AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 9, 2021

Mikael Torpegaard

Press Conference

G. HARRIS/ M. Torpegaard

4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk me through your match and how you were feeling on the court today?

MIKAEL TORPEGAARD: Definitely I started off just as I had hoped I would. I came out swinging, considering this being my debut for a Grand Slam matches I was extremely happy with the way I played the first set. I didn't let the nerves get in the way of me swinging out. First set was exactly how I had hoped the entire match would go, however, I got a little bit passive, too passive, I fell back in the court, court position changed and I lost the second set.

As I'm losing the second set, I don't remember a specific point but I start feeling pretty intense pain in my left leg on the outside of my quad and unfortunately that affected me jumping up in my serve and landing from my serve, which is one of my most important shots.

That being just gradually worse throughout the rest of the match certainly didn't help my chances, but I mean, all respect for him and the way he picked his level up in the second set, it was very hard for me to play against, I had my chances in the second set to break him, obviously, but fell too far back in the court.

Outside of the leg, the first and the second was really my opportunity to push ahead, not to say that the leg wouldn't have happened any ways, but that's what I'm going to take away, the positives from this match, just coming out strong and then taking with me what I can control.

Q. Could you please put a few words on how you experienced the game?

MIKAEL TORPEGAARD: Yes, I was very happy with the way I started the match out, came out swinging. It was exactly as I had hoped I would start the match out and all nerves aside and didn't let that get in the way.

The first set, very happy with my game and unfortunately getting a little too passive in the second set when I had my chances to break earlier in the set. Late in the second set, I don't remember a specific point, however I started feeling some sharp pain in my left quad and my serve being my biggest shot, every time I push off and land from my serve I couldn't really get my footing quickly enough to get to the first point and that getting gradually worse throughout the rest of the match certainly didn't help my chances.

But all respect for him, the way he picked it up in the second forced me back in the court and picked up his own level, which was very hard to play against. Then in the third and fourth I couldn't really push off, couldn't really land and get quickly to the next point so it was hard for me to really have a game plan against a guy like that when he just cruises through his own service games and I don't really have a solid way of, a consistent way of winning my own.

Q. What's your plans for now, like what's the next tournament you've got on and are you staying in Melbourne for a bit?

MIKAEL TORPEGAARD: I am actually figuring that out right now. I don't have a concrete answer, given the fact that my schedule is a little bit up in the air with the whole world situation. I am hoping to spend a few more days here maybe and return to the states where I'm basing out of Columbus. So either head into a few weeks of practice or then just head into the next tournament, which might be in Europe, which might be in the States, but regardless, I'm going to have my leg looked at first and hopefully it isn't anything serious and after that I might have to get back to you on my actual schedule in the next couple weeks.

Q. Are you nervous about the injury? Is that something you've been struggling with before or how do you feel about that?

MIKAEL TORPEGAARD: No, it was actually the last -- I practiced two days ago it started, I landed from a serve and I felt some burning pain, sharp pain in my leg. I had it looked at and loosened up and everything. It was great. Yesterday it was a little bit more sore pain, which is nothing usually I worry about. Then today I felt it in the warmup and didn't really, I took some pain killers, did my warmup and didn't really feel too bad going into the match, however in the second set it was pretty bad, yeah, I couldn't really put weight on it walking off the court either, so it's not something that I've experienced before, this specific injury, but hopefully it's nothing too serious, yeah.