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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 7, 2018

Juan Martin Del Potro

Wimbledon, London, England

J. DEL POTRO/B. Paire

6-4, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How will you summarize your game today? Good? Bad?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, I think it was good, really good to beat Paire. Have to be in good shape, playing good. I won in three sets, which is good for my body. Now I have day off tomorrow to keep practicing and be ready for the next one.

Q. You have 6-4, 7-6, 6-3. In 7-6, what was missing there?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Benoit, he's a good player. He's dangerous most of the time. I had lucky in the tiebreak because I played little better than him. I took the second set. Then in the third one I played solid in the important moments of the set. That was the key.

Q. You have missed some Wimbledon chances because of your injuries. This is a surface where nobody plays very much on grass, but you have a good game for this surface. How do you feel about this and your chances now to do some damage here?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I know my game, it's adapting well for this surface. I had my chances to win here few years ago when I lost against Djokovic at the semifinals. But they were playing so good.

I don't know how far I will be in this tournament, but I'm confidence with my game at this time. I'm going match by match, see what could happens.

Anyways, I'm doing a good tournament already.

Q. Can you talk about your backhand, which has gotten so much better over the last year.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, I'm hitting more often with the two-handed backhand, which is good for me whole game. In this surface, I can mix it up with the slices and hit hard when I have the chance to make a winner with a two-handed backhand.

I think I improving all my game when I have also my backhand working good. It's pretty important for myself.

Q. When you're hitting the backhand, does it hurt here and there or is it perfect now?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, it's almost good, but I'm not having any pain, which I am available to play two-handed backhand or slices most of the time.

Q. Playing him well at the French, that must have given you confidence coming into here. Have you looked far ahead in the draw? You could play Nadal or Djokovic. Do you think it's time you could win your next Grand Slam?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I'm not thinking about that. What I said before: I'm going match my match, see what could happen in the next one.

I will play against Simon, which is a very smart player. He likes to be solid from the baseline. He likes to do long rallies all the time. I will try to be aggressive, doing short points, come in often to the net, and do my game.

Q. During the third set it was delayed because someone in the crowd was unwell. What are you thinking when that happens? How do you stay focused? In general, how are you finding the heat in London?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: We're trying just to be focused in our game. It's not unusual when these things happens. But then I broke his serves in that game, then I closed the game with my serve.

The heat, I mean, we prefer this kind of weather than the rains. We are in good shape to be out there and play good matches.

Q. Can you explain why you're traveling and staying without a coach in this period?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: What do you mean?

Q. You don't have a coach with you, do you?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah. I have since few months ago.

Q. Who is with you?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Sebastian Prieto.

Q. Benoit made a lot of noise today, had a lot to say to the umpire, photographers, to his shadow maybe. Was that distracting for you at all?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No. I know him very well (smiling). Always is a pleasure to play against him. You never know what could happens during the game. But I was just thinking about myself, and that's it.

Q. When you're not playing tennis, are you having relaxation or you play tennis all the time?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, I like to do different things on my life.

Q. Like what?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Like what? Well, now we have to watch the World Cup, England-Spain [sic]. We must do quick here and go to watch.

Q. You know England is one up now?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I know that (smiling).

Q. Do you know who scored the goal?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Defender.

Q. Do you feel like Djokovic is gradually getting better every week?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, I think so.

Q. Why?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Novak has been playing, what you say, every week much better. I saw him in very good shape at the Roland Garros. Now he has the confidence to play in this surface. He will face Edmund, I think, today, which is good. It's a good chance to see how Djokovic is.

But I think he will be very, very soon in the position that he deserves to be.

Q. I was chatting to Wayne Ferreira earlier today on Wimbledon's radio station. I said to take Federer and Nadal out of the equation. Who could do some damage? He looked me straight in the eye, del Potro, look out for that man. What do you think when you hear someone say that?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, he's a nice person. But I always say the same. Roger and Rafa are the favorites. We also thought that Cilic could be a dangerous guy, too, for them, but he lost. Also you have some big names as Kyrgios or Isner, Edmund, Djokovic. There are few many players who can be important in the last matches.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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