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ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2019

Kyle Edmund

Paris, France

K. EDMUND/J. Chardy

7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How satisfying was that victory, Kyle?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, very good. Yeah, good five-set win. Kind of the way it happened today, it's kind of losing a little bit of emotion from yesterday just because it's a different day and stuff.

But going back to yesterday, to come through that was great for me. Very happy with it. You know, great fight, good character, good composure, you know, especially in an environment like that. And physically and just -- it was lots of positives for me. That was great to take forward. So, yeah, very pleased.

Q. How did you sleep last night?
KYLE EDMUND: I slept okay. I mean, you get to bed late just because you finish up late. And once I got in, I got some food, packed my bag, and then I probably got about six, six and a half hours' sleep. So normally you want more, but it is what it is.

And I knew today the match was going to finish no matter what, so you have rest of the day to do what you want. But it was fine. It was just about sort of my mind was on the match but also just knowing that you can't do anything about it until you get on court, so just try and rest.

Q. Were you happy that the supervisor last night called an end to it at 9:22? It looked like Chardy was maybe fading, but I don't know. Maybe it was tough in the light to see the ball.
KYLE EDMUND: It didn't actually cross my mind stopping. I think just because I was just so in the zone and playing and trying to concentrate and just manage everything. You know, when you get in those sort of hours and situations, you don't -- you are just focusing on the match. Nothing really comes like that in your head. You know, you are just in the moment with the atmosphere.

So obviously it was getting dark and the supervisor just said it's going to get dark very quickly now. So, yeah, in some way you're like, oh, it's always nice to finish. You come back the next day, you just practice and you don't have to warm up and stuff.

The way it actually worked out today it was obviously great. And I don't think I play tomorrow either so you still have that rest day anyway.

Q. I noticed yesterday you started off like a train the first couple of games and you sort of ended it and started off again today in a similar kind of fashion. Were those two things connected and did you feel this performance has been sort of in there for the last month or so just sort of waiting to come out?
KYLE EDMUND: I mean, yeah, both times I starting the match winning the two first games. I mean, yesterday I think I just started well, but he actually came -- obviously came back to me in the first.

Today it was more just -- I didn't actually focus on yesterday, how I started, but just the situation in terms of, you know, it was literally just like almost a sprint.

And very important I held, but I like the fact I was serving first serves, always pressure on him to keep in the match. And in those situations, any points you get, like 15-All or Love-15 just automatically create pressure.

So physically, after four hours in a match, you don't have quite the same intensity. But after having a bit of a rest, I knew that I could just really go intense for -- if it needed to be half an hour or 20 minutes or however long it took.

But that was just my aim today was just to come out really firing and almost impose myself on him.

In terms of the performance, I mean, I wouldn't really say it's been in there. I just felt good this last week. Like, I had a really good training week, probably the best I've had in a long time. So I was happy through that, like, confident in my ability.

When you do lose, it always, you know, makes you hungry and it sort of -- not fires you up, but, you know, those losses always hurt. So you always, when you get in positions like yesterday, it sort of drives you forward more.

Q. Just going back to the atmosphere last night, it was raucous, almost like Davis Cup atmosphere. Did you enjoy that? Do you remember your first win here in 2015? Was it a similar sort of feel?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it was very, very much the same. So I knew that I had been in that situation. It's not like I was in it so I'm used to it. I just knew I had been in it before and come through it. So it wasn't like a new experience. I just had to keep my head down.

And when you expect something like that to happen, it's not a surprise when it does. So it's going to happen. It's normal when you're playing French players here that the crowd is going to get behind them, very vocal and stuff.

So, yeah, that's kind of -- don't let it affect you. And that's what I did. It's just wasted energy, and especially when you're playing for four hours, if you're worrying about the crowd. It's not going to help you.

Q. About your kit, do you like it?
KYLE EDMUND: It's not -- it's okay. I mean, you get what you're given with Nike. So there's actually a story behind it rather than they just decide to come up with it. So there's a reason to do with the French Revolution, I was told.

And, yeah, I mean, I wouldn't personally pick flowers if I had to do it, but...

Q. Do you have a right to veto? Do you have the right to say, listen, I'm not wearing that?
KYLE EDMUND: I'm sure if you said I would like to wear something else and I don't want to play in this, they would accommodate. But, you know, I've played in pink kits and bright yellow kits, so this one was not too bad. There's a white one as well with some pictures on it. That's more to do with the story behind it. So, yeah.

