ROLAND GARROS

October 1, 2020

Jan-Lennard Struff

Press Conference

D. ALTMAIER/J. Struff

6-3, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. For you, did the fact that you had played five sets in your first-round match affect you much today? What was the recovery like? Was there an aftereffect today?

JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Actually it didn't. I think Daniel played a good match today. I was not at my best today. I feel like I made not good depth in my balls, not enough spin, aggressivity.

The whole match he played very, very pumped. He was very pumped. I knew it before. But still he got on top of me, I have to say that. My plan was to get on top of him, but he got on top of me.

I want to congratulate him for a very good match. I'm not happy the way I played. Had many chances. I was serving for the second set. My body was good. I knew it's going to be very tough after two-sets-to-love down to come back again. I did it in Wimbledon twice in a row after 0-2 sets.

I still believed, but didn't play well enough then.

Q. When you say you knew it would be tough after two sets, do you mean you're behind in the score or because of the physical nature of the fact you were then going to have to win three sets?

JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Yeah, I mean, if you played five sets in the first round, we had two days off, but it's fine. If you're two-sets-to-love down again, it's tough. It will be tough at some point physically.

I don't think that affects today because I didn't get to that point. I would have loved to see that. It was mentally very tough because I was serving for the second set. I missed. It was tough from that point on because there was a bit, yeah, (indiscernible) in my stomach that I didn't serve it out, lost in the tiebreak.

I had my chances in the third set at the beginning. He played a good game to break me. He got on top then.

Q. You've known each other for quite some time. He used to practice with you when he was younger. What was it like to be across the net from him at a Grand Slam?

JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: I mean, he's a good guy. He's a friend. Yeah, I mean, on court it's different. He was pumped. He was pushing himself. I was pushing myself. This has nothing to do with friends any more because we both want to win.

He was pushing himself a lot, I knew it before. He's a guy like this. It's fine. We know each other good. I wish him all the best because he's a nice guy.