	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NEXT GEN ATP FINALS

November 7, 2018

Hubert Hurkacz

Fiera Milano, Italy

H. HURKACZ/J. Munar

4-2, 4-2, 2-4, 3-4, 4-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Can you talk a little about the format, how easy or difficult is it to get into a match, or do you have time or how does it work?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, it's different. It's funny because you get on the court and you do everything quick. Basically, you need to have your racket in the hand and just sprint to the center of the court and do the coin toss.

But, I mean, for the warmup, it actually works out. I mean, if there would be maybe one minute after the -- we finish the warmup, it might be good. Because if there is not, then you basically need to stay on your side and then start the match.

So, I mean, you can get used to it, but for the first time it's different.

Q. How does it work for you with the rules before you come on court? Was it done before the tournament started or did you all just make it a point to get to know everything before you came here?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, I was coming here, so I get to know the rules here. There was also a meeting, and they told us all the rules.

So, yeah, I didn't stop after I left court, so it's good for me. For the practice session I had some problems, but now it's okay.

Q. How much have you enjoyed chatting with Rene. I think yesterday after the second set you talked with him and that helped you a bit and today.
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, it's different. I mean, sometimes it's fun because you don't want to take it too much seriously. Like, the talk off the court, it feels weird.

Obviously you want to get to the tennis and, yeah, ask for to help maybe and maybe show my faults, what was happening on the court. And he can also show maybe this one looks a little different from there, from a different perspective. So it might be helpful, but, yeah, I don't know.

Q. And just about the match in general. He started to get a pretty good amount of momentum after the third set, middle of the fourth set. How were you able to sort of regroup and finish it off?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, started to make a bit more mistakes and I wasn't too aggressive. So that's what I needed to do. I mean, the tie-breaker I was aggressive, but I missed good shots. So, yeah, I was trying to be aggressive with the last set and, yeah, it paid off so I'm happy.

Q. Yesterday Rublev was saying that in these on-court interactions you can't really -- a coach can't really be honest with the player and vice versa. Do you agree with that? Do you think you can really say what is bothering you because people are listening?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, my coach told me that he was able to say whatever he wants to and he feels like, I mean, when he sees I'm doing something stupid or bad. I mean, yeah, for us there's no such problem.

Q. You've played two pretty intense games over two days. How was it getting yourself ready for today? Is it quite a stressful experience?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, it's different. Especially with this format, you cannot lose your focus on few points. If you lose one game, then the set is over. I mean, against Frances, the first set, I mean, I played two service games and lost the set in 12 minutes. So it can go really fast.

Q. And does it give you sort of impetus when you look at how it went yesterday that it regroups you for today to take on this next match which was really important for you to win today.
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, obviously I needed to learn from this experience from yesterday and see how it looks like here, also the different rules.

Yeah, I felt today I was maybe -- yeah, at the end I was a bit better, so I'm happy with that.

Q. And what do you think of the atmosphere here at the NextGen with everyone running around?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, it's great. Yeah, it's amazing. Great people here supporting, loving tennis also. So it's really fun to play here in front of this crowd.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297