Q. Yesterday, whatever the state of the match, you looked pretty calm and focused, but today you finished the match off within seven minutes and some people have described it as a ruthless display this morning. Do you have a ruthless streak? Will we be seeing more eye of the tiger from now on, do you think?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I mean, like, it was similar to what I was saying earlier. I just knew that the intensity had to be high. There's no point coming out there sort of thinking you're going to play five sets. You have to really manage yourself that I could allow myself to be really expressive and intense and not worry about physically or anything like that.

So, yeah, I always play better when I am more intense and stuff, but it is impossible to go like that through the whole match, so you do have to manage it.

Yeah, it was a good situation for me the more I thought about it and woke up this morning. It was sort of very clear, the situation, where it was. And I just liked how it was sitting.

It was important that I focused on my first game. Otherwise, it would have put me straight on the back foot, losing the first point or two points Love-30, with that crowd, it just compounds itself. So it was very important that I was there from ball one.

Q. Your next opponent, he's very much someone who is home on the clay court, isn't he?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, he's a good player. I don't actually -- I hadn't really noticed him being around that much. I don't know if he's been a bit injured at some point, but, yeah, of course tough match.

But, you know, I've just played a very tough match now, so it's kind of like you're just expecting a tough match. It's not like you go tough match to easy match or anything like that.

So, yeah, it's just I have to go out there and play again, and I'm in a good place. I've shown I can play tough. I've proved that now. So, yeah, just got to go out there and not really overthink it and just play. My game is certainly good enough now to do damage.

Q. How far do you think you can go in this tournament?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, every tournament you want to do that. It doesn't happen like that. So, I mean, every time I have turned up the last five events I want to win, but I haven't. So I'm just focussing on what can I do to win and improving that, and I'm trying to do that. But it was a good start today.

You know, I learned from playing Australian Open you don't turn up to an event going, I'm going to win this event, and just think about that. I really went one match at a time. And you do realize, when I made the semis, that it is a journey. Like, lots of ups and downs you've got to manage a lot. It doesn't just go straightforward as plenty of things that come up at you. So it's more focused on being ready for that.

Q. After three and a half hours last night you still had the deciding set and it felt like you lifted your level mentally and physically, played a really good set to get to 5-All, because he was playing well as well?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah.

Q. Is that very satisfying particularly?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I was pleased how I finished. Like you said, I actually felt I was playing my best tennis at the end of the match or end of yesterday's match. Which, you know, maybe logically it doesn't make sense because you are more fatigued, but my level was at its best in the fifth set, which is, yeah, good in a very important way that I'm able to produce my best tennis when it counts.

And that gave me a lot of confidence in my body and my level that after that length of time I could do that. It's one of the things I was saying to Hilts yesterday that I was actually playing my best tennis at the end, which was good. And I think Chardy was at well. He was -- it was a good standard. I mean, you obviously want to break him and hold and get in front, but it was neck and neck and it was a good level.

So that was something pleasing, but, yeah, nearing on three-and-a-half, coming up on the four-hour mark, I was feeling good in there.

Q. How well do you know Paul Jubb and what do you make of his achievement?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know him very well to be honest. I've hit with him probably two or three times back up in Halle when he was there. He was down at the Nuffield. So I know the guys that looked after him. One of my best mates looked after him when he was there. So obviously know what he's about and stuff and what he's gone through. And he was in America.

But in terms of how he's done there, I had no idea. And it's not like -- I don't really speak to him. But it's obviously great that just for him personally, for sure, winning a tournament like that. Just doing a world of good, and he did it by -- you know, he did it like on his own. He proved it. And great for him. You know, it's a really good achievement to win that type of event. Lots of good players.

So I'm just more, you know, really pleased for him. Nothing else. Carries on with his journey. You know, he shouldn't get hyped up or anything like that. He should continue just to let him grow and stuff. He's still got so much to learn, but his confidence will definitely do him good winning a tournament like that.

Q. History wasn't my best subject, but what is the French Revolution story that you referred to earlier?
KYLE EDMUND: Do you think I would know? (Laughter.)

Q. No?
KYLE EDMUND: No, I don't.

Q. No, I don't know. No one has told you nothing about it?
KYLE EDMUND: Just like no one has told you anything about it.

Q. Are you curious to find out?
KYLE EDMUND: No. Nike just said it's based on the French Revolution. There's a story behind it. That's why there's those type of pictures and flowers and stuff. But I didn't go into it. But, yeah, it's not my strong subject either.

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