MURRAY RIVER OPEN

February 3, 2021

Alex Bolt

Press Conference

A. BOLT/M. McDonald

6-4, 6-7, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your second consecutive three-set win here. You obviously like competing on these courts.

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, definitely. I guess I've had some good results here in the past and I've had some close battles the last few years. And I guess I can go back thinking about those matches I've had in the past and they I guess I can -- I don't really know. I guess, yeah, I just got good memories, yeah.

Q. Today was another tight battle. Talk us through this match.

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, Macky is a good player. I've played him a few times before. I knew it was always going to be a tough match. It had its ups and downs for both of us. I think both of us were quite patchy throughout the whole match, but fortunate enough for me I felt like I'd come out on top.

Q. What do you think turned the match for you?

ALEX BOLT: I felt like throughout the end of the second set and the start of the third set I started to get a bit passive and wasn't playing to my strengths and using my weapons that I have. I felt like towards the end of the third set there I really started to back myself and really look for my forehand and take advantage of that.

Q. So many Australians have been doing really well in the men's side of the draw. What do you put that down to? Have you been playing a lot, doing a lot of match play between yourselves or is it just the start of summer that you've been training at Melbourne Park and you've got that experience on court there?

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, I mean, a few weeks ago we, all the Aussie guys, came down to Melbourne and we were all training out at Xavier College. Yeah, so we had a really good environment that we were all training together.

I guess those sessions have sort of transitioned into the matches here and we're all playing well. All the Aussies love playing this time of year, especially in front of the home crowd, it really gives us a boost.

Q. I have to ask your a Murray Beach local competing in the Murray River Open. Does that seem like a positive sign for you?

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, definitely, when I saw that I thought that was pretty cool. Yeah, I mean it's almost like a fairytale story, really, and hopefully I can keep the run going.

Q. Last year when you had that match against Dominic Thiem, what did that do for your confidence? I guess the fact that he went all the way to the final and you took him to five sets, that obviously showed you that you belong on the stage there.

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, I mean like you said, it gave me all the confidence in the world that I could take it to these top guys. It was just unfortunate that the season, like, COVID hit and the season wasn't how it normally was. Because I felt like I was in some really good form and I was going to push for that top hundred by the end of the season. But unfortunately it wasn't.

But, yeah, I feel really confident going out in every match that I'm going to win.

Q. Next round is either Kukushkin, who can be a frustrating opponent, or Stan Wawrinka, and we know how good he is. It looks like it could be going three sets. What are your thoughts on playing either one of them?

ALEX BOLT: Stan, he's a great of the game. He's won slams, he's one of the best players in the world right now. And then Kukushkin, haven't played him. He's consistently been in the top hundred for a long time now so he knows how to win.

And, yeah, either way I'm just going to -- I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to be able to play again.

Q. Your feeling overall going into this season, looks like you're feeling really positive after I guess a challenging year last year?

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, definitely. It was challenging not just for me but for everyone, I think. But, yeah, I always love this time of the year, especially being at home. I've been able to be home for quite awhile now and then to, yeah, just to be able play in my backyard and in front of fans that are very loyal to the Aussies is really nice.