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WIMBLEDON

July 6, 2008

Grigor Dimitrov

LONDON, ENGLAND

G. DIMITROV/H. Kontinen
7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: First question, please, for Grigor, the boy's champion.

Q. How does it sound to hear that you're Wimbledon champion?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Pretty good. I mean, didn't expect it too much, especially today.

Q. Why do you think you managed to come through today?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I was pretty, you know, focused in the match today. I was trying to do all my best and be focused all the time.
Also my injury, you know, was quite serious, and I still couldn't serve like really good.
But just want to say to the Japanese company that lent me the necklace with the magnets. It helps me a lot. Like helps me pretty much during the match, so I just want to say big thanks also.

Q. Is that a therapeutic necklace?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, it's a therapeutic necklace. It helps me win the match. I wore it just a few days, and it was incredible after.

Q. When you had the injury timeout did that help you?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, 'cause when he was doing the massage stuff, you know, he was just relieving the pain. Always when I was serving the pain was incredible.
So I had to, you know, just during the tiebreak -- I mean, during the break, you know, he was just relieving the pain. If he can move it a little bit, you know, not to stay much.
Because I was playing, it was okay. But when I start serve the pain was going up, up, up, and it was keeping me the next few points. So it was better for me to do this.

Q. Do you have an impingement there? Do you know exactly the nature of the problem?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Don't know yet. Probably tomorrow when I go back to Bulgaria I'm going to have a few days off and I can do some tests or x-ray, a lot of stuff. So I'm going to find out exactly what's wrong with it.

Q. Can it take pressure off you in a way, if you have an injury, that maybe you're thinking about that and you're not thinking about the big picture?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, sometime. I mean, was quite tough to think that I'm not injured, especially that I wanted to win this so much. Because, you know, Wimbledon is my favorite tournament.
Everything is nice in here - especially the weather (smiling). But, you know, just trying not to think about it.
But it's fine, I mean.

Q. Do you think you were lucky in that first set? Because he had breakpoints against you at 1-All and again later on.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Maybe. Maybe a bit luck. But I was using my serve, like just put the direction of the serve, and that was making him bit confused. I saw that at the beginning. I know when I have the breakpoints, I knew I was going to save it because he was a bit nervous. I could feel that.
You know, also when I had the two breakpoints, when I was 5-4, he did unbelievable shots that I was, like, Okay, I mean, this guy can play well.
I was just trying to keep fighting.

Q. They call you the Rain Man. You must have been very happy to see the weather this morning.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, it was very nice when I woke up. I saw dark weather, raining a bit. I was like, Yeah, it's going to be a good day (smiling).

Q. What does this mean for your career? What kind of a platform is this for you?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: For me to win Wimbledon, I mean, it's pretty good, because this is what I wanted to do. Also I heard that they give for next year wild card to main draw, so this makes me more happy.
So, you know, that was important things for me. Just like juniors is one step to get to the other level for me.

Q. Do you think it sends out a message about you as a player, that it's kind of a marker?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah. I mean, always players, when they win tournaments like this, they always start having another dream, you know, start develop more, start playing more, discover more stuff about the game and how you feel, and I think this really helps me.

Q. Is this the first time you ever challenged Hawk-Eye in a match?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, actually.

Q. And you did it on the second point of the match.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, I did it on the second point. Also I was thinking, Okay, first challenge. If it's in, I win the match. It's right.
So, no, but was really nice. I mean, I haven't used this never. And to be on Court No. 1, using it, was incredible.

Q. Is that the most people you've ever played in front of, the biggest court you've play on?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, yeah.

Q. And how did you react to it?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Perfect. I love when a lot of people watching me and stuff. I can do also sometime some good shots, you know, show hundred percent for myself.
But today I wasn't able to do all this. But I'm just proud of myself that I could like fight the whole match.

End of FastScripts

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