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U.S. OPEN

September 2, 2011

Andy Murray

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

A. MURRAY/R. Haase
6-7, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you turn that match around?
ANDY MURRAY: Don't know. I started moving better. I was moving really badly the first couple of sets. That meant I was making a lot of mistakes I don't normally make.
My legs were not getting me round the court like they normally do and I was out of position for a lot of balls. Once I really just forced myself to get to as many balls as possible, kind of hustled a few points and got the break in the third set. I kind of started playing better, was moving better. That's really a big part of my game, so I think it was down to that.

Q. What do you put it down to, that slow start?
ANDY MURRAY: It happens sometimes. It just happens. You know, you don't want it to. I'll make sure in the next match I try and really sort of get myself going, like right at the beginning get the emotions into it.
Because at the end I started moving better when I was getting more fired up and not getting frustrated that I wasn't really moving well. I really forced myself to move.
Yeah, that's all you can do. But you have days like that sometimes.

Q. Was his injury a turning point as well, do you think?
ANDY MURRAY: No.

Q. Seemed almost bemused at the end of the match.
ANDY MURRAY: I seemed bemused?

Q. Yes. Net cord, laughing. Quite unusual.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, the thing was, I just said to Jonathan out there, that's when I felt my calmest, in the fifth set. Even when he started coming back I wasn't panicking, I wasn't getting frustrated. I just stayed focused and managed to turn it around.
Yeah, it's just one of those matches where anything could have happened at the end. I just stayed a little bit tougher than him and got the win.

Q. Do you take confidence knowing you came back from two sets down a few times before?
ANDY MURRAY: It does help to know like physically you can get through the match. That's really the main thing. You always feel like you can sort of turn the match round in terms of the tennis because the standard -- my standard of tennis was pretty bad, I think, for the most part, especially for the first sort of two and a half sets, and then I started to play better.
You've got to try and find a way of playing better tennis and just changing a few things. You know, I managed to get through in the end. But, yeah, having physically come back from two sets to love down definitely helped.

Q. What was going through your mind in those first two sets?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, there's a lot of things that go through your mind. You're on the court kind of like for an hour and 45 minutes, so many, many things go through your head.
You try to stay in the present, but it's also difficult, you know, if you're getting frustrated. You're not hitting the ball well. You're not moving well. You just have to try and find a way of turning it round.
I did that.

Q. Do you maybe feel a particular pressure here because of what's happened the last two years?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know. I mean, you know, it happens sometimes. You know, the guy I played is a very tough player. He's a very streaky, talented player. You know, Novak, last year in the first round, nearly went out to a similar sort of player to Haase.
It does happen. You know, the guy 's nearly beaten Rafa at Wimbledon. He plays well.
Whether there's extra pressure on me here or not, I don't know. I'm just happy I managed to win.

Q. You seemed really relieved moments after the match.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, you are. Well, it was an unbelievable ending to the match. Of course you're relieved to get through a long one like that, especially when you're behind.
I don't know how relieved I am, but I'm just glad I'm in the next round and get a chance to improve and play better and give myself a chance.

Q. The lights came on about halfway through the final set. The sun was very low in the sky. That's about the time that the 13-game streak came to an end. Did that affect you at all?
ANDY MURRAY: No. Normally it helps when the sun goes away because there's nothing sort of getting in the way of your vision. Sometimes when the sun kind of goes down behind that stadium there's kind of shadows on the court. The sun's kind of right in the corner of your eye and it can be quite difficult to see. It's normally a good thing when the sun goes away.
But when the sun's gone and it's cooler, the court plays slower. So whether it changed things or not, I don't know.

Q. Coming through a match like that, fighting back, did it sort of give you a spur for the next match, a bit of a lift?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I'm going to need to play better on Sunday or I'll be going home. You know, you can't come through four or five matches like that. You know, I'm going to need to play better, for sure. Physically I'm good. I feel fine. No pain or aches or anything. So that's a huge positive.
I'm sure on Sunday I'll play better.

Q. LÃ³pez obviously somebody you played a few times before, good record.
ANDY MURRAY: I like playing against him. I always enjoy playing lefties. Have a good record against him in the past, and hopefully that will help me out.

Q. How are you going to celebrate tonight?
ANDY MURRAY: Definitely not. I'm going to go back to the hotel, jump in the ice bath, go to bed, and think about how I'm going to get better for Sunday.

Q. Do you find the New York crowd really makes a difference to you? They really seem to lift you at the end and support you.
ANDY MURRAY: They love emotion and they love sort of a bit of drama, and also kind of long points, someone fighting their way back. I've always enjoyed playing here, so I need to try and make sure I get my like, I guess, sort of my emotions right in the next match, make sure I get the crowd involved a bit, show some fist pumps and c'mons.
That's what I always did when I was a kid, and that's when I felt like I always moved my best, when I enjoyed playing tennis the most. I enjoyed the end of the match, and I think that showed.

Q. Do you think it's beneficial early when you can get through a match like this?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, it's big, because if I didn't get through the match today I'd be going home. So to come back from two sets is a difficult thing to do. Any player will tell you that. And I just feel because of the way I was playing, that's what was more impressive, because I wasn't playing that well.
So I'm sure in the next match I'll play better, I'll strike the ball more consistently, and I'll move better. That's just what I've got to focus on. Take one match at a time, 'cause if I play like that then, you know, I'm not going to win the tournament and I won't give myself much of a chance. So I'll need to improve.

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