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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 6, 2019

Matteo Berrettini

Wimbledon, London, England

M. BERRETTINI/D. Schwartzman

6-7, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you find the match today? Tough one? Long one? Played well?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: I guess so. Yeah, a really tough one. I wasn't feeling so good. I think I guess also because he was playing good. He's annoying me, you know, the way he plays. It's, I don't know, I don't like it. Yeah.

And, yeah, I was a little bit nervous, too. But the good thing is the match was -- it's best of five, so I had time to, you know, to figure it out and to improve my mind, you know. Yeah, it was a tough one, definitely.

Q. Likely quite a tough one next, Roger Federer. What do you make of that matchup?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: It's crazy what's happening. The match of today, the match of Monday, it's, I don't know. I have to realize. I'm really happy, really proud of myself.

I was saying to myself during the match, I think during the fourth set, because I was complaining about myself a little bit, I was asking myself more and more, like always. But some point I just said to myself, okay, Just be proud, you know, for what you're doing, for what you did this year or the past years, you know.

Yeah, I'm really happy.

Q. Very good results you have so far, especially on grass. Do you think that slowly you find yourself more and more as a member of the next generation?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: You have to say me this, yeah, I'm feeling confident. I'm feeling really good, especially on grass. I didn't expect that during, I mean, before the grass season. I was feeling good in the Davis Cup match in India on grass, but I didn't expect this kind of results.

So, yeah, I'm the top 20 or something like this, and I'm playing good. I'm playing against the best guys on tour. So, yeah, I think so.

Q. What will be the key factor to beat Roger?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: I have to speak with my coach tomorrow. He's gonna tell me (smiling).

No, but for sure is gonna be unbelievable experience, and I think I have the weapons to, I mean, to play my match and see what's gonna happen.

I'll be focused on my serve. I try to play aggressive. I think that's the point.

Q. When you were young, was playing Federer at Wimbledon in your dreams, on your list of things you imagined or not?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I think so, yeah. When I was a child I was playing tennis, but not professional, I was looking at him, like, I mean, the best player. I was cheering for him.

Now, I mean, I kind of stop cheering for him when I saw myself in the -- I didn't remember which tournament, but I saw his name and then my name in the draw. So it was, like, now I'm playing same tournament, so I cannot cheer for him (smiling).

But, yeah, I grow up looking at him. So for sure it's gonna be one of the dream.

Q. Do you remember the first Wimbledon match or final you watched him play? Any recollection?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: I remember some with Nadal and the one with Roddick in the fifth, like, really tough. I think 9-7, something like this, yeah.

Q. There is a story about Roger using analytics more and more since his comeback in 2017. He's been using this analytics company to kind of design tactics for certain opponents. That's become quite a thing with the top guys. Wondering if you have any thoughts about that? What are your thoughts on the kind of already brilliant players having that kind of extra boost? Do you use stuff like that yourself?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: I just started to use it, but slowly, like, because I have to work on other things, I mean, more now.

But we started, like, few months ago, and, yeah, I think it's good for everybody. I mean, for top players especially, because maybe Roger, yeah, knows me now, but, I mean, not too much. He can figure out more what kind of player I am, what I like to do.

Yeah, tennis is growing. I mean, so I think it's good.

Q. Is that ever weird guys are looking at your game, thinking this is where he's rubbish? Does that kind of scare you?
MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I mean, I think Roger, I think he doesn't need this to beat me, but... But, yeah, why not? Yeah, I mean, I'm feeling proud because they are looking at me right now, like they are studying me. It's kind of a compliment, you know, something you have to be proud of. So, yeah.

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