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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2018

Grigor Dimitrov

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Coming into this tournament, given what you achieved at the end of last year, do you feel different, seeing your name next to No. 3 in this draw?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I don't know. It's certainly different, for sure, when you look at yourself in the draw, you have No. 3 on it.

I think in the end of the days, I don't like to think that way. Doesn't mean anything. Of course, I'm pretty happy and excited with what I have achieved, but coming into a new year, new event, I mean, obviously I have a high expectations from myself. I want to do the best that I can.

I'm just really focusing on the job at hand right now. This is, for me, each match at a time, just trying to build up match by match, hopefully be able to play good tennis throughout the whole two weeks.

Q. Last year was the first time you experience the whole tennis calendar from start to finish. How has that turnaround felt physically and mentally?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, turnaround was pretty quick. I felt actually my off-season was pretty short. I wanted to have a few more weeks to kind of practice even more, not even talking about the rest.

I still believe that we had a pretty good schedule last year, especially towards the end of the year. I finished the year pretty strong. Physically I felt very good. There was no, like, major issues with my body or anything. As soon as the year was over, it really helped me to start on a good note. We kind of reassessed the whole year, what we've done well, what we could improve.

Yeah, the year just began again. Here we go.

Q. A lot of people in tennis believe whatever happened at the end of last year, things seemed to finally be coming completely together, this could be your time. Do you have a sixth sense that might be the case?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Until it's done, I don't want to have any sense, to be honest (smiling). Obviously I've achieved certain things that I've always wanted to. I always wanted to be a top-five player. I did it. Obviously I wanted to win a Masters 1000 event, and I did it. I haven't dreamt that much about winning at the O2, but I did it.

So as a player, you like to set yourself goals. That also, like, helps you get up in the morning and make sure you work towards that, your determination, discipline, sacrifice. All these things are coming into place for me.

But, again, I just don't feel like I want to do anything different or change things up because that's what I've been doing pretty much all my life. That's all the buildup that I have till now. That's why the results are coming.

But, yeah, I don't feel like I want to change anything or, like, fill out. No, it's just keep doing the basic stuff, what has been working throughout the year. Hopefully you can do it again. Of course, for me it's all about the progress. I just want to be better.

Q. That match you played here last year, the semifinal against Rafa, I saw that match a few days ago.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Me, too.

Q. What goes through your mind when you're watching it?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Oh, a lot of things. A lot of things. I mean, especially last year, right after I finished the match, I watched it the following day.

Q. The whole thing?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, almost the whole thing. I mean, I was so inadequate, I was just out. I was thinking, How did I lose that match almost? I saw on the breakpoints, for example, I couldn't have done anything else. I played the right shot, the right thing. But he came through with his game. That was it.

I've learned so much from that match. There's so many, like, bittersweet memories from it, I kind of set up a great year for me. I think I really, really learned a lot from it. After I came back to Europe, played good indoors, had kind of a good start of the year.

Yeah, I mean, hopefully I have more of those matches.

Q. You played against David Goffin in the final in London. Do you think he can be a threat in the other part of the draw?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Of course. I mean, to get to London, that's just not -- I mean, especially the finish that he had last year, the past two months before London, he won two tournaments, played very solid throughout the whole time. I mean, he's an unbelievable player. He reads the game so well. Such an intelligent player. We've played quite a few times against each other, practiced a lot, played back when we were playing futures.

So, yeah, of course. I mean, he has proven himself to give a hard time to some of the best players, beating them of course. Yeah, he's definitely one of the players out there.

Q. Billie Jean King said yesterday if she was still playing she would not want to play on Margaret Court Arena because of the comments Margaret Court has made, derogatory against gay groups and others. What is your reaction to those comments? Would you understand if players at this tournament felt uncomfortable playing there?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, I think there's no room for discrimination in our sport. I'm always appreciative of any court they put me to play on. Simple as that. Anything else, I mean, honestly I don't know what else to tell you on that. I think there's no room for that.

I'm very excited to play on Court 15 or Hisense, or whatever. I've been there, done that. Any court I play, I'm taking it as almost an honor right now.

Q. You won the tournament in Brisbane last year. Didn't defend the title, but do you think you got enough out of that this year to set you up for another deep run?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: In Melbourne? Yes. I think the first couple of matches of Brisbane were very hard for me. I saved the two match points in the first round. I played a very solid match against Kyle.

Also it was early in the year, I had to play against very tough opponents. The draw was very strong. I knew I had to go three to four, five matches back-to-back. I was still practicing even before the tournament began. I was still kind of in my off-season mode.

To me, the result wasn't that important. It was more how I'm going to work myself into the matches, how I'm going to feel, because I still didn't have enough rest from last year. I kind of kept on going with the same regime of practicing and traveling. That kind of gets a bit of energy out of you.

But I think I'm feeling pretty good, healthy, to start. I mean, there's no complaints. Body feels great. The whole week I've been practicing well. The only thing right now is actually to get out there and perform.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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