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FEVER-TREE CHAMPIONSHIP

June 22, 2019

Andy Murray

London, England

LOPEZ-MURRAY/Kontinen-Peers

7-5, 6-7, 10-7

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Were you surprised by Feliciano's endurance? He kept going almost five hours on court.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, I just said on the interviews on court he did brilliant, really. Not just sort of in the way he played but in the way he carried himself at the end of the match and stuff. Big energy. Was getting pumped.

It was cool for me to see that, you know. He's been on the tour for, like, 20 years and I appreciate that he's got a big final in singles to play tomorrow and it's getting dark and late, second day in a row. But he did really, really well. Yeah, it was a great, great effort from him.

Q. What were you pleased about with your performance today?
ANDY MURRAY: Return and probably movement, like, forwards. I think I returned well today. And then there was a few balls that I picked up which maybe I wouldn't have done in the first match. I was maybe a bit more either slower or a bit more apprehensive to move to some of those balls, but I thought I picked up some good ones today.

But there's definitely things I could do better. I could have served a bit better. Maybe I didn't volley as well as I did in the first match. You know, hopefully those things will improve. But it was pretty good.

Q. You have played a few competitive matches this week. How do you feel in terms of fatigue or pain?
ANDY MURRAY: No pain in my hip at all, zero. My back's a bit stiff. You know, you're sort of getting down low for a lot of balls and you're always kind of in a crouched-over position in doubles a bit more than when you're in singles. I'm not used to that as much, so my back has been a little bit stiff after some of the matches. My arm is a little bit tired from serving and stuff. But my hip's been brilliant so far. I don't feel anything at all. It's amazing (smiling).

Q. Are you worried about Feli's recovery at all tomorrow?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, look, he's going to be tired. Of course he is. He's played so much tennis. But that's where I need to try and help out where I can there. Like, when he's serving, try and take a few more balls at the net and, you know, make as many returns as I can, try to help him out there.

But, you know, the way that he serves, he has an ability to keep points short, which helps, but, I mean, look, he's going to be tired. It is tough what's happened today, because although it might not seem like a huge deal and, like, not eating for six or seven hours might not seem much, but he's been on court pretty much for six hours in a row, you know, not eating, not refueling and stuff. So it's difficult for him.

That's why I thought he did so well tonight, because, you know, zero recovery between the matches and, you know, he did really good.

Q. Have you surprised yourself by reaching the final on your first tournament back?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, I didn't -- I didn't know what to expect, and obviously I had tough, tough draw, as well, playing the top seeds in the first match and never played with Feli before. So, yeah, I didn't have high expectations at all.

Yeah, I think things have probably got a little bit better maybe with each match, as well. Definitely on the return side of things, that's probably the thing I was most happy with today. And, yeah, I didn't expect to be playing in the final, no, that's for sure.

Q. Jose Mourinho was very complimentary about you. A little bit of a pep talk? Did he say very much?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, I chatted with him a little bit. I was literally about to start practicing, but I met him a couple of times before. He loves his tennis. And, yeah, he obviously, you know, knows what it's like to sort of stay at the top of a sport for a very, very long time.

Yeah, he just wished me well. Was asking a bit about my hip and asked him what he was up to, try and see if he was going to come to Arsenal (smiling) or hips. But, yeah, wasn't giving anything away.

Q. Either of you or your brother have been in a Queen's final for the past seven years. Is that a family achievement?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I didn't know that, but that's cool. I mean, I know he loves playing at this tournament. He really enjoys coming here, and I have always enjoyed it and played some of my best tennis, and, yeah, it's a nice thing obviously to do. Hopefully keep it going for a few more years.

Q. You've got three different partners coming up. Do you think you have picked up things as a doubles player you wouldn't have learnt as a singles player?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think there are certain things I'm practicing in doubles I don't hardly ever do when I'm playing singles, and I'm consistently practicing them every day, like obviously serve/volleying. I might do that, let's say I do that 10 times, 20 times a week when I'm playing singles. I'm not practicing it loads. Whereas I'm doing it literally every single point here.

I ideally would have liked to have played with the same partner every single week, because it's quite, quite different playing on -- like, at Wimbledon I'm going to be playing on the opposite side so play on the deuce court when I'm returning, which is obviously different.

Because of the way Feli serves, like, with a lefty, your movement to the net after he serves changes because of the spins he's putting on the ball and things.

That makes things a bit tricky, and, yeah, almost had a partner for three weeks but didn't quite work out. Yeah, I have got three brilliant partners, so hopefully we can do okay. But I have to do a few things differently each week.

Q. Any news on the mixed doubles yet?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I personally haven't spoken to anyone yet since the other day. I probably in the next, I guess probably by beginning to middle of next week I'll -- we chatted briefly about it this morning with the guys, because my coach had a few, you know, messages from players, and then, you know, a few people have said stuff online, but I haven't actually spoken to anyone since.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
ANDY MURRAY: Well, there are some players I would obviously like to play with, and I mentioned obviously Ash the other day, because I think she's obviously a brilliant player, but the way she plays obviously suits doubles tennis. So ideally, try and find someone who is, you know, a quality doubles player. Yeah, that's the most important thing.

Q. Sharapova was one of those who put her name forward online. Is she one of the serious considerations?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I haven't given it lots of thought, really. She's obviously done some -- I think she maybe won mixed at US Open once? Did she? I don't know. Did she not win it? No, she didn't?

I think we played once together in the IPTL before, and I don't remember us playing particularly well together.

Q. It wouldn't be awkward after you exchanged some comments around the drug stuff? It wouldn't stop you on that front?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, possibly. But like I say, I haven't given it -- I haven't given it a whole lot of thought. But at the time I said what I felt. I still feel the same way about those things, and that's never going to change.

Q. Has she actually gotten in touch with your team to say, I can play with Andy, or has she just put something on Twitter?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know. I didn't speak to my team about that. Yeah, I don't think so.

Did you get anything? No. I haven't chatted with her.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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