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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2018

Karen Khachanov

Wimbledon, London, England

N. DJOKOVIC/K. Khachanov

6-4, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Fatigue from the last match? Heavy legs or anything?
KAREN KHACHANOV: No, okay, of course it's not easy when you play first-round matches four and five sets. So I spend much more time on court than Novak.

But honestly, he was too good today. Too good. I mean, he had answer on everything what I did. Okay, of course I could maybe do some things better, like serve, for example, but I don't know. He was returning everything. I felt like the ball always coming back.

So, I mean, maybe I should be more aggressive, but sometimes, you know, you need to find balance between being aggressive and to have unforced errors. So that's another thing against a guy like Novak.

Q. He's struggled recently. You know, there is always a chance that, Okay, maybe I can get the guy because his confidence hasn't been exactly the same lately. What did you find? Do you think he's up near the top of his game again?
KAREN KHACHANOV: My opinion, he's playing great now. I mean, okay, of course he struggled beginning of the year, let's say first part of the year, maybe few months, but he found a way. He's back. He plays great, my opinion.

Yeah, he's really dangerous, and I think he's playing really good tennis right now.

Q. You have now played all four of the so-called Big 4. What have you learned most from those matches?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, it's a privilege to still play at the same time as top four guys are playing, you know. And like you said, I played against all of them, and I think it's good experience.

All of them play different style, they have different style of game. And, yeah, I need to learn how to be better, how to be like they are, you know, in the court and to try to keep going and be where I want to be, you know.

Q. Do you understand why those four guys are so much better than the other ones when you played against them?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, you feel it. I mean, you feel it. They have much higher level still in all the aspects, you know. That's why they are so good and that's why it's still big difference between the rest of the guys.

But slowly, hopefully we're improving and we are coming and rising up. So we'll see.

Q. You're a young guy without a tremendous amount of experience yet, and suddenly the weather changes and it becomes very windy. Did it catch you by surprise and did it make you upset you have to go out there and play this guy who is so good and suddenly it's really windy?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, that's true, but wind is for both of the players. It's not only for one of us. Yeah, I think that was one of the reasons why I was serving not as good as maybe previous matches. You know, I couldn't find a little bit the toss. And it was, you know, like wind-like kind of --

Q. Swirling?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, not only one side. Then you need to adapt, so that's why actually we broke each other many times in the first set.

But then he found a way. He started to serve better. And me, pretty similar, you know.

Q. Were you surprised that you didn't get on court until so late? I think it was 5 to 7:00 when you started. Was it in your head a bit that, okay, this match might go till tomorrow?
KAREN KHACHANOV: No, I knew that we will go on court anyway today, I think. For me, I was preparing, so before I had warmup, was waiting for my match, so actually, again, it's a situation for both of us. So I was prepared and I was focused on this match. Yeah, I was waiting to go on court.

Q. I also want to ask you, as you say, you have now played all the Big 4. In your opinion, having seen Novak now, he's into the quarters, do you think he's back at a level where he could, if he comes up against Federer or Nadal, he could challenge them?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Okay, first he has Nishikori in quarters. But I think so. I would like to see this kind of match. If he goes through against Rafa or if he goes next one in the final, I don't know, but I would like to see his next matches and to see how is his level and if I was right (smiling) or I did really bad.

Q. Looking back at your entire grass court season, are you happy with it?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, I mean, it was good for me. I think was good swing. I just played two tournaments, actually. I couldn't play 's-Hertogenbosch as I had problem with my foot after French Open, and I skipped it this year.

And, yeah, like I said, I think I had good grass court season. Now it's time to take small rest and get ready for hard court, for American swing.

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