know, you feel like it's 4-2, you're sure it's 4-2. You show the mark and everything. You feel like, Okay, I'm in the set.

I know I need to hold my serve, to start again the game. Physically it was tough and mentally also. I was hundred percent. When you have a mistake like this, you have to give more energy again to come back in the game and to win the game.

It was maybe too much because I was already hundred percent before.

Q. Just to be more precise. I feel that the chair umpire was indicating a wrong place where the ball was.
DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, yeah, he just show me something, I don't know what. But he just show me something on the court. He said, I don't know. I saw on his face that he was completely not nervous, but he wasn't sure.

But he has -- for his-self, he has to stay on what he show. He cannot change.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Psychologically I guess it must be very difficult. The game was very long. You were at deuce several times. You had the relief of winning that game. After that, I guess it was impossible to start playing again.
DAVID GOFFIN: This is what I was trying to say in English. When you are at 110% intensity, in order to maintain your level, until 3-All, finally you are able to say, I'm holding my serve, I'm there, I'm doing well. Suddenly something like this happens, I know I should be able to get back into the match.

It takes twice as much energy physically, mentally. I couldn't do that because I was already at 110%.

After that, of course, Rafa played even better. He's used to those matches, to the intensity on clay. He's used to that, and he was able to add this extra energy that really helped.

Q. Did you ask for explanations afterwards, why he didn't show the right mark? How did you react?
DAVID GOFFIN: I don't know what to do. I don't know what I must do.

Should I fight? I have nothing against the umpire. He's a very nice guy. But he makes mistakes. I don't know what to do about it.

I can try to complain, but this is not my usual attitude now that the match is behind me. I have to think about the future.

Of course, he could recognize his error. I suppose on the Hawkeye, everybody saw it. But if we have to put Hawkeye on clay, I don't know then where we are going.

Q. Should we put Hawkeye on clay?
DAVID GOFFIN: Normally we should be able to use the mark where the ball bounced. It should be possible on clay.

But what he showed to me on the line, there was no way. It can't happen.

Q. Couldn't you ask for the umpire to watch the screen, the video?
DAVID GOFFIN: No. I knew already that I had argued for too long. This is part of the game. I should have been able to get back into the match without discussion.

Q. Is it acceptable that at a high level like this, you have to be faced with that type of mistake?
DAVID GOFFIN: Well, the umpire was supposed to pretend he was sure of his decision. But it was so obvious, it was not possible to believe him.

Q. You didn't show him the mark?
DAVID GOFFIN: Yes, I did. I'm sure Rafa knew it was out. I just don't know what happened to him.

Q. Did Rafa tell you anything?
DAVID GOFFIN: No. Rafa has nothing to do with this. He knows his forehand was heavy and long and deep. But he was on the other side of the court. He couldn't do anything about it.

Rafa is one of the most fair players on the tour. He was just playing his match. I have nothing against him.

Q. You didn't think it was just 3-All in the first set? It was not like I happened at the end of the second set at 5-All? There was a lot of play left.
DAVID GOFFIN: We were 3-3, but it was already 45 minutes we had been playing. Suddenly my intensity dropped. It hit me. Physically it was becoming tougher. My legs were not responding any more. At the same time Rafa played better, and I couldn't find solutions the way I had in the begin.

Q. You believe this changed completely the outcome?
DAVID GOFFIN: I don't know. I stayed in the match. If you start wondering what could have been, anything could have happened.

It would have been 4-2 anyway.

Q. Is this going to spoil your tournament or are you going to think it was a good week?
DAVID GOFFIN: No, it was a beautiful tournament. I gave it my all. I'm very satisfied with what I achieved, faced against the best players in the world on a surface that I like. It's only positive.

I have to keep working in that direction. I think I improved this week. I know now I can have high ambitions. We'll see what happens.

Q. There were some games where you played extremely well against Nadal. It was tight. You pushed him.
DAVID GOFFIN: Yes, we played a real match. I believe this week I went a stage further. My first round was tough. I also beat Almagro who is a good clay-courter. I had two big tests with Thiem and Djokovic. The tournament was very good for me. I showed I was able to play well against the best players in the world. I will try to keep improving and playing matches like this.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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