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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 15, 2018

Borna Coric

Indian Wells, California

B. CORIC/K. Anderson

2-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How big is this one? Because it didn't start well. You turned this one completely.
BORNA CORIC: Yes, I didn't start very well. He was hitting the ball very big, and I just couldn't find my rhythm on the ball. You know, I lost very early break, which is never good against him.

Yeah, it was not easy to find the rhythm. Then again on 5-2, again, I knew I just need that one break and, you know, I'm basically back in the match. And I need to serving better. I started going more for the serve.

And, yeah, and then, you know, I broke him earlier in the second set, which was really helpful. You know, in the third, again, I knew, you know, it's one break, it's two or three points are going to decide, and that's what happened.

Q. When you lost the first set, did thoughts come into your mind that you've now lost eight sets against him? Did you think of something like that?
BORNA CORIC: No, I didn't count, to be honest (smiling), but I didn't count, yeah, luckily.

But, I mean, I knew that I lost to him three times in a row, you know, and in the past I never played good against him, so obviously it was not easy.

No, but again I was just saying to myself, just, I need, you know, one or two good points and he makes one double fault, and that's what happened, you know, in the second set. That's exactly what happened. You know, I played, I think, two good points. He made a double fault at some point, and, you know, that's it.

And I needed to start to serve much better. That's what I did. I was going more for the serves, I was taking more risk, and that's what happened in the third set.

Q. Do you feel you found a way to be more positive with yourself this week through the matches? You're not going down with yourself, not getting frustrated? You could have gone crazy after the first set or being a breakdown. You found this calm that maybe wasn't there before?
BORNA CORIC: Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, I think in the last few months it happened just -- I mean, automatically, no. I think just as you grow up, you know. And I don't know. Maybe something clicked.

But, yeah, I'm much calmer on the court definitely now. I don't get so excited. I don't get so down, you know. I don't have these big -- how do you call it? I don't know how to say it.

Q. Up-and-down?
BORNA CORIC: Yeah, exactly, in my moods. I think that's good. Because if I go too much up, again, it's not good. If I go too down, it's not good. I'm trying to be somewhere in between all the time.

Q. What do you do to sort of avoid those variations and wide variations? Has it been -- do you think that's been a lot to do with just growing up, becoming a bit older, maturity?
BORNA CORIC: Yes, definitely. Nothing happen, you know. I just was looking at some of my matches, and I was talking with Ricardo and talking with my team, and, you know, also they told me, you know, You can't have those ups and downs. It's not helpful for your tennis, not good for you.

I just decided, okay, I need to accept some things. Like in the first set, I need to accept that I'm not playing well. He played well, as well, you know, it's that mixture. And again, I need to believe that still I can win, you know, and that's what I did today.

Q. Yesterday Federer said that this surface here, the playing conditions in Indian Wells, they allow a bit of time when you're playing a big server. Did you feel that that was your case today against Kevin?
BORNA CORIC: Well, I still felt like he was serving really big, to be honest. But, yes, definitely if you compare it to the US Open where I played him, or Basel, definitely, you know.

But again, I mean, I was returning also today better, so it's both, I think. You know, I was playing -- I was returning a little bit better than back there, but the surface is a little bit slower, in my opinion. Yeah, the balls jumps a little bit higher and doesn't go through so much. And the balls gets really big after a while.

Q. Can you tell us what Ricardo changed when he started working with you and what do you think has had the biggest impact in your game and in your results?
BORNA CORIC: Yeah, you know, we sit down and we talked a lot in December, and, you know, we tried to look at the things which I need to change, other things which I need to do better, you know. That was definitely my attacking game, my return, you know, and just some tactics, how I play on which points and stuff like that.

There was a couple of things, you know, and it's not done job. You know, I said many times, just because I play good now here, it has been a fantastic week for me, but, you know, again, you have another tournament next week.

The job is never done, in my opinion. I need to keep improving. I'm still very young. Again, you know, today I did won the match, but again, you know, I was maybe back a little bit to my old habits.

So it's not that easy, you know, to do that all the time, you know. So I need to work still a lot.

Q. What would be the mindset for the semifinals? You could face two very different opponents.
BORNA CORIC: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's going to be very interesting match. I think Chung is in fantastic form, you know. I mean, Roger, I don't have to say anything. You know, we all know him.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the match. I'm going to try to look at the match a little bit, have a nice steak and look at the match.

I mean, I didn't have time to think about it much, to be honest. But definitely both of the opponents are in great form, you know, and I have nothing special to say.

I'm just looking forward to the next challenge and what it brings me that day.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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