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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERSApril 18, 2012Alexandr DolgopolovMONTE CARLO, MONACO A. DOLGOPOLOV/B. Tomic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How did you feel on clay today? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: I felt pretty good actually for the second match already. I'm healthy. I feel comfortable on the surface, so I think I'm really ready enough for the clay season. I hope I can do well in the next match. Q. What is your verdict on your year so far? It hasn't been an easy year, has it? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, for sure. I started really well, I was fit. Then Australian Open I had some issues with my health, had some tough matches there. But still it was good enough. Yeah, then I got a knee injury a bit, so I didn't play for three weeks. Then I got sick in Ukraine. It was a bit of trouble with my health for a month. It's tough to get back. I had to practice three weeks other tournaments in Rotterdam, Dubai, Marseille. I got back a bit of my game only in Indian Wells. Yeah, now I'm getting better and better. I hope I can stay that way. Q. You feel good, healthy now? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, I've been feeling fine since Rotterdam, as I got healthier. But I needed some time to get back into form. I've been feeling fine for the last pretty much two months. Q. How do you approach the match against Djokovic? Are you confident? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, I think so. I think we played a good match in the US Open. For sure I know after that I can compete with him. Then you just go in the match, try to show your best tennis. He's been dominating for the second year now. For sure you need to do your best. I mean, he's No.1, I'm No.21. Obviously he's higher in the ranking. He's playing more consistent. But I think I have my chances and I'll try my best. Q. After you had your little dip at the end of the second set today, what was the difference to turn it around in the third? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Well, I think pretty much the second set I made just a few errors in the wrong time. Bernard was serving only first serves, pretty much not giving me chances to give him problems on his serve. Then you start having problems on yours obviously. So I couldn't win the first point on his serves. Then the third set he started serving a little more second serves, so I got into rallies and played more confident, you know. Q. Do you think your style suits clay? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, I think for sure. I can vary the game, you know, dropshots. I like to play on the baseline. If I'm healthy enough in that moment, I feel great on the clay. I move well. I've been practicing all my life on clay. So I think, yeah, I can play pretty well on this surface. Q. Was clay the first surface you played on back home? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, I pretty much practiced 90% of my time on clay. We don't have hard courts. It's not popular in Europe much ‑ especially in Russia, Ukraine. So I practiced on clay mostly. Plus it's easier on your legs, the health. I feel really comfortable on it. Even if I'm losing, it's comfortable for me to move and to stay on that surface. Q. What are your memories of that Davis Cup match you played against Britain in Ukraine? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Not much actually. Q. You were how old then? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: I was probably 17. Yeah, I played Andy. He was No.16, I believe. Yeah, I never played him. I went on the match and I thought something like something's going to happen because he's so high in the ranking. Then he just gave me the chances to play, you know. I was a bit frustrated because I couldn't make a winner. He was moving so well. He was everywhere on the court. Yeah, I was waiting that I'm going to be defensing [sic], you know, always losing the points because he would win it. But he just gave me the chances to play, and I missed everything myself. He didn't do much that match. Yeah, not a lot of memories actually. It was fun, for sure. Really helpful for me for my future. Q. Was that kind of a breakthrough moment for you, being picked in that tie and playing someone like Murray? ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: No, I wouldn't say so. After that moment, I had troubles in challengers, I had troubles with my health. You know, there were not a lot of players at that moment to play on clay. I was pretty much good enough on the team. It wasn't they put me because I was young or something. Yeah, it was just helpful for me to understand the level and what I have to do. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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