QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

March 11, 2021

Taylor Fritz

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/D. Shapovalov

5-7, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was a pretty incredible comeback really when Denis had won 24 straight service points in the first set. Can you just sort of talk me through how you managed to get back into it.

TAYLOR FRITZ: You know, yeah, I don't think I have ever gone a set without winning a point on someone's serve. That was kind of crazy.

But I didn't practice -- I didn't have a lefty to hit with before the match or anything. I knew it was going to take me a little bit of time to kind of get used to the serve. I have been hitting over my forehand return for like the whole year, and with him I had to start chipping it, so it also again took me a little bit of time to kind of get the feel on that.

Also, he was just playing really, really well in the first set, you know, like all I could really do was just serve and hold serve, because if I returned it, if I didn't make it, like, good, he would just rip a winner on the first ball. I think I kind of just had to play myself into the match.

I told myself -- you know, I felt like I was holding pretty easily. He played a pretty insane game when he broke me in the first set, so I have to just give credit. He played like a very good game to break me.

I felt like I was holding pretty easily, as well, so I just had to keep holding my serve, keep holding my serve, and I just had to trust that one of those games I'm just going to get my chance. I was lucky when the chance came I was able to take it.

Q. Did you sort of experience any nerves? I know you sort of spoke about it on court just now, just about serving for the match, two match points, then losing it. What sort of went through your mind after you had sort of lost that game?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I was just trying to tell -- because last time after it happened, I was so defeated by it because I knew I choked it. Of course this one I didn't make first serves on either one of the two points. He hit a pretty nice shot at 40-15. Then I made some dumb errors to get broken.

Yeah, like, I blew it but I just told myself I can't let this happen again. I need to be positive and try to come back and break him, and I broke him. When I went to serve it out, I told myself I need to play this game very aggressively.

Q. You may play Roger next. Could you just sort of give me some thoughts on that and how you may sort of speak to Paul Annacone about strategy and things like that?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, obviously Paul would know better than anybody, so I will talk to him if I do play Roger.

I mean, it would be awesome to play Roger, you know. It's awesome to have him back. He's beaten me twice before, and it's obviously not going to be -- it's going to be extremely tough, but it's always been one of my lifelong dreams to beat Roger, as I think most people that play tennis, most kids, it's their dream. I'd love to have a chance at that.