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AUSTRALIAN OPENJanuary 17, 2014Kevin AndersonMELBOURNE, VICTORIA K. ANDERSON/E. Roger‑Vasselin THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Must have felt pretty good. KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, it was a lot of emotions at the end. Just a lot of excitement. A little bit of disbelief as well. The match changed so much just in the last 15 minutes. Sitting down there at 5‑4, going out to return serve, knowing sort of it's your one last shot. Just tried to play a solid game and somehow managed to get a break. Had to fight again. But then sitting at 6‑5, I've got a little bit of momentum. Made a really good return on the last thing. Seeing the ball go long definitely produced quite a bit of emotion at the end. Q. What did you think when you were down in the fifth set? KEVIN ANDERSON: It was interesting, because I thought after winning the fourth set I felt I had quite a bit of good momentum going my way. Held first game, then had that 15‑40 at 1‑Love. Didn't get that. But I was feeling probably the best I did all match. Then going up 40‑15 on my serve, and then losing my serve, suddenly I'm down again and having to somehow find a way back. I thought he played really good tennis. I mean, he was directing the ball really well. I just kept on going. Managed to hold serve at 5‑3. Going out there at 5‑4, just try to give myself one more chance. Fortunately I was able to get it. Q. In 2010 you lost to Roger‑Vasselin at Roland Garros. Do you feel it's a revenge? KEVIN ANDERSON: I guess. I don't really want to look at it too much that way. Obviously it was a really tough loss for me. I think I was going for my first Grand Slam win. I was up two sets to love. I think I had Love‑40 in one of the those games in the third set. He came back and beat me in five. That was really a tough loss for me. Going out today, I really wasn't thinking too much about that. You feel for Roger just a little bit. He played a great match and came close. I've been on that end before. I remember my first Australian Open here playing Alejandro Falla serving for the match at 5‑4 in the fifth, not winning that one. I guess it feels good to be on the winning side of that battle today. Q. How many two sets to love down comebacks do you have left in you this tournament? KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, well, it's the first time I've ever done it in the first round, and now I've done it twice. I'm really pleased with the way I've just kept my mental fortitude and given myself a chance to get back in these matches. Maybe not starting the match exactly as planned, but I think playing three‑out‑of‑five sets, that's one thing, you do have time. If you can keep going, there's sometimes a way back. I've been able to capitalize on two of those matches so far. Q. How was the heat for you? KEVIN ANDERSON: I was actually struggling quite a bit in the first two sets. Obviously people have been asking me quite a bit. It's been a topic of conversation. I've always said I enjoy playing in the heat, the conditions and stuff. But today wasn't an example of that. I was struggling quite a bit in those first two sets. Beginning of the third I settled down. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe I was just a bit more relaxed. But started to feel much better. At the same time I think the temperature dropped a little bit. I think if it stayed hot, I would have done better than I did in the first couple sets. But just in today's conditions, I thought it was much nicer playing the second half of the match than the first half. Q. Your next opponent is Tomas Berdych. How do you feel about that? KEVIN ANDERSON: I've played him a few times. It's been tough matches for me. But I'll approach it like any other match. It's going to be a tough one. I'm going to have to play well. He's somebody that's given me a bit of a tough time in the past. I look at it as a challenge, an opportunity. I know I'm going to have to play some good tennis. It's fourth round in a Grand Slam. I'm happy to be there, really excited at the opportunity. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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