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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 7, 2017

Andy Murray

Wimbledon, London, England

A. MURRAY/F. Fognini

6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How keen were you to sort of try and finish things off at the end and avoid presumably a bit of a nervous wait and the roof closing and stuff?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, ultimately, yeah, it worked out great in that respect. But when I was down 5-3, I wasn't thinking about finishing the match off because it was looking like it was probably going to go to a fifth set.

You know, had I been up, when he started to come back at me, maybe I would have thought about that a little bit more. It was obviously great to come back there at the end and finish it.

It was actually really dark. Normally, I mean, I felt like I played quite a bit later than that, like played until 10, quarter past 9. I don't know what time exactly we finished that, but it was really dark at the end.

Q. How fit are you? Was your hip bothering you tonight?
ANDY MURRAY: I didn't feel like I moved as well as I did in the first two matches. It was also a completely different match for me. You know, I was playing against two guys that were hitting dropshots all the time, coming forward, serve-volleying quite a lot.

You know, I had no real rhythm after the first couple of matches. Then today from Fabio there were a lot more rallies from the back of the court and stuff. It's partly down to the way he plays as well. I felt a little bit off balance. I didn't feel like I moved particularly well tonight.

I don't know if that was anything to do with my hip or not. But, yeah, that's something I hopefully will do a bit better the next match. Didn't move so well tonight.

Q. A lot of players in the past have said sometimes they divide this fortnight into two tournaments, get through the first week, then get going again in the second week. After all the buildup, the issues, how are you feeling sort of to have come through the first week relatively scot-free?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, obviously three tricky opponents. Tonight's match, I didn't think it was the best match. I didn't feel like I played my best tennis. But I won and I got through it. You know, that's a really positive thing, obviously.

Now I've got two days to work on some things, rest up a little bit, and get used to the conditions that we're playing in just now. The courts definitely have gotten a lot quicker than at the beginning of the event. It will be good to get a couple days' practice in those conditions before another match on Monday.

But, you know, I'm pleased obviously to be in the second week. Anything can happen from here.

Q. You saved five set points in the fourth set; two with your serve, then two when you were down 40-15, then a fifth later. Which one were the most difficult, where you felt in danger? Were you confident if you were going to the fifth set that you could have made it anyway physically and everything?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think physically I certainly could have played a fifth set if it was required. I mean, I finished very strong actually in the end. So did okay physically at the end.

But, yeah, I don't remember loads about the set points. I think on my serve I hit some good first serves on a couple of them. I think a got a couple of free points, which was good. Then obviously one of them, when he was serving, I think the return was in. I don't know what it showed on the TV, but I felt like the return was in. He challenged with none left, so that was obviously -- I think psychologically points like that can be quite difficult for Fabio, or for any player. But the player that's in that position, it's not easy to deal with that.

Yeah, I saved them pretty well with some good shots, big serves. Yeah, it was good.

Q. Given the physical issues that you have had for the last week or two, how valuable is it going to be to have the extra day of rest before the next match?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know, to be honest. I think you got to just try and use it as best you can. If you're in the other half, you get into the rhythm of playing every other day, it's quite rare to have this break in the middle of the tournament. You know, I'll try to use it as best I can with some good practice. Like I said, try and work on some things.

You know, obviously, missed a few days' practice last week. I'm sure I'll work on some of the things I would have done before the tournament if I had those days there. I'll try to get a lot out of it, if possible.

Q. What is your opinion on Bernard Tomic being fined and losing his racquet sponsor for essentially being very honest with his struggles about motivation?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it's a pretty difficult one. Yeah, obviously you're being honest, which is a good thing. But if you're saying you're taking injury timeouts and stuff purely, you know, to try and throw the opponent's rhythm off, to use it tactically, that isn't good. Something has to happen with that. That's breaking the rules intentionally. I'm not saying he's the only player that does it. But, you know, if you go and say that, obviously you're going to get fined.

