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SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL

January 13, 2018

Daniil Medvedev

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

D. MEDVEDEV/A. De Minaur

1-6, 6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Thank you.

Q. What's it mean to you to win your first ATP tournament?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I mean, it's amazing. I'm the kind of person, the more emotions I feel, the less I show them, actually, especially if they are good ones. After the match, I didn't fall down or anything, but I'm really happy. I mean, to make it through the quallies, there were so many circumstances. I wanted to go to Auckland, because my girlfriend had a visa to New Zealand, and not even one guy withdrew from Auckland. Then finally four guys withdrew on-site, but of course I couldn't go there already and now I win here. So just amazing (smiling).

Q. Someone was looking after you.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it's crazy. That's how life is, I guess (smiling).

Q. How was it having to deal with the crowd? They weren't against you, but they were very pro Alex. There were a lot of them.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's very tough, of course, but the only thing, I think it works for everyone. If the crowd goes really crazy, sometimes it can turn you on, also. Even if it's against you, you don't feel it that it's against them. Just hear them, so it can turn you on, also.

I'm sure he wouldn't make the comeback in the third set without the crowd. It was tough, but I'm really happy to manage this. It's a good lesson for Australian Open where I play Kokkinakis, of course.

Q. Is that what happened at the end of the first set? There was a tremendous roar for him, but then you turned it around in the second.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I think I played wrong type of game in the beginning. I mean, I was obviously very nervous, and I just -- I don't know the statistics, but I must have been doing a lot of unforced errors. Then I just change my game at one moment. I won like, I think, seven games in a row or something. It's a pity that I couldn't win it easier, the third set, but I'm happy about myself.

Q. You were 4-0 up in the third and then it was 5-All. What was going through your mind there?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was tough. Even tougher when it was Love-40 and it became deuce. I mean, that's how tennis is. Sometimes there are matches like this. Not so much, but this final was like this.

Of course I was a little bit shaky because of this, a little bit disappointed, but the same time, I just wanted to try to get the trophy, so amazing to get it.

Q. What do you do in situations like that when you do have a 4-Love lead and then it closes, and it's Love-40 and then deuce? How do you stay calm and focused and not let it kind of overwhelm you?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I can say that I have been working a lot, let's say, since I became 18, so I'm not a junior anymore, on my mental part.

It was going very slow, because, I mean, I have a lot of stories where I got crazy, lost the match because of it, got disqualified. I mean, there were many stories. I guess you know about them.

This tournament is amazing for me, because in seven matches I can say that maybe that was my best tournament mentally. I didn't break one racquet. I didn't go crazy. Even I was losing the semifinal, the final, of course I could say some words but I was never out of this match, and that's amazing job I have done in the preseason.

Q. It seems like this is a really big breakthrough week for both you and for Alex.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, Alex, he's just amazing player. I remember I practiced with him two years ago, three years ago, in the club where I practice in France, and we played a tiebreak who cleaned the court. It was only me serving. He was like 15 at this moment. He beat me. I said to my coach, Wow, this guy is so good.

And now I play him in the final of ATP. I mean, at 18, to do this, I was playing futures at this time. If he continue this way, he's going to be amazing player.

Q. What was the turning point for you when you talked about working on the mental side of it and getting frustrated? Was there a moment when you decided to change?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Of course there were many moments, because I think it's of course not for me to decide, but in life I'm quite calm guy and I think I'm kind to people. And on the court, I mean, when I was on the court you couldn't feel it. I could get crazy, say many bad things to crowd, to referee. I try not to do to the opponent, but just I didn't like it about myself.

After the matches I was -- after such matches, I was very sad about my behavior. And as I say, I'm really happy that this tournament I changed it. Let's see if I will be able to do it all the year, because that's the toughest part. But I'm going to do my best to try and make it.

Q. You talked earlier this week that you wanted more consistency. That was something that was missing from your tennis last year. You have been consistent with seven matches in a row. Are you starting to feel like you're able to tap into that and kind of know what you need to do to keep more level with your form?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yes, of course. I mean, last year helped me a lot because I played only ATP tournaments last year and one challenger event. I kind of know how it is out there, so I knew if I go through quallies, which can be not easy sometimes, even if I won easy, you will have two matches that you play that will help you in the main draw in the beginning, and that's what happened.

Also, I started working with few people to adjust my recovery and be a more professional out of the court, which I never done before. On breakfast, I was eating only croissant with jam. That was all my breakfast. Now I changed it. I won seven matches in a row. Today I won a two-hour match with crazy intensity, and I'm just happy that I put my desire into it.

Q. So what are you eating for breakfast now?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Better things. It's nothing special, actually. It's just cereals, one glass of orange juice, but there is a guy who tells me what to eat now. Before, I would think, okay, I ate one croissant. What's gonna happen?

He tells me, No, you don't do it. Otherwise you will feel bad on the court. Okay. I don't do it, and I win the tournament. (Smiling.)

Q. This is obviously a great highlight for you. How will you refocus for the Australian Open, which is starting in a couple of days?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it's actually going to be very hard, and I need to be humble with this, because to win this tournament is good, but I want to win some rounds in Australia. Maybe more than just some rounds. I need to play like here. And it's going to be very tough to get back again on the court.

So especially against Thanasi, I'm sure the crowd will be crazy in Melbourne for him. It's a five-set match, so I just need to do my best at recovery to be good on Tuesday.

Q. So this was good practice, then. If you've Thanasi in Melbourne, it's his hometown.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, that's what I said. Today I kind of know how it is. I managed to go through today. Let's see if I manage to go through on Tuesday.

Q. You've had a good record against him. You won your last visit in Queen's.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I won two matches on grass last year, but it was grass. That's my favorite surface.

Q. So you don't think that will have any bearing on what happens in Melbourne, or do you take confidence having beaten him before?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think I have a little bit of confidence because of this, and he can get a little bit shaky. At the same time, it means nothing. I saw here that Fognini had 0-5 against Dolgopolov. He beat him. You never know in tennis.

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