ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2023

Lorenzo Musetti

Press Conference

L. MUSETTI/C. Norrie

6-1, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Lorenzo. Was this your best match on clay this year?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, I mean, yeah. I don't know if I can consider that the most beautiful, but probably the last two matches are really a great performance. So probably, yes, it's confirm of the great form that I'm expressing on court.

Yeah, could be best performance of the season.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You're still very young, but starting to develop a good amount of experience. Is this as comfortable at a Grand Slam tournament as you have ever felt?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, probably yes, because I feel that all the balance that I need to be well-prepared to face these kind of players in this kind of atmosphere, that's completely different from normal tournaments.

So playing a Grand Slam and playing like more and more sort of make you grow in a positive way. So, yes, for sure I'm more prepared than ever, and hopefully I will enjoy even more here in Paris.

Q. What are some adjustments you may have made to achieve that balance that you just spoke of?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, probably start to play more, I mean, start to focus in on each point. I think today I had the really one hour and a half really of straight tennis at this and really good energy. Had a little bit of struggle in the third set where Cameron showed up and we had to face again, because, I mean, it was going in a certain way the match.

But probably I was a little bit more relaxed, so he started to come back in the match. But I was really strong in the end, especially last two games to break and finalize with the serve.

Happy, and happy with the performance and with the mentality, so I'm really proud and I feel more mature on court.

Q. You could play Carlos in the next round. You beat him last year on clay. If it wasn't for how fast he has grown people would probably be talking more about you and how well you are doing, top 20, et cetera. When you look at Carlos, what do you see on the other side of the net?

LORENZO MUSETTI: I mean, for sure, I see a friend. I see that he started a way, a new generation. He's the first Grand Slam title after the big three, so I think it's sort of inspiration for us, for me, Holger, Jannik, and whoever is behind him, and trying to push him away and trying to get closer.

So I think that the match in Hamburg gave me a lot of confidence, especially on this side. So hopefully we will go to the match -- of course it's a complete different position, different status, but I think we will enjoy, in this case, our match.

Q. If you do play, is there anything in particular you need to do well yourself? Can you just focus on yourself, or do you need to find a way to beat him?

LORENZO MUSETTI: No, as I said before, but I think with each player that I'm facing, I have to focus on myself, on what I have to do, on my strategy, stick to my plan, and if it's not working, try to do some -- I mean, try to have like more plans and more variation on my game.

Trying to stick with the basic plan that I think will make struggle a lot of players. So I don't have to think too much on who is behind the net.

Q. I have been very impressed by your first week, your three matches. I don't know if there was a more impressive player on the men's tournament since the beginning. Did you expect it to be so strong, so solid? Two years ago you played Novak in the run of 16. Let's say you play Alcaraz. Just in terms of state of mind, how would you describe the difference between two years ago and now?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, I mean, I think two years ago was my first Grand Slam appearance in a main draw. Everything was new. Your colleague before asked me if I feel more mature especially on the Grand Slam appearance and Grand Slam, let's say, life, because as I said before, it's kind of different.

So if you ask me if I feel different from two years ago, I say yes. I see myself more mature, with more experience, with many, many more matches, wins, losses, losses that helped me to face my point of life and as a player in a certain way and in a better way.

So I would definitely say I'm sure more prepared than I was with Nole, but that doesn't mean that I go on court and I win easy. Yeah, that's never gonna happen.

But I feel that I can manage better all the stuff around my next match.