	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

BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

December 30, 2018

Gregor Dimitrov

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

THE MODERATOR: First question for Grigor, please.

Q. Grigor, just in general, the preseason prep. How do you feel about your tennis? Any big changes you've made on and off the court?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: No. So far things have been pretty good. The biggest thing for me was that I got to practice a few extra weeks this year. I was really happy with that, to be honest, just because, I mean, I know how hectic my previous year was and it was kind of nice to have a little break and at the same time start the off season a little earlier, spend quite a few good weeks in December in Vegas with Andre, so yeah, everybody is pretty happy, to be honest, and the team, we're all on the same page, which is super important. And we're just starting to build up again, and here am I starting again. So, yeah, always beautiful to kick off the season here in Australia.

Q. Has Andre decided to come out here at all with you?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah. He's coming to Melbourne. So yeah, we're going to be reacquainted pretty soon. So, yeah, I love spending time with him. And, again, as I said, the whole team is pretty happy to have him around, and I mean, you learn something on a daily basis.

Q. Are you guys communicating on the phone when he's not here?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, absolutely. We chat. I mean whenever we have the time, obviously the time difference doesn't help, but we just want to keep on building on what we've sort of started, especially this off season, and potentially get back on the right track and have a better result.

Q. What's the feeling like when you come back to a place where you've had success before? Do you immediately sort of get that good thought when you come back here?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah. Even, I came back, and it was like I saw everybody just yesterday. It's crazy how fast time flies. If you think about it, one year has gone by, but yet, when I come around, I'm like, hey, guys, how you been? It's a great tournament, to be honest, absolutely one of my favorites. And I think the beginning of every year it's so important, and this is obviously my choice since, I don't know, six, seven years in a row already. So that's something that obviously I enjoy, but as I said, I'm really focused to just build up now, and of course, knowing that I've done well here, I think it always helps me to play better and perform better. So hopefully this year is going to be no different than the other ones and I can have just as much success.

Q. Possible second round against Edmund.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Second round? Really? I don't think so.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah. I mean, as I said, every match, at least for me, is very important. Doesn't matter, again, what kind of a tournament I'm playing, I'm there to win. I'm there to perform and try everything that I've worked so hard for. It's as simple as that. So that's all I'm going to try to focus on right now is just one match at a time. Obviously the past months haven't been the best for me, but in the same time I had to work on some details. I had to make sure that I'm ready to perform 100 percent, and so when I get out there on the court, I know there's no -- I mean obviously there's no shortcuts, but I know that I can count on what I've built on. And I think right now is no different. I mean the body feels ready. As I said, the team is in a good place. We've done the work. So it's all up to us now to get out and perform.

Q. Last year here you had at least three matches that were memorable, because I can remember them.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: (Laughs).

Q. One of them was against Millman. Could I get a players' eye view of his improvements over the last couple of years?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah. Obviously last year when I played him, I still remember the match very vividly. I mean, he played absolutely lights out, honestly. I mean, he had match points, and he had to come up with some unbelievable shots. And I think obviously it's never easy to play on such a level for such a long time. Obviously it's not easy, but I mean he proved that he can do that throughout the whole match, so yeah, as I said, I think with each year he has improved. I think his body is getting even better. So yeah, there's a lot of, I think a lot of positive up sides. And he's playing at home now, so he should definitely use that to his advantage.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297