AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 14, 2021

Fabio Fognini

Press Conference

F. FOGNINI/A. de Minaur

6-4, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was this your best performance since coming back from surgery?

FABIO FOGNINI: Yes. I think so, is the best performance. I mean, also with Carreno I was playing great tennis, I was feeling good, but first match also. But tonight, yes, I think is the best performance.

Q. Many people remember very well your 2015 US Open match with Rafa.

FABIO FOGNINI: I lose, for sure (smiling).

Q. What do you remember most about that match? How would you describe your history in playing Rafa, not just that match?

FABIO FOGNINI: I mean, first of all, I would like to say that I'm happy. I'm happy because of course it's my job, and of course I always try to winning the match.

I'm happy because, if I have to be honest and the people know me, I didn't expect to feeling great on court like that, feeling my tennis is coming back so early. That's the first thing I would like to say.

And second thing, of course you know when you work really hard, I mean, and when you always trying to push yourself on the limit, I didn't expect that. I mean, I think it's another step forward of my tennis that it pay me back, because if you tell me that I will play Rafa fourth round here in Australia, well, everything I get passing in the last probably ten months, I would say, well, I get surgery, I remember the surgery that was really tough work, tough rehabilitation. I was walking for one-and-a-half, almost one-and-a-half month with sticks (phonetic).

Well, I'm happy, because of course I play the best player in the world, even if it's not his best surface, but we should remember that he won everything.

So I'm happy. Really happy.

Q. May I ask about your history in playing Rafa? You gave a great answer about now, but what about what you remember about your past matches with Rafa?

FABIO FOGNINI: Nothing. I mean, the past is the past. The future is gonna be the future. So I'm really looking forward, trying to be ready again for a great match in front of me. I mean, have a really good friend. I have one of the best players in the world.

So I just say before, I'm happy about my performance. I'm really looking forward to play him. It's a new challenge for him -- for me, sorry, because as I said before, I was not expect by myself to finish really good like that and this is a good step to moving forward to tell to my body and see if my body if is ready.

The first step that I did, if I have to say that my tennis is ready, yes. The second thing, we see, because Rafa, everybody know him that it's more physically than mentally than most of the other thing.

Tennis, I'm ready. Physically hopefully that, of course, I play five sets, I think he's more fresh than me, but it's a big challenge for me to see the next step how I am and how I'm feeling.