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U.S. OPEN

August 30, 2018

Pierre-Hugues Herbert

New York, NY, USA

N. KYRGIOS/P. Herbert

4-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think turned around this match?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I don't know. I think from a set and 4-1, 3-0, I think Nick was not playing. Had the feeling he was, yeah, not giving 100%, not focused. For sure from that point something changed. He got better and better until the end. Then he beat me because he was better in the third and the fourth.

Q. What did you know of a discussion between Nick and the chair umpire?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: On court I tried to focus on myself. I just saw that Mohamed went down at the chair. I was a little bit surprised. He went to talk to him. I didn't listen to what they said because I tried to be focused on me, because it's not easy to play someone who's playing, not playing, you don't know.

I tried to concentrate on myself. That's it. On court, I tried to concentrate on myself. I didn't see what happened. I just saw that Nick from that point started to playing really, focused, 100%. Yeah, then I saw what happened after the match.

Q. You saw his level increased after that.
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: First of all, I'm upset against me because I should have finished the second set. I had a break up. I had some opportunities in the tiebreaker. I think Nick was playing better, but I couldn't manage to finish this set.

After this, for sure, when I saw how it went, you never know what would have happened if Mohamed didn't go down of the chair and started talking to him.

I played him in Wimbledon. It seemed a little bit the same. He was not focused 100%, then he pulled out after the second set.

I don't know what to think. I don't know if something happened, if Mohamed would have said something or not, it wouldn't have changed anything. I cannot tell you.

I just can tell you from that point Nick was playing much better.

Actually, the umpire doesn't have to talk to him at all. The only thing he can tell him is, yeah, pay attention, because if you continue like this, I'm going to give you a warning, something like this. They can tell him from the chair. He doesn't need to go down. He doesn't need to say the words he said on the video. I think this was not his job. I don't think he's a coach, he's an umpire, and he should stay on his chair for that.

Q. Do you think it's an umpire's place to do something like that?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: No, I don't at all. I don't think he has to go down and take the position of a coach, like you see on the WTA Tour. I don't know yet if it would have changed something. I just know he doesn't have to do that.

Q. Why do you think he did it?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: Because I think Mohamed, he's actually a really good umpire. I think he knows everybody. I think he cares for Nick. He cares for the show also because people were going after the first set. Everybody was there for the start. When they saw Nick in a bad mood, I would say, for the first two sets, they started going away.

I think like everybody, I think Nick today could be an amazing player. Just sometimes he's mentally, yeah, not here. I don't know where he was for the first two sets. I know he was on court after when he started playing, when he kicked my ass and was much better than me.

Q. Have you ever seen an umpire do something like that before?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: No, I don't remember. I don't think. But that's not his job. The fact is, I think Mohamed is an amazing umpire. But today I don't think he had to go down.

It didn't affect me that much. I mean, it was a big mess during the first and second set. You don't know, Nick is playing, not playing. He's serving first serves on the second, doing double-faults, then playing. For me, was like very hard. I was prepared for that. You know when you're playing Nick, anything can happen. That's why the crowd is here. That's why everybody loves him because you don't know what's going to happen.

So I was prepared for. I tried to focus on myself. But, yeah, like I said, afterwards, when I saw the video, when I heard what he said, was not his job. That's not what he's supposed to do.

Q. Did you have a chance to talk to either Mohamed or Kyrgios? Will you do it if you meet them?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I don't think I have to talk to Nick. I mean, Nick, yeah, what should I tell him? He's how he is. He has the right to do whatever he wants. He has the right, if he wants to not play for two sets. He does what he wants to do.

Mohamed, for sure, I'm going to have a discussion. I think he over-passed his job or what he was supposed to do.

But Nick, I mean, no. I mean, he was on the chair. Someone came and talked to him. I mean, he was not asking for that. He was not cheating. He was just playing and not being here. Then when he managed to play, he won because he was the better player on court.

I have nothing to say to Nick. If he wants to talk to me, I will be happy, but...

Q. He said it didn't help him at all.
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: What did he say?

Q. He said it didn't help him at all.
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: Maybe. I don't know. I mean, he knows. Maybe he knows better. Me, the only thing that happens is from that point, he was another player. That's it. If it was him who decided, that's maybe. He's capable of deciding, Now I'm going to come back. Or if the discussion with Lahyani helped him, I don't know.

Q. Talk about the singles game in tennis, such an individual sport, how important is it to keep problem-solving to the athlete himself rather than to have coaching or intervention?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I think we don't have that many players that play professionally that are having that many problems like Nick. I don't know. I never talked to him. I just know he's a fantastic player. He's a real talent. Sometimes he just doesn't want to play. I don't know why this morning he didn't start like he did in the third or in the fourth. When you see him play like this, you just think it's just amazing. He doesn't miss a ball. He's serving over 210, 220 the whole time. He's so difficult to play.

I don't think in men's tennis we need coaching. I don't know if that was the question. Maybe we should. Maybe why not? Tournaments put someone to coach, but I don't think we need that that much.

Q. You said what you think of what happened. What do you think the tournament should do about it?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I think Mohamed Lahyani did a mistake. First of all, I have to see the full video and see everything he said. I saw a lot of people who told me, I heard one thing, I want to help me. I think I heard him saying that. I don't think this is appropriate for an umpire to go down and say, I want to help you.

I think, yeah, he did a mistake. I mean, he's human. I'm human, too. I'm doing mistakes. I break racquets. I get a fine. I don't know what they can do. But I think, yeah, there's something to do so it doesn't happen again.

Now the only thing is, we don't know what would have happened if he didn't do it, because he did it. Yeah, we're not supposed to having a coach on court.

Q. What action by the tournament would satisfy you after what has happened?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: Maybe give me the prize money of the winner. That would be I think fair, yes (smiling).

No, I don't know. That's not my job. I mean, I'm a tennis player. I'm supposed to concentrate on playing. That's what I did today. It didn't happen. I think that's not my job to try and know what should be happen.

I know there's something that should be done, I think. Like when I get a warning or when I get a point penalty, I get a fine. I think it's both ways. It's not like the umpires can give warnings and point penalty, then we have fines to pay.

If he makes a mistake, I think he should be also punished. But I think he doesn't make that many mistakes, Mohamed. I think he's a really good umpire. But just today I think he went over what he should have done.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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