THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 6, 2024

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

Press Conference

G. MPETSHI PERRICARD/E. Ruusuvuori

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

THE MODERATOR: How do you feel after that?

GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD: Of course, I'm very proud of myself to get the win. Yeah, it was a difficult match at the beginning. I was very nervous.

But, yeah, I improve a lot during the second and third set. Yeah, just kept going on the fourth, and it worked. Just very happy of myself.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So how far do you think you can go in this tournament?

GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD: I don't know. I don't know. I'm just focused on the next one. It's going to be Comesana or Musetti. I already lost to Musetti. So I don't know.

I will be on focus on what I can do, on what I can do better on this match. But, yeah, we will see. We will see.

Q. What has the example of John Isner meant to you, and what do you appreciate most about what you can apply that was like how he played?

GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD: I mean, the first serve and then plus-one shot. It was very good when he did the first shot behind the serve.

Yeah, I watch a lot of video of where he was going to play and, yeah, how he goes to the net, if it's always behind the serve or if he is doing, I don't know, a plus-one or plus-two shot after the serve. This kind of play of John Isner I watch a lot.

But if I can take one shot from him, it's going to be his two-handed backhand because for the return it's very difficult to return with one-handed backhand. If I can get the two-handed backhand of John Isner, I think it's going to be -- I will have no more fail on this shot.

Q. How big a weapon do you consider your second serve to be, and what is your approach to the speed that you put on your second serve?

GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD: I mean, I try to play different, I mean, target. To play wide or T or maybe into body. But I try not to put a little bit of spin into the ball to be more secure than the first serve.

Yeah, and for me last year it was one of the bigger improvements for my game to have this kind of weapon because when the opponent returned my second serve, I was not very good. So I have to think about how I'm going to be dangerous on my second serve. To add more speed, it was one of the main target, main goal for the last year.

Yeah, it works for now, but we'll see if against the top player it's going to work.