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ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2019

Alexander Zverev

Paris, France

A. ZVEREV/D. Lajovic

6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 1-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. A bit up and down today. What do you think about it?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, obviously I started off not so good, being a break down twice in the first set, and then I came back very well. Second set was almost perfect for me.

And then I think he picked up his level, as well, in the third set. The fourth set I played, you know, I played very bad. Great to come through.

Obviously he's been somebody that has been playing very well. Made finals of Monte-Carlo. One of the best clay-court players that we had this season. It's nice to get the win.

Q. How do you find your shape, your form? Do you think you're in a good track? You're much better than maybe you were think of yourself in Monte-Carlo and now...
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Oh, yeah.

Q. Now different?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Way different.

Q. You have to play against Fognini. Does it have a special feeling, the possibility to take a small or big revenge?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Revenge, no. I have beaten him before. I have beaten him in Rome. I have beaten him other tournaments.

Obviously, as I said, he's also been one of the best clay-court players this season, winning his first Masters, so obviously playing great tennis. Beating Rafa there, as well, and I think along the way a lot of good players.

So it's going to be a difficult match. I think he's playing very well. Hasn't lost more than a set so far in a match. So, you know, it's going to be difficult match. I'm ready for it. I think I'm playing much better than I have the last few months. You know, we'll see how it goes.

Q. What do you think makes Fognini hard to play against? What do you think of him as a man?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: As a man? He's a great man (smiling). Has a wife, has a kid, he's doing good in life.

No, I mean, he's unpredictable, as well. He can hit the ball very, very hard. He moves unbelievably fast.

You know, when he's on, he's very tough to beat, especially on this surface. It's going to be interesting what happens in two days' time. Anyways, I'll be ready for it. I'll try my best.

Q. Do you feel this year in this tournament less pressure than in other years, Grand Slam tournaments, because of your clay court season?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, not less pressure. Just -- I mean, I think I have been talked about less, which is a very nice thing. You know, people talk about obviously Rafa, Novak, and all those guys, but Tsitsipas, much, much more, which is, for me, very nice.

No, he deserves to have a lot of credit and also how he's been playing has been great. So, you know, it kind of takes away attention from me a little bit, and it's, for me, this is a very nice thing to have.

Q. You have a good track record here at Roland Garros of winning in the fifth set. Do you think that when the pressure is on and the stakes are high that you rise better to that competition? Do you think that that puts you in a good place going into the second week of Roland Garros, knowing that when it does get tough, you can get the win?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, for sure. I don't think I have ever lost in five sets here. It's a good thing to have in the back of your head. Hopefully I can continue this run. We'll see how it goes.

They didn't explain me the rules of five sets yet, so somebody needs to tell me I don't necessarily need to play five sets every time I step on the court (smiling). Maybe that will be Ivan's job over the next few days.

Q. We are at the Grand Slam, and there is one guy, one German guy, who recently put on auction all his trophies, Grand Slam trophies. What kind of lesson, if we can learn from that, which I think is extraordinary?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: What lesson?

Q. Yes. I mean, what kind of life lesson? When a Grand Slam champion is forced to...
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'm not going to talk bad about Boris, if that's what you're expecting me to do. I'm not going to go there. I am very good friends with him. I respect him a lot, what he's done on the tennis court, off the tennis court. I am not even going to say one bad thing about him. You can try it with other players, not with me.

Q. It's not trying a bad thing. It's about what do you think about the whole situation?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I just answered it.

THE MODERATOR: I think we have moved on. Next question, please.

Q. We know you enjoy your time in Paris. I understand you have been enjoying some Japanese food at one of your favorite restaurants over the last few days. Can you tell us what it is that you like most about Paris when you are not on the court and how you relax when you're not playing tennis, without giving us too many details?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Actually, me and Marcelo Melo, he's playing right now so I'm watching it very closely, we found a new thing for us. We take out the scooters that are everywhere, those companies, you can hire the scooters and we go to restaurants only by scooters. We haven't taken the car one time.

Two days ago we actually maybe went a bit too far. We had dinner close to the Eiffel Tower, which is 5.5 kilometers away. It was tradition. He's very superstitious. We had to take the scooters back, which took us about 45 minutes, 11:00 at night. That's what we have been up to lately in Paris.

Q. I don't know if they asked you already about Lendl, if he's here, if he's not here.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I answered this. He's going to be at the grass court season.

Q. Only there?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah.

Q. Is there a reason?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, because I played Geneva and we didn't have time to prepare here. We thought there is no point coming here basically with one practice session. We decided I'm going to do Paris by myself, and you will see him a lot during the grass court season and you'll have plenty of time to get tired of him.

Q. But he calls you? You speak on the phone?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, we talk every day.

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