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ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 17, 2020

Lloyd Harris

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

L. HARRIS/T. Paul

6-4, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations on your first final. How are you after that fall in the last game?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, thank you. I feel fine. I mean, I don't think I hurt anything, so it's good.

I fell pretty hard. Yeah, I did fall hard, but I think it's maybe a little bruise or two. Hopefully nothing too bad. I feel fine, honestly.

Q. You also said that you and Tommy, you thought, were a little bit nervous at the start. How did you get rid of the nerves?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, it was difficult. I mean, it's never easy. You know, I have never gone past the semifinals. I know Tommy pretty well. I think he was nervous, as well. We were kind of sharing the nerves a little bit there in the start.

But once I got through my first couple service games and started to find a little bit of rhythm in the match, then I kind of shook it off.

I mean, I tried to increase my level, but it was a difficult match all in all. It was one of those days where I felt like, okay, I wasn't at 100%, I wasn't playing my best, but somehow I managed to battle through it. So that was amazing for me.

Q. And you said right at the end that you felt you needed to serve out that game because he had seen you fall obviously and you wanted to finish it.
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, I think that's something he does so well is he can make you play a lot of balls, get a lot of returns back into play, so if you don't take that opportunity, it can come back to hurt you.

Because he was playing really well second and third set. I had to come up with a really, really good breakpoint to get the break in the third. So it was just small margins today, to be fair.

Q. Up 5-2 in that first and he got back into the match, what was happening at that stage? Did you just lose a little bit of concentration and then stepped on it again in the third?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, he played a couple good points. Maybe I played one or two loose points, and all of a sudden I was facing a breakpoint. Yeah, I gave it away. But, you know, honestly being double break up, I didn't feel like I was ever going to lose that set.

He held serve, as you would expect at that point. Then I came out and I played a clinical game to finish the first set.

So, yeah, like I said, there was some nerves involved in the match throughout, but I didn't feel like I lost control there. Maybe more of a lapse in concentration in the second set than anything.

Q. Going up that early break in the third, that was crucial and very important, but what allowed you to do that? You left the court for a while. Did that just sort of settle you down a bit, or what?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, it was a very difficult second set. It was ups and downs, because I was down at first, kind of came back. I was hoping to close it out. You know, getting that mini break in the first point and all of a sudden you're 6-1 down in the breaker, him hitting maybe five winners, returning every serve of mine after I have been getting quite a bit of free points.

I just felt he played a really, really good second-set tiebreaker, and I just needed some time to get my head straight, get back to what I wanted to do.

I just wanted to change up a little bit what I was doing, because I felt like the second set he got exactly what he wanted.

So I just tried to take it away from him. And then like you said, when I got that breakpoint, I just thought I'm going to be aggressive here and came up with amazing volley, and that kind of set the tone. I felt very confident after that, and I was able to play a lot better from that point onwards.

Q. A bit of a drought broken, because you're the first South African to reach a final since Kevin won pretty much exactly a year ago. The encouragement, what does that do?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, it's amazing. Actually, I already got a message from him saying congrats and well done. That's really awesome.

I think it's great for tennis in South Africa, and, you know, for myself and just for us to have someone different. You know, Kevin has kind of been leading the pack, and it allowed me to see what he's done and learn from him.

Now, I mean, obviously it's very good for us.

Q. Just on that match point, and I know obviously you're happy and you're excited and all that, but what did you feel like when that last point was played? It was a big service winner. What was that feeling like right at that moment?
LLOYD HARRIS: I mean, that first second, I didn't quite realize what happened, and then after that I just let out like a big "Come on," and I just realized it, you know, I'm through to the final. You know, I was super, obviously super happy, super excited.

I said it earlier this week, you know, I'm hungry to get my first title. I'm hungry to go deep into tournaments this year, to have a good year. It obviously means the world to me and it's another milestone.

You know, I'm not happy with the result yet. There is still a match to be played tomorrow. Now it's just getting 100% prepared for that and getting my mind focused to be ready for tomorrow.

Q. Obviously it doesn't get any easier, either. Rublev, who is in very much good form, or Felix who is playing exceptionally well.
LLOYD HARRIS: No, it doesn't. Yes, two guys I know really well, similar age to me, come a long way on the tour.

