ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2021

Casper Ruud

Press Conference

A. DAVIDOVICH FOKINA/C. Ruud

7-6, 2-6, 7-6, 0-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It must be very tough coming in here after such an incredible battle between you two. What are your thoughts right now?

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, no, it's tough but it's a part of the game. It's a part of the sport. You just have to accept it. You can't dwell too much on it.

Luckily in this sport there will be new chances in couple of weeks already. So, I mean, it was very tough, and, yeah, I'm of course a bit sad but it's okay. It's not the end of the world.

Q. It's not the first time you have played him. You played him in the NextGen Finals, and that was another dramatic battle. I think he was injured and he fought on. He's so unconventional, so unusual with his style and his dropshots and the underarm serve on the breakpoint at 6-5. What's it like to play a player like that?

CASPER RUUD: Well, it's difficult because you never really know what's gonna come out of his racquet. He can produce extremely good shots and extreme winners, passing shots, yeah, beautiful dropshots.

But sometimes he can also do more mistakes. You know, the fourth set went fast. That was the set where I played very well and he kind of lowered down a little bit. But then in the fifth it was game on again.

You know, it's tough to lose the three sets that I lost so close, and even in the first and third sets I had set points, so, I mean, it almost couldn't get any closer.

Q. If there is anything you'd want to change in that match, what would it be?

CASPER RUUD: Well, on 5-All in the fifth and game point, I would probably go forehand cross on the let instead of down the line (smiling), because he passed me on the big point. He hit his forehand cross and it bounced up from the net, and I went down the line. If I would have gone cross, I would have had 6-5.

It's very easy to say afterwards. But, you know, like I said, it was just close. I'm trying every point to win, but, you know, some nerves are there and it's not always easy to play the perfect point on the most important points. Unluckily today he was a bit better on the most important points. He was the better player in, yeah, like I said, the most important moments.