With Head, obviously it's a tough one. I don't know what's maybe happened with them in the past potentially. If that's the first time he's done something like that or said something that they found unprofessional, something they can't support, then that's a bit harsh. But I don't know if they've had previous, which is possible, over the last few years.

Yeah, it's up to them.

Q. Fabio came in and said that the court was in bad condition compared to previous years. Other players have said it today and yesterday. How are you finding the state of the courts here this year? With respect to your injuries, does it help? Does it damage it? Does it cause you more concern?
ANDY MURRAY: In terms of moving on the court, I've felt fine. The court I don't think is in as good of condition as previous years. There's quite a few spots on the court, like just behind the baseline and just in front of the baseline, where there's quite big lumps of grass, sort of almost like little divots there, which I don't remember really being the case.

I don't know if it's anything to do with the weather that they've had over the last, you know, few weeks and months. It's been pretty hot, pretty extreme conditions. Not much rain. So I don't know if that's affected it.

But the court, when I played the first match, was great. I think it's just getting a bit beaten up early. A few of the players have said that about some of the outside courts, as well.

There's also been on the outside courts a lot of tennis played on them because there's been no rain. A lot of the times there isn't as much tennis played on them. So, yeah, I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Q. Just like four years ago, you have some company going to the second week of Wimbledon. I don't know how much you saw, if anything, of Jo's match today. How positive are you about your chances in the second week and hers?
ANDY MURRAY: I didn't see any of the match today. I mean, I spoke about this quite a lot the other day, you know, about Jo and her chances here. I think her game's pretty well-suited to the grass.

I think, you know, mentally she's pretty strong, fairly calm on the court, and seems to handle things pretty well. And, yeah, there's a lot of players in the women's draw that have a shot of winning.

I'm probably going to get this wrong, but maybe Venus is the only past winner left in the women's draw maybe. So, yeah, not many of them have experienced it before. There's a chance there for a lot of players.

Q. We just spoke with Fabio. He was quite satisfied, even if he lost, about his match, his game. Were you surprised the way he played, since he has never been considered a grass court player? Did you think he played very well, so-so, some lapses?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, the match was pretty up and down, I think, from both of us. It wasn't the best match.

For me, in my opinion, there's absolutely no reason why he can't play well, or really well, on the grass court. At times tonight he played great tennis. So it's a matter of playing at that level for longer if he wants to go further. But also if in your head you don't think you're very good on grass, and it's not a surface that you play well on -- I heard Monfils has said the same thing -- I see no reason why either of those guys can't play really, really well on grass.

Fabio has got good timing. I think the quicker court helps his serve a little bit. He puts a lot of returns back in play. He moves well. He has a good slice, volleys very well. In my mind, there's no reason why he can't play well on grass.

I think tonight at times he showed that he's a very good player on grass courts. The last few years he also hasn't played any warmup events. I don't know if he sort of decided, I don't really like the grass very much. But he can play well.

Q. Fabio got two penalty points, one for smashing the racquet, also for some kind of obscenity. How do you think that angry mentality can affect a player's game?
ANDY MURRAY: He only got one point penalty. The first one, you don't get -- first warning you get, you don't lose a point for that.

He's always very emotional, you know, on the court. At times it can help. Sometimes it doesn't.

You know, I don't know whether tonight it was a positive thing for him, letting his emotions out, or not. It's better to ask him how he feels about that.

Q. You had some unpredictable opponents so far. Are you expecting a bit more of the same against Benoit Paire?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, he again has a different game to a lot of the guys now. He has very good hands, moves well, takes a lot of chances, goes for his shots. Again, he can be quite up and down. But he seems to have played pretty well so far at this event.

And, yeah, I expect that to be tricky. I've never played him on the grass before. I think until this year he hasn't played so well on the grass himself. But, again, I see no reason why he can't play good grass court tennis.

I think I only played him once before, and it was a really tight match.

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