TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 4th of June. A. Murray d. G. Monfils 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-0. An interview with Andy Murray
Q. You said it was going to be exciting. Was that a bit too exciting in the end?
ANDY MURRAY: No. I mean, it was a hard match. Conditions changed quite a lot during it. It was extremely windy in the beginning, and then it was pretty calm at the end and very slow. It was obviously very cold at the end of the match.
Yeah, I mean, he really raised his game in the third set. I thought I played a pretty good third set. Fourth set wasn’t my best, but, yeah, it was a fun match.
Q. Can you talk us through the conversation before the start of the fifth set? Monfils came and said he really wanted to play and felt he tried to win too quickly because he wanted to play and stay on. What was your view of the decision?
ANDY MURRAY: I didn’t want to stop the match either. I asked what the situation was. It was 20 past 9:00. I was told we had 20 minutes left, so, you know, you could potentially play two games, two or three games in that time. Six was the maximum that you could play. I mean, it was so dark at the end.
Yeah, thankfully for me he played a poor fifth set once I got ahead. But, I mean, I don’t know whether the quality of tennis from him went down because of the darkness or not, but I just wanted to know what the situation was.
I didn’t want to stop the match. That’s why I said to the referee when he came on, I said, Why only talking to me? Shouldn’t you be explaining to both players? It looks like I’m trying to stop the match, so they’re going to be booing me.
I just want clarification on what’s gonna happen.
Q. How big of an achievement is it to get to the semifinals here?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it’s definitely a big achievement, but that’s not what I came here to do. Yeah, my goals are different and my expectations are different to a lot of people.
I expect a lot of myself. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well at these events, and thankfully I have done okay so far.
Still hopefully a long way to go in the tournament.
Q. Have you ever played in darkness like that? Was it in terms of your career slam matches perhaps the most undulating in terms of scoreline?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I don’t know how much longer we played tonight than I did in the Kohlschreiber match, to be honest. I don’t know exactly what time we finished today.
Q. About the same.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, and I notice the days have started getting longer just now. So, yeah, it was pretty dark when I played against Kohlschreiber, as well.
In terms of the scoreline, I don’t know, to be honest. I mean, the fourth set obviously for me was a disappointing set. But like I say, I played a pretty good third set, as well. I played some good tennis in the third set.
But, yeah, when it’s a 6 Love set in the fifth that’s obviously especially the way the match is going as well that was a surprising part.
Q. How much can you take out of the match that you had with Rafa in Rome into the semifinals?
ANDY MURRAY: I definitely learned some things that in that match. Yeah, I mean, it was quite clear in my head, as well, what was working and what wasn’t.
It was obviously different conditions here and a different court, different balls and stuff. When we played in Rome it was extremely cold. It was raining and it was wet. I have been told it was meant to be 25 or 26 degrees on Friday.
So conditions change, which makes a match slightly different, as well. But there are some things I learned in that match that hopefully I can use to my advantage on Friday.
Q. Does any part of you think it’s a little odd in 2014 a world class major event like this can still be at the mercy of daylight, that lights should be something they would have?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, obviously for the players, from a player’s perspective, in that situation obviously it is better to finish the match than to have to come back the next day.
You know, it was the same earlier in the tournament for me against Kohlschreiber. It is tough to come back in the middle of a fifth set or towards the end of a fifth set.
From a player’s perspective, it would obviously be better if you knew when you got on the court when you were going to finish unless obviously it rains.
Yeah, most of the clay court events, they play night matches and have night sessions in Madrid and Rome. Yeah, it would help.
