INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 9, 2022

Denis Shapovalov

Press Conference

D. SHAPOVALOV/L. Sonego

7-6, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: If you want to start out by saying something that happened in the match, just sum it up for everyone.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I mean, I think it was an unbelievable match, unbelievable atmosphere. Obviously a lot of things happened in the heat of the moment. I need to be better with my behavior. I have apologized and everything. Yeah, I mean, I'll just try to be better from it.

But it was a good match, good tennis. It was fun to be out there. It was very electric. Yeah, definitely, definitely one of those matches that sticks with you and enlightens you. I can't say that word (laughter).

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Have you ever stepped over the net before during the match? What was your thought process when you did it just then?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: No, no. I mean, never obviously done it before, otherwise I would have known the rules. Yeah, like I said, it was the heat of the moment so I got emotional. I apologized after. Obviously it was my mistake. There's nothing they can do.

Yeah, I mean, I'll know the rule for next time. I definitely won't step over the net (smiling).

Q. What did you make of the match in terms of the level? The level was high in the first set, then things got out of control. How did you feel about your game?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, actually it was a very good level I thought, a very great match from both of us. Even the crowd, everyone was involved. It's one of those high-quality matches. Yeah, I'm just super happy to win.

Obviously Lorenzo is a super tough player. I knew that going into it. I'm happy to squeeze out the first set and play the way I did in the third. I think my level just kept going up throughout the match, so I'm very happy.

Q. You talked about getting the crowd involved. You kind of lost it with the crowd at one point. What was it about the atmosphere that really got to you? Thinking about how you go ahead, how will you address that kind of situation in the future?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I mean, like I said, I haven't learned yet exactly. I mean, obviously I think it's a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing. I just need to improve with handling myself about that.

But in terms of going forward, I mean, I've played in Rome a lot of times. The fans love me here and I love the fans. So I think there's a huge love. Even after the match, there were a lot of people standing, waiting for pictures, stuff like that.

I do really appreciate the sport and the love I get here. I'm super excited to play another match - not against an Italian (laughter).

Q. In that moment in the second set, you had a problem with one specific person in the crowd. How do you think the sport can kind of address that? We've seen moments of hecklers getting under a player's skin. Seems like there's not a lot of recourse sometimes in terms of kicking the person out. How would you like to see those situations addressed?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, it's very difficult. I think the umpire just needs to keep an eye on it if a player mentions something. The reason why he didn't get kicked out was because he told me he didn't see what happened. That's very understandable. I feel like he kept an eye on him after that. It didn't bother me after that.

For sure it's difficult. I think in the NBA there's a lot of hecklers and stuff like that. They're pretty strict, the security and everything, that they don't cross the line. If they do, they're kicked out right away.

I think it's something to keep an eye out on, yeah, definitely just focus on.

Q. What was the guy doing? We couldn't see from the feed.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: He was just telling me to get off the court, get out of there, waving me off the court. Trying to obviously get under my skin or whatnot, yeah...

Q. Is this just another instance where you think they ought to put in the video replay on the clay, as well?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: With the line mark?

Q. Right.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I mean, it's very tricky. It's very tough. Yes and no. I think it would settle a lot of, like, tight calls and not questioning it. But, yeah, it's tough.

I mean, I'm pro it. I'm for it. I think it's better to have a system just decide when it's close like that, like they had at Madrid. It decides for it. I think the players will be calmer playing.

Q. It's always interesting when you realize that players don't know all the rules. Is that the first time you were on a court where you didn't know the rule, or is there any another example with a top player not knowing a rule?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I think there's been a couple instances. I think Jannik or someone went to the washroom without actually using the washroom or something like that. That was a code or something.

Yeah, it's pretty rare not to know the rule. I feel like I should have known that rule. It's kind of like in your head that you're not supposed to cross the net. I didn't actually know that's something that would happen, you would get penalized.

I felt like he was on the wrong mark. I literally wanted to show him the right one. It wasn't anything. I'll definitely stay as far as possible from the net moving forward.