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NATURE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

June 25, 2019

Andy Murray

Eastbourne, England

CABAL-FARAH/Melo-Murray

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was it difficult changing partners again? Will it be another challenge next week, as well?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, yes, it's obviously not the perfect situation to be in, but I think sort of playing a match within 40 hours of finishing, you know, is quite a quick turnaround. Conditions here very different conditions to Queen's court. It's really slow out there.

So, I mean, they returned extremely well, I think, both of them off both of our serves. Made it tough for both of us. Yeah, it's tricky, but quick, quick turnaround.

Q. What are the preparations now for next week?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I don't know. I literally finished 10 minutes ago. I didn't sort of plan on what I'd be doing obviously tomorrow and stuff yet, but I will have a couple of days off.

I hit tennis balls every day since, like, last Sunday. So that was, like, nine or ten days in a row, which I have not done that once since I started playing again. I'll probably take a couple of days off, let my body rest up a little bit, then get training I would imagine.

Q. Are you still pleased with the progress you're making, though, physically?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I had a really, really good week last week and pulled up fine, like, I was not in any pain or discomfort. That's obviously really, really nice for me.

I mean, obviously you always want to play really well, but, you know, so long as I'm fit and healthy and I can stay on the practice court and stay on the match court, I'll improve all the time. That's how it normally works. Hopefully that will be the case.

Q. Without playing down the disappointment of just losing a match, might it be a blessing having had four fairly intense matches last week to have a few days off now?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think more, like, the chance to -- because regardless of how I did here, you know, I probably would have taken a couple of days afterwards, anyway. But it's more I get to go and get used to the conditions and stuff at Wimbledon and the courts again. They are different. I know they're grass, but they are different each week.

You know, the doubles starts on Wednesday/Thursday there. I'll probably get a good week's kind of practicing beforehand, and I'll be able to do some physical work, as well, and work on the bits of my game that I need to get better.

Q. While you wouldn't wish it upon yourself, do you think this result will help manage public expectation going to Wimbledon?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know. I'm not responsible for that. I don't have high expectations at all, and that's one of the things that -- you know, I got asked yesterday in an interview about that, like, expectations and stuff.

You know, all of that is kind of external stuff, like, I didn't expect to be in this position a few months ago. It's obviously disappointing when you lose, but, you know, I could easily lose in the first round of doubles at Wimbledon. You know, I won't be seeded. You know, playing the best team in the world two weeks in a row in the first round, that can also happen at Wimbledon, as well. It's just tough.

So you can't obviously just expect to win every match in every tournament you play just now. Yeah, I'll go there and prepare well and hopefully play good tennis and give my best effort, and that's all I can do.

Q. Has the mood changed among the regular doubles players this week in that you have come, as a singles player ostensibly, and taken one of their trophies for the first time of asking? Do they take you a bit more seriously as a doubles player, do you think?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't care whether they take me seriously as a doubles player or not, to be honest (smiling). I'll give them good matches, I'm sure, when I play against them.

And, yeah, we'll see. I mean, maybe they'll be sort of scouting and stuff. And the more doubles matches I play, I guess, they'll start to see more patterns of play and things. But I think it happens sometimes in doubles it's easy to overanalyze things a little bit. You know, a lot of it is sort of quick reaction, you know, not easy to prepare for that.

Some days, because of the way that guys move up at the net, you could hit a perfect return crosscourt one week and the guy at the net moves the other way and you win the point, and then the next week they move the opposite way and you lose the point. That's kind of how it works a bit in doubles. Things need to go your way a little bit, as well.

Q. Any decision on mixed doubles?
ANDY MURRAY: No. I actually spoke a little bit with my team about that this morning. I'll try and decide on that probably by tomorrow, I would think. Then also just decide if I'm definitely 100% going to play, as well.

I have spoken to a couple of the guys who don't play mixed doubles all the time, and, you know, they were just saying, you know, you get a couple of bad days of rain, you end up having to play best-of-five doubles followed by a mixed doubles, and that can happen, like, a couple of days in a row.

I need to be certain that I'm ready to do that. You know, I think I should be okay. Ideally the weather will be good and you don't have to worry too much about that, but we'll see.

Q. Have you spoken much to Herbert about when you're going to get together and plans for Wimbledon?
ANDY MURRAY: I saw him just before he went onto the court, and I have messaged him back and forth a few times the last week or so, week or ten days or so.

He obviously won his singles today, and, you know, his priority is going to be singles, as well, and I understand that. You know, we spoke about that when he decided to play, as well, and he wasn't planning on playing doubles.

So we probably won't get to practice too much together, so I think I'm going to play on the other side of the court, on the deuce court with him. So that's another change and something that I'll have to practice a bit this week if that's going to be the case.

Q. When you play here, do you stay in Eastbourne? Do you stay with in-laws or commute from home?
ANDY MURRAY: I stayed at a hotel here. And then last year when I was here I stayed at the hotel and then some nights with family.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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