	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2017

Nick Kyrgios

Cincinnati, Ohio

N. KYRGIOS/D. Ferrer

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You have won every tiebreaker you have played here this week. Is playing simulated tiebreakers part of your practice on a daily basis or on a weekly basis?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not really. I guess tiebreaks usually do tend to favor the biggest server, I feel. Obviously that wasn't the case in the first semifinal.

But, yeah, I feel like my record in tiebreaks is pretty good. I feel comfortable playing it. I know if I serve the right way and play a tiebreaker that way I've got a fair chance.

Q. At 3-All in the first set, it was a deuce and you had a good chance to hit a backhand, but then you threw your racquet in frustration. How did you make sure you didn't lose yourself mentally after that?
NICK KYRGIOS: I was in the semifinal of a 1000. It's pretty easy to keep my focus after that.

Q. What does it mean to you to possibly win a Masters 1000 event tomorrow against Dimitrov?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I'm obviously excited, but, I mean, it's just another tennis match for me. I'm going to go out there and compete and try and serve big and play big. Whatever happens, happens, I guess.

Q. How tough was it to play against a grinder like Ferrer? Especially after you played two really hard matches yesterday? Obviously you were tired.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, he was a nightmare to play, especially because, you know, he's -- you know, I'm a tall guy and he's not the tallest guys. He hits the ball pretty flat. You know, the whole time there is nothing shoulder height for me to hit. I'm always trying to hit underneath and trying to hit up and over it.

It's a tough matchup for me. I thought today I didn't play my best tennis. I certainly didn't serve great during the set. In the tiebreaks I served well, but I definitely didn't bring my best tennis today. I'm just really proud that I managed to scrap out the win.

Q. You paid David a lot of respect and compliments on court, interview after the match. With respect to the 2003 match, you said he shared a lot of things with you that helped you in your game. Granted, that was four years ago, but can you elaborate on anything you have incorporated?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, I played him when I qualified for the US Open, and I think his coach met up with my coach. They kind of wrote down on a big sheet of paper what I had to improve on.

One of the things I know I'll never forget on the sheet was "Learn to suffer." That's what David Ferrer said to Nick Kyrgios when I was eating KFC every day, pretty fat, not a great athlete. I was like, I don't know, this guy is crazy.

Yeah, that's one thing I did remember from the big sheet. Yeah, he's always been a really kind guy to me.

Q. Earlier in the week you started off with pain against Goffin. You have gotten all this way. What does it mean to you? And have you realized something about yourself in pushing through that to where you're now in the final?
NICK KYRGIOS: I guess so. You know, I'm still feeling pain in my hip. I'm not going to act as if it's 100%. I'm just pushing through it.

I'm trying to just do my rehab every day, get treatment. I mean, it's still there, but yeah, I mean, obviously I'm pushing myself and I'm feeling good about my game. I wasn't feeling confident at all. You know, three weeks ago I tanked first round against Tennys Sandgren. I wasn't tanking, but I was mentally not there.

I was going through a lot of stuff. Three weeks later I'm in the final of a Masters event. I wouldn't have said that three weeks ago, no way. But I was going on the practice court, trying to practice. Even though I wasn't feeling too good, I was trying to practice, trying to do all the right things. I guess it's paid off. Yeah, I mean, I get a little pat on the back, I guess.

Q. You said yesterday or whenever it was that you don't take yourself too serious. I think a lot of us admire that about you. David was in here and saying you're going to be No. 1 in the world one day and you will at least have a lot of opportunities. Do you think about that? There are a lot of people in your life saying, Come on, Mate. Go for it. You can do it.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I just -- there are other things that, you know, are more important to me than tennis, you know. It's just a game. There is worse things happening in the world right now than me losing, for instance, if I lost that tennis match. That's part of the reason I can't take it so seriously.

But yeah, I mean, I have had, you know, family members that have passed away, and, you know, I haven't seen them enough or I didn't get to see them enough because of tennis, and I guess that could be a reason why I can't really give myself fully to the game, as well.

Yeah, I mean, if I'm No. 1 or I'm No. 500, I mean, I'm just a tennis player at the end of the day. I don't really want to be remembered as an unbelievable tennis player. I would rather be remembered as someone who, you know, was kind to people and stuff like that.

Q. If you're comfortable sharing this, what legacy would you say your grandfather's impact is on you?
NICK KYRGIOS: Well, he just, you know, he never missed a match. That was one thing. They were unbelievable support. And my grandma that passed away, she was pretty much my mum for the most part of my life. I have been pretty crazy ever since she left.

Yeah, I mean, those two, they have just been unbelievable supporters. Yeah, just, it was tough, the two, yeah, I can't really talk about it too much.

Q. How much does it help you having your mother there and the people that are in your box? I know you sort of -- you know, obviously there is points where you were frustrated today and when you were talking with them a lot. How much does it help to have them there?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, to have my mum there is unbelievable. She does the little things for me. She doesn't see me too much on the road, and she doesn't see me too much when I'm home. She does little things like my washing. She loves to travel with me and see me play the sport that my parents pushed me towards, and obviously me having success is really good for her to see.

I just can't think Matty Reid enough. He knows I'm crazy and he knows at the end of the day I love him. We are just a great team. He's been a big reason, from where I was in Washington to where I am now, he's been a big part of that.

Q. Do you think that's long term? Do you feel comfortable with the people you have right now?
NICK KYRGIOS: I'm rooming with Matty this week. We are pretty comfortable. I mean in a not, like, weird way (laughter). Separate beds.

Q. How far ahead in the future are you actually looking right now?
NICK KYRGIOS: Tomorrow.

Q. Tomorrow?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. I don't really look too far ahead.

Q. Could we talk about Dimitrov a little bit, how you view his game and what adjustments you will have to make, what your thoughts are for that tomorrow?
NICK KYRGIOS: It's going to be a tough match. It's great to see him. I think he had a year where he was struggling a little bit, and to see him back now at -- when I was watching the Australian Open this year, he was playing unbelievable tennis, I thought. That's the Grigor that I thought he could always be.

He's got a great game. If he's feeling it, he's an unbelievable athlete. He can serve great. Has a great forehand, obviously slice, very similar to Roger, I think, obviously.

I mean, we are good mates, as well. He's always been kind to me. We played a long time ago. I think it was 2014 maybe, Indian Wells, and we had a battle there. I'm looking forward to it, but I know it's going to be a tough match. I'm not really thinking too far ahead. I'm pretty hungry now.

Q. It's been a physical week for you. After tomorrow, when is the next time you think you will pick up a racquet to get ready for New York?
NICK KYRGIOS: I'm going to Kansas after this just to spend some time with Jack and train there for a couple of days. We have always been talking about it, and he's, like, Face Time yesterday, Man, you try one week of the year when we are supposed to hang out.

It was pretty funny. So I'm going to spend time with him, train a little bit, and go to New York together. I'm looking forward to that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297