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NEXT GEN ATP FINALS

November 6, 2019

Alex De Minaur

Fiera Milano, Italy

A. De MINAUR/M. Kecmanovic

4-1, 4-3, 1-4, 4-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Both times you have dropped a set this week you have come back out and won the next sets either 4-0 or 4-1. How have you been able to regroup so well both times this week?
ALEX de MINAUR: You know, it's part of all the work I have done with my psychologist. It's about not getting down on yourself.

I mean, it's not saying that I don't get angry or I don't get frustrated. It's about trying to minimize the time you're actually frustrated.

Obviously after that set, I was a bit frustrated that, you know, it didn't go my way. But I tried to, you know, minimize the time and focus on the new set coming up, telling myself I'm two sets to one up, and I'm playing a very good match.

So I was able to put everything behind and focus on what was ahead of me, and I was able to get the early break and play some good tennis.

Q. My question is connected to the previous one. This format of this tournament is about giving players the chance to play more crucial points because the sets are shorter. So do you think you dropped the set because after two sets, the focus that you need to keep is too much and so you need to pause a little bit to restart in the next set, or it's something that you don't feel like?
ALEX de MINAUR: Well, you know, it's tough, because when you look at it, I'm pretty sure I had breakpoints in the third set and I wasn't able to convert that game. Then he came out and he played a good game to break me.

Then I still had chances to break him back, but, you know, like that, it wasn't like I lost my focus, I just did not execute in the important points. I had my chance to break him and to try and, you know, finish off quite comfortably, but he came out and he played well, so after that third set I just had to regroup and try to focus on what the initial game plan was, and I was able to execute.

Q. The condition here looks very fast. Can you compare this tournament to another tournament where did you play this year? And do you speak with Hewitt every day, many times? What do you say to him? Which sort of relationship you have with coaching you?
ALEX de MINAUR: Well, obviously I feel like the courts are very quick. The balls are a little bit slower. I think it's, in a way, similar to maybe Paris. You know, it's conditions that I really enjoy.

Regarding Lleyton, he's the Davis Cup captain, and he's helped me in the past as mentor, and, you know, we do talk every now and then. You know, the whole Davis Cup team, they're going to come to Milan to prepare for Davis Cup, so they will be coming in on Friday, I believe, and so I'll see all my teammates there.

Q. Is there anything you don't like about the format?
ALEX de MINAUR: Well, look, it's obviously different to everything that we play throughout the whole year. There's aspects of it that obviously all of the new quirks, it makes it better for the spectator.

There's stuff I like; there's stuff I don't like. But it's about adapting to circumstances. You know, it's no use to go out here and anything that doesn't go your way start complaining about it.

It's just another tennis match for me, different conditions but something you've got to get used to. I feel like with the shorter format, as they said, there is more crucial points. Anything can happen. And, you know, we have seen that with a lot of sudden-death points that can completely change a match.

Q. Here all people they make qualification. Which reason is the most important here for you in this tournament? There are some players who are not so (indiscernible) by physical condition, or someone else is just improving his mind, and someone else is -- you know, like Sinner is very young, so he needs... What's the main reason you think you are here? Which sort of advantage could you have after this tournament? Why is important for you?
ALEX de MINAUR: Look, it's a tournament that I was looking forward to coming. I had a lot of fun last year. It was a shame that there was a lot of dropouts lately, but it's still an event that I really enjoyed last year and I was so close.

Look, I have had a big year, so I maybe could have, you know, tried to recover and have some time off before Davis Cup, but for me, this is a great event, an event that I really enjoy.

Obviously we've got a very strong field of all these guys who have had incredible years, and they all deserve to be here. It's just another tournament for me, another opportunity to try and go out there and win matches and try to play some good tennis. In the same way, it will help me towards Davis Cup.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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