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U.S. OPEN

August 28, 2008

Andy Murray

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

A. MURRAY/M. Llodra
6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. If there had been a challenge system on that call, could you have proven the world record?
ANDY MURRAY: I think it was just one part of the court that lines judge was struggling with pretty badly was on the -- from the umpire's chair to the umpire's left. On the far line, you know, there was good five, six calls that every single one I think was -- I mean, there was like four or five that were for sure, and then there was a couple that -- there was one second serve that he hit that was so far out.
I mean, it was like this, way out. Didn't get called. So, yeah, you realize how much it helps. You know, when you play on the courts without the challenges now, you know, sort of 90% of the matches I played this year have had the challenge system.

Q. Tricky match for you?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it's always going to be tough. He's got a huge serve obviously making it -- being a lefty makes it tougher. You know, he's won doubles Slams before; won two tournaments at the start of this year.
You know, we will give anyone a tough match. Very rarely will he lose easily. He moves really good up at the net, doesn't give you a lot of rhythm, and he's -- I think probably he's definitely in the top two or three net players for right now.
There's very few guys that play that well up at the net. And he moves well up there, too. It was a tough match.

Q. Is it hard because there are not many players who attack the net as much as he does, chips and charges on second serves so much?
ANDY MURRAY: No, you know, I don't mind playing against guys that come to the net a lot, because he serves so well. That's what makes it tough. You know, when you find it hard to break someone and they're coming in all the time against you, then it makes it tricky.
But I mean, I started to return well toward the end of the third set. Obviously broke him twice in the fourth. That was the difference compared with the first three sets, even though I won the set. Apart form the game where I broke him, I won very few points on his serve. Same again in the second set, so it was really tricky.

Q. Did you come out of that thinking that's a job well done, or do you come out that thinking you're going t have to raise your levels?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I was very happy with the match. I thought I hit the ball from the back of the court very well. I didn't feel like I was making many mistakes from the baseline. Not too many unforced errors.
You know, for a huge part of the match, very tricky for me to serve from the end where the tough calls were. The sun is right in your eyes around that time. So, you know, he's a really tough guy to play against, and I was happy I won in four sets.

Q. What do you think about your next opponent, Melzer? You played him once this year.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, he's again a lefty. Comes to the net a lot. Plays aggressive. Tough guy to play against. You know, he's -- I think he won really quickly today.
You know, he's a tough guy to play against, just, again, like Roger: Doesn't give you too much rhythm. But I feel like I'm playing well just now. I'm confident and I look forward to the match.

Q. When you're playing a guy who is serving very well and you're not making much headway, how easy is it to get frustrated, and how pleased are you with the job you did kind of not losing it when you weren't getting anywhere on his serve?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it is tough, you know. And also, like when you do get yourself in front -- I mean, I wasn't behind at all the whole match, apart from 1-0 in the first set.
So, you know, I stayed ahead of him for the majority of the match. And also, you know, the tough thing is when I won that third set and then I'm up 30-Love on my serve, at and 30-All I hit a clean winner up the line, and, you know, and it gets, you know, it gets called out and you get broken, it's like, you know, you put in so much hard work to, you know, to get the initiative to get the momentum, and then all of a sudden you're behind in the fourth and you need to come back.
And that was what -- you know, the most pleasing thing for me was each time I got broken in the fourth set was that, you know, I came back straightaway, you know.
But I thought that the whole match mentally was tough, and I dealt with it well.

Q. He was also quite upset about the line calling, as well. Would you take that any further or...
ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, both of us were asking the other one how the ball was, and, I mean, I know him pretty well. He's a very funny guy. You know, I think we were quite honest with each other, when -- you know, we didn't give each other any calls.
You know, but we gave, you know, honest answers when we're asked about how we saw the balls. It was, yeah, it's just frustrating when both of us know that it's called wrong. I think they moved the lines judge from the far line and moved him over to the near line after we complained about him for a third or fourth time, the umpire, I think said he moved him. Yes, it was tough.

Q. There are times when you vented your frustration verbally. In past years, could that have got further? Are you better now at just dealing with it, getting rid of it, and moving on and getting the win?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, it didn't -- I mean, didn't let any of it linger on too long. I said what had to be said. I felt like, you know, if there's calls like that and it's, you know, one of the biggest tournaments in the world it, you know, it's not nice to have that sort of lack of confidence in a lines judge or in the umpire.
You want to just be able to go and play, and I think for a little bit of the match neither of us felt that comfortable with the calling. So that's what makes it difficult.
But I was happy with the way I came back from all of the different situations that he put me in, and I managed to come out on top.

Q. Did you hear the guy heckling you?
ANDY MURRAY: Heckling me?

Q. Yeah.
ANDY MURRAY: I don't think he was heckling me.

Q. Something about you and the Queen, I think.
ANDY MURRAY: No, I think he was heckling Llodra. I think he said something like, Go back to France. You know, the Queen's supporting you or something. I don't know. I don't think he was heckling me. I think it was more towards him.

Q. Is it a bit unfair that the Grandstand, which is, you know, a major court here, doesn't have Hawk-Eye?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, Hawk-Eye is expensive, but, I mean, it's a huge. I think when there's a huge crowd like that, I mean, it's absolutely packed, great atmosphere, the crowd are enjoying it, they're making a lot of noise, the crowd -- Hawk-Eye is obviously for the players.
But also I think the reason why it came into tennis is because the, you know, the fans really enjoy it. And I think it's tough, as well, for officials. There's a lot of pressure when you've got a court that's that close, you know, the fans are making a bit of noise.
It's tough for the officials, as well. So I mean, I'd rather have Hawk-Eye on every single court, but I understand that it's very, very expensive. Would have made a difference today.

Q. How easy is it to kind of stay in the present? I know you say you have to take it one match at a time, but is that, in practice, that easy, or do you try to avoid looking too far ahead into next week?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, in the past, if you do -- for me, if you do start doing that it doesn't work out particularly well for you.
And also, the guys that I'm playing are not guys that I'm, you know, 100% expected to beat. If there's a chance I can lose the match, you're going to take it very seriously.
The guy I played today has won two tour events this year, so, you know, he can beat really top players. There's no point in looking ahead. You understand what's going on in the draw and, you know, you know which half of the draw you're in and whatever, and where the top seeds are.
But, you know, it doesn't -- it doesn't make me, you know, start looking into the, you know, semis, quarterfinals, because I only made the quarterfinals of a Slam once.
I'm not good enough to be able to do that.

End of FastScripts

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