THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2022

Alex De Minaur

Press Conference

C. GARIN/A. de Minaur

2-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Some initial thoughts from you on today's match.

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, tough match to lose. Was a big opportunity. Yeah, probably not too happy with myself right now.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. When you had that full-length dive and you hurt your finger, did that affect your play at all when it was taped?

ALEX de MINAUR: Just had quite a deep cut and started bleeding, but it was fine. It's not the reason I lost the match today.

Q. Why do you think you lost?

ALEX de MINAUR: Because I didn't play the important points right. It's been kind of a recurring sort of event for a while now, so it's something I've got to improve on.

Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, two sets to love up, had breakpoints in the third, had match points in the fifth. I mean, yeah, match was full of chances, that's for sure.

Q. How do you reconcile after this? What do you do to recover? What do you do?

ALEX de MINAUR: Look, it's a bit of the same. I mean, everyone is probably going to go out here and say, Look, you're happy with the week you have had, a great week, you know, try to take the positives out of it.

But realistically it stings. You know, it's not going to go away for a while. Yeah, I'll do my best to forget about it, but it's probably not going to happen.

Q. On court, Cristian mentioned that he felt his aggressiveness at the net but also his angles proved to be the difference. You were there. Did you feel that as well?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, he stepped it up a lot more obviously. He played some big shots in big moments. Fortune favors the brave. I think that was him today.

Q. How do you go about improving your play on those big points? Is that a psychological thing or a physical thing?

ALEX de MINAUR: It's probably a question to kind of, yeah, talk to the team about. Look, tennis realistically is a game of momentum. You know, when things are going well, then you'll play the big points well.

I mean, it's just a couple tough, tough matches where it's kind of been a same recurring event. Momentum kind of feels like it's going the opposite way than it should.

Yes, it is work I've got to put in. Whether it's just having a different mindset on those certain types of points or just tactically and decision-making.

Q. Nick Kyrgios is currently up in the fifth set, and if he plays Cristian, you know both players now, what would you expect from that match?

ALEX de MINAUR: Look, I think Nick can beat anyone in the draw, so it depends on his level on the given day. Yeah, he's got a lot of talent. Yeah, if he has a good day, I think he can beat everyone left in the draw.

Q. Home for a little while and then to the States?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, I'll probably go to Monaco for a training week and then the States, yeah. I'll see. Probably have a couple days off, try to switch off and, you know, hopefully get ready for the end of the season, which is quite exciting for me.