	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 13, 2011

Andy Murray

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

A. MURRAY/R. Stepanek
6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. One assumes you're feeling a lot better about life at the moment after that.
ANDY MURRAY: Feeling a lot better about tennis, yeah. I mean, I played great. Played really well. Dominated the match from the second, third game. Was a wee bit tentative towards the end, which I think is probably natural.
But, yeah, I hit the ball really well, made him do a lot of running, was able to dictate a lot of points with my forehand, especially from the first and second shot in the rally. Didn't really give him a chance to play his game until right at the very end.

Q. The end of the match was getting pretty tough. Do you think maybe a lack of confidence you have now explains how hard it was to close it out?
ANDY MURRAY: It's not lack of confidence; it's lack of not playing matches. You know, I think once you get used to playing a lot, playing a lot of matches, closing out matches becomes kind of second nature. It's not something you really think about when you start.
I played three, four matches since Australia in two months. Maybe you overthink things a little bit. Like I say, I started to play a little bit tentatively.
But lack of confidence would have showed at the beginning of the match. I went for it, hit the ball really clean, wasn't miss-hitting anything, moved really well, was really happy.

Q. Is this a good surface for you to come back and get back in the rhythm of playing, confidence and everything else? It's not known as your best surface, but do you like it?
ANDY MURRAY: I like clay, yeah. I play well on clay. I think I can have good results on it if I play like I did today at the start. It got a little bit close at the end. I was up 6-1, 4-2, 30-Love against a guy who is a very tough clay court player, so I think I can play well on the surface, very well.
I'm going to try and keep that up. The more matches I play, the better my rhythm is going to get. I'm sure I can go deep in the big tournaments.

Q. You mentioned it's a game of inches. People talk aggressive tennis. You've said, What is aggressive tennis? It did seem as though you were playing ever so slightly further up the court, taking the ball earlier today.
ANDY MURRAY: I was just using my legs properly. I was moving properly from the start of the match. That gives you a chance. When you have to run on this court, on any surface, you kind of just have to accept it sometimes. Guys can hit a good serve, you're on the defensive, you have to accept you're going to have to defend.
I was using my legs well. I was getting in the right position, just going for my shots. He wasn't able to get me off balance really. That was the main difference.

Q. Explain Roger and Rafa and what you think about the tournament?
ANDY MURRAY: If I see playing them? Me against them or those two playing against each other?

Q. Have you seen them play?
ANDY MURRAY: Have I seen them play? No, I didn't see Roger play. I was practicing with Rafa during his match. And I saw small bits of Rafa's match today. But I was getting ready for my match because I was following him, so I didn't see that much.

Q. Thoughts on your next opponent, Gilles Simon?
ANDY MURRAY: Very tough player. Doesn't make many mistakes. I've played him a lot of times. He's tough. If I play like I did today, good intensity, I give myself a good shot.

Q. Enjoy the court? It's great when you have almost a full house. A lot of people coming back in, really relishing it.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I thought it was good, a really good atmosphere. I mean, it's obviously a beautiful court to play on. I was told they relaid the courts not long ago. There were a lot of pretty rough bounces, especially around the service line. Staying quite low. Obviously a really nice court to play on. Never gets that windy down there. It's quite an easy court to play on. Obviously one of the nicest on the tour.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297