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NITTO ATP FINALS

November 18, 2017

Grigor Dimitrov

London, England, United Kingdom

G. DIMITROV/J. Sock

4-6, 6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. On Monday you will be the No. 3 player in the world. Did you think at the beginning of the year you would be so high at the end of the year? What was your goal?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Well, the goal was to finish the year top 10. Now I finished 3. It's great. What can I say?

It's wonderful, a wonderful reward. This is what I've been working for. So, yeah, it's even better, even better. You know, to finish the year in that manner, I think it's not only good for me, I think for the whole team. I think that gives us a very good platform to start in the off-season, yeah, have a good start of next year.

Q. Talking about the match, you started dominating, then Jack came back. In the third set, you were better or...
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think in the beginning, I think I started the match exactly the way I wanted it. I think I just, after that break, that breakpoint at 3-0 in the first set, I think was a little bit of a turning point I felt for him. He stepped in the court, started being a little more aggressive. I let him play his game. I think that was the first set.

And, yeah, second was obviously one-way street. Very good play, as simple as that.

In the third, I just had to find those little cracks in his game, yeah, to break him. I think after that was, again, good finish for me.

Q. Even though you've got a great record over Goffin, with his performance today, does that make you sort of worry about what kind of confidence he's going to bring to the court?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: No, I'm not going to think about that. Again, it's another match for me. Obviously he's done well this week. I mean, beating Rafa, Roger, those are big wins.

I think his confidence is going to be up there, yeah. But I'm not going to focus in on his confidence or his game right now. I'm just focusing on myself, the recovery that I'm going to do today. Of course, it's not going to be the same after I played against him. But, yeah, it's another match for me.

I think also is a different stage for both of us. Yeah, it's wonderful day to play on.

Q. You said after the match that you didn't feel you were hitting the ball as well as you had done in the previous matches, but that made the win almost all the more satisfying.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, of course.

Q. Do you think that's been a big problem for you in the past, that you couldn't find the wins on those days in the way that someone like Murray, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal do?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Those are the most important matches, simple as that. Those are the matches that I felt like my level has been higher than in the previous years. I think it's great to be able not to strike the ball well, not to feel maybe well or something, but you have to find a way. That's the most important thing for me, is to find a way to win a match even not on your best days.

That's exactly what the top, top guys are doing. Simple as that. On a bad day, they're finding a way to win and get away with that.

So, yeah, I think today, I mean, I didn't think I played bad, but I just felt that I could have done things better. But, yeah, that's about it. I mean, after that, yeah, hopefully I'll pick up the same form.

Q. When such a big upset happens in the first semifinal, does it change the pressure at all? Is it hard not to think how probably you're going to play Federer, then all of a sudden you become the tournament favorite?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I never think that far ahead, to be honest. There's always a match to be played. You never know what's going to happen to either player.

It's not going to change anything for me. Whoever I play, I'm still going to do the same thing: I'm still going to do my preparation that I've been doing the past days. I'm not going to approach it any differently.

But again, I'm excited. It's a wonderful day to play on. I mean, I think Sundays are always the greatest days to play (smiling). That's why I even practice on Sunday.

Q. Could you talk a bit about the tension, if there was, from your point of view, in the final game? Were you thinking about the match point situations you've had against Jack in the past?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: You cannot allow yourself to think about that on such a big occasion, such a big point, for example.

Yeah, the past two matches, super unfortunate. What can I say? But, yeah, that's what makes the game so special. You know, sometimes not only that you have to fight yourself mentally, but you need to fight, like, the demons from previous matches or your opponent. There's just so many things that you bring out.

But I was very happy the way I handled the pressure. Even though I was down a breakpoint or something, even if I had to play an extra game or games, I had to accept it. I think, regardless, you learn from those moments. I certainly learned from that experience.

Q. What could make David Goffin dangerous for you tomorrow? In what way would Wednesday's match play a part? Is it a match to forget and start all over?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: This match is in the past. I wish I could just press 'replay'. I mean, for sure I'm sure neither one of us is going to think about that. As I said, again, he's a very intelligent player. Knows his way around the court very well. Any given day, any particular moments, he makes it dangerous.

I cannot just say one thing in particular. Again, he had a few good wins already. Has been playing well through the end of the year. So I think he's still got a lot of confidence. I think obviously none of us has nothing to lose. We're out there in that first final. I think that's going to be exciting.

Yeah, simple as that. I mean, that's going to be the key, I guess.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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