Yeah, both of them playing really well, I think. Regardless of who it is, it's going to be a tough match. You know, I'll watch a little bit tonight and kind of get a feel. And then, you know, once I know who it is, I'll be able to get more prepared.

But right now I'm just, you know, more focused on myself until I learn something more.

Q. After the match you spoke about how you started out traveling around Africa playing in RTF events. Can you elaborate on how different it is being here in Adelaide and being in the final of an ATP 250 event?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah. I mean, at that stage, I was still a junior, you know. I wasn't even sure if I was going to play professional tennis and just playing the easiest possible tournaments just to scratch a few points together and just try and get a ranking up, just to prove that I'm, you know, a good player.

We would go anywhere just to get some points, just to get some matches in. That was kind of how the grind all started. That's when I started with Anthony, you know.

But, I mean, to be honest, we have really good memories from all those places. We won a couple of titles along the way in Kenya, Nigeria, wherever it might have been, Egypt, all over the show.

But being here now, I mean, I'm thinking back, and I'm, like, Damn, it's quite a big change. You're staying in nice hotels, getting nice treatment from the tournament, everything is done. Over there it's just you.

Q. The hotels probably weren't as nice as what you have been experiencing this week?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, no, if you're thinking of the courts, the facilities, yeah, it's a big change (smiling).

Q. What's your goal for 2020? I mean, obviously you said you're around the same age as Andrey and Felix. What's the goal for this year?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, I mean, I'm focused on myself. I'm not worried about what all the other guys are doing. It's easy for people to compare you. I have come a completely different route than they have.

So I'm just focused on myself, my own career. You know, this year it's important for me to see what I can do.

I wouldn't say I want to reach this ranking or want to do this. But one of my goals was to win a ATP title this year, go deeper in the Grand Slams.

If we're talking about ranking goal, ideally I want to move forward. You know, I want to break into the top 50 and see where I can end the year, yeah.

Q. You seem to have become a lot more consistent with your forehand and backhand. Was that something that you worked on during the offseason?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah. I mean, I was kind of working on everything, I would say. But I think the physical aspects allowed me to get a lot better in different parts of my game.

That's something we have been really working hard on, something I still struggled a little bit with last week, having had some injuries towards the end of last year.

But right now I feel really good and the body is feeling good. Six matches later, I still feel fine. I'm still ready and fresh for tomorrow.

Q. What's your mindset tonight? Do you go to school on the other semi or try and switch off and relax? How do you approach, I guess, from later tonight until tomorrow's final?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, now I just want to switch off a little bit. All the adrenaline is kind of gone now, and I just need to do the best recovery I can. So I'll go with my physio, do some good treatment, do all the preparations that I can.

And then, you know, tonight I'll watch a few points maybe just to see, get a little bit of idea also to know who I'm playing tomorrow.

But I'm a pretty relaxed person, so I wouldn't miss too much sleep over anything. But I'm excited for tomorrow, yeah.

Q. When you were going through those futures and satellites and challengers and everything throughout Africa, there are some pretty remote and crazy places. Are there any memories that really stand out as some weird situations or stories, whether it's Nigeria or Nairobi or whatever?
LLOYD HARRIS: Yeah, one of the toughest places I was in was probably Nigeria. Food was a big problem. I mean, I remember -- I remember being at lunch one day at the tournament, playing, and, you know, the only thing they had at the courts was maybe, like, you know, these locals like cooking up some food.

I will never forget it, me and my coach went there and they had this massive pot of oil. So we, like, asked them what food they have. They can do this chicken and rice. Oh, okay, perfect. That would be great.

The lady, she reaches for, like, a plastic bag or black bag or whatever it is under the table, and she opens it and she's, like, she reaches into the bag and she's, like, What piece of chicken do you want?

She, like, throws it into the massive pot of dirty oil. I was, like, This is not happening right now (smiling).

I don't think I ate one bite, to be fair. You know, that was really difficult. Some tough times (smiling).

But we got through it. I did really well there. We have a lot of fond memories. We always made the best of all the situations. I still loved it.

The whole journey has been incredible for me. Yeah.

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