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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 21, 2009

Julien Benneteau

CINCINNATI, OHIO

A. MURRAY/J. Benneteau
4-6, 6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you describe how the dynamics of the match changed after that 53-shot rally?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: It's 53 shots? (Laughter.) Yes, it's a big moment in the match for sure. But yeah, this point is incredible point. The first shot I thought it was a winner on my serve because I hit a pretty good serve wide and strong.
Then I had to be -- he put the ball very high in the sky and I made a smash after bounce and it was a good one. But after that during the point I have another smash, but I didn't see anything because of the sun. The ball was completely in the sun, so I just put the ball in the court.
And then it was a long rally. So yes, I think for both of us it was a tough, tough point and very difficult physically. But it was hard for me because I did a lot of efforts since I was 3-2 down in the first set, and then I came back and I won the first set.
I was played pretty well in the beginning of the second set, and for sure for me it would be better if I could make this game and lead, because it's very hard to play against him because he's everywhere. He has a very good defense, amazing defense, amazing passing shots, and he return very well. So there are no free points.
For me, to win a point, to win a game, it asked me a lot of efforts today. So it's very difficult to win if the match goes further. It's more difficult and more difficult against him, because he didn't make so much mistake. In the first set, yes, he made some. He made some double faults, and that's why I could win this game, this set.

Q. Did you think about that point again as the match went on?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: No, no. I tried to forget this point. But it was just -- I didn't think about this point in particular, but after that it was -- for me it was very, very difficult to play, because it was very hard physically to keep this level.
He didn't hit the ball so hard, and I think today he did not hit the ball so well. He's capable to play better than that. Today with the wind it was difficult to play. But he did not make some mistakes. He's a very good tactician. He always put the ball at the right spot at the right time.
When you go to the net, he always find your feet to play one more ball. These things, yes, when you put these things, it's one after one after one, it's a lot at the end.

Q. You had already been on the court for a very long time this week, too. Did that play a factor?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: In my match yesterday?

Q. Yeah. Eight hours already.
JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, yeah. Yes, it's a fact for me. I was pretty well this morning. Physically it was okay. I did not have some pains, so it was a good surprise this morning.
After I knew that maybe I could have some -- I can have some -- it can be difficult if the match is very hard. And it was very hard, because there were a lot of rally from the baseline. We hit a lot of shots. A lot of game went to deuce. It was a very tight game, a tight match.
Yes, I was a little bit tired for sure at the end. But it's because of him, because he makes me run everywhere, some dropshots, some balls very -- not fast balls, not slow balls, but very deep. He's a very good player.
That's why he's No. 2, because he can make everything on the court.

Q. You seemed very aggressive in the first set, and even at the beginning of the second. You had some really good dropshots of your own beginning of the second set. Were you pretty comfortable out there? Were you nervous at all or just relaxed?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: No, I was comfortable. I enjoy to play on this court against him. I had nothing to lose. I knew I had to be aggressive if I want to have a chance to win. Even if he's very good defenser [sic] and good player from the baseline to make some passing shots, the first times I went to the net I lost the point because he pass me every time.
But at the end, to break back and then to force him to make some mistakes, some double faults, it's because I was aggressive. So it was a good option.
But after it's very hard when he plays deep. You don't have the opportunity to go to the net. Against him you can't go to the net like this, just, Okay, I go and we'll see. Because he's too good in this part of the game.
So it's difficult to find the good mix between be patient, to wait the right ball to go to the net, or to be aggressive in your strokes. Because when you play slowly, he plays slowly. When you play fast, he plays fast. It's very difficult.
So every time you have to think, you have to think to mix. It's just difficult to keep that all the match.

Q. You started out as a lucky loser and made it all the way to the quarterfinals. How is your confidence right now?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: Obviously it's higher than Sunday night. I had an opportunity and I took it, so it's good. It's good. For sure it's good. It's good, because I played a lot of the matches, five. I had very good wins, like yesterday and my first round against Melzer. I beat two good guys.
I played against one of the best player in the world right now, so it's always good to play against a player from this level. In my ranking we are not used to playing against them. Before a Grand Slam it's good to play against them, so it was a very good week for me.

Q. What did you learn most about today's match?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: I don't know yet. I will learn maybe a little bit later when I'm going to think about that, when I'm going speak with my coach. Now it's a little bit too short from the match.
But I played well. I was here in the head. It was almost -- I was leading one set, one break, so this is a good sign. I did not make a lot of mistake in the -- with the wind it was not easy today to play out there, but I found a way to play where I can make some good shots and no unforced errors.
So this was good. I return pretty well today also, so my game, it was a good game. My tennis is here. If I can keep this level and this mental during my match, this fight, because every point it's a fight. I have to keep that.

Q. You were very close to your first semifinal in a Master or 1000. Does this make you more hungry to take the next step and get to a semifinal or final or win one of these big ones?
JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah. I'm disappointing from that because I was close. I told myself during the match, Okay, keep going, keep going. Maybe it can be a semifinal at the end and it's something.
But it's like that. The best won, and I hope I can have those opportunities in other Masters Series.

End of FastScripts

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