TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN – 25th of January 2015. N.Kyrgios d. A.Seppi 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 8-6. An interview with Nick Kyrgios
Q. How disappointing was it to be two sets to love down not having done a lot wrong?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not disappointing at all. I knew it was going to be a tough battle. He’s playing some of the best tennis he’s played ever since coming off that win against Roger. I knew it was going to be tough from the get-go. I just had to draw on my experiences of coming back from two sets to love. Paid off in the end.
Q. What’s the overwhelming emotion for you right now?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it’s crazy. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. When I saw I had finally won the match it was incredible. It was the best feeling I ever had. To know the body could come back from two sets to love, knowing I haven’t had matches, it’s just massive confidence.
Q. You lost a five-setter when you were two sets up. You said you wanted to learn from that match. You’ve won all five-setters since then. What are you doing differently now?
NICK KYRGIOS: I think I’m just managing my emotions a bit better out there. I thought I was pretty composed for the whole match. When I needed to get into the crowd, I did that. They were unbelievable tonight. I think they were a massive part of that win. I’m just learning every time I step out on the court when to show emotion, when not to.
Q. Were you struggling halfway through the second set? How is the body?
NICK KYRGIOS: As you all know – you’ve been asking about my back a fair bit – that’s a bit sore. Physically I thought my legs pulled up well throughout the whole match. I got a bit tired halfway through the fifth set, you know, I guess just by being out on the court. Being in that atmosphere is pretty tiring, but I knew he’d be feeling the same way. He’s never reached a quarterfinal before. All those thoughts going through his head. I think I had to draw on that. I just stuck in there.
Q. What do you think was the key point of the match? When you broke him in the beginning of the third set or just before the match point he was not very brave? You took initiative before the match point. Do you remember that?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think the turning point was definitely the break in the third set. That just established that I wasn’t going to go away. I was just going to compete till the very end. When I got to the third set, I started playing really well in the third set. I knew if I could just hang on some way and take it to a fifth set, it’s anyone’s match. I think that was the turning point then.
Q. How does this compare to Wimbledon?
NICK KYRGIOS: I think this one, it feels a bit better, honestly. There was a lot of expectation coming into this tournament. I was obviously out for a couple weeks before Sydney. I wasn’t expecting, you know, anything, especially not quarterfinals. And, yeah, it’s just massive, especially to do it in front of your home crowd. Hisense is an unbelievable court. I’d never played on it before. It’s definitely my favorite court now.
Q. 4-1 to 4-All you lost 12 points in a row in the fifth set. What were you thinking at that moment of the match? Why did it happen that you had those three games of, I don’t say blackout, but almost?
NICK KYRGIOS: It’s pretty tiring, you know, staying out there for three hours, coming down from two sets to love, pushing yourself. That’s tennis. That’s the scoring system. You lose points. That’s a silly question.
Q. You were emotionally flat the Wimbledon quarterfinal, understandably, after beating Nadal. How do you think you’ll pull back up for your second Grand Slam quarterfinal?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think I’ll be pulling up better than I did at Wimbledon. I know what to expect now, now what I am going to be feeling, especially after a five-set match like that. I need to do everything I can: nutrition, get a good night’s rest tonight, do some mobility, get a hit out tomorrow. Yeah, I just got so much more confidence in my body now. You know, I was feeling fine. My legs were feeling really good towards the end of the fifth set. It’s massive confidence being 19 knowing that you can last matches like that. It’s massive.
Q. Some players get very tense at their home slam. Are you most relaxed at this one?
NICK KYRGIOS: Well, I was definitely nervous out there before I went out for the match tonight. This is actually the most nervous I’ve ever been, going out against Seppi in the fourth round. I am definitely feeling the pressure, but at the same time I had so much fun out there. It was a really good experience.
Q. You talked about containing emotion. Do you think this was a night where emotion helped you a little bit because of the crowd, the way they fed off you?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. I thought maybe if I didn’t stay composed as well as I did in the first couple sets, you know, I didn’t waste much energy, I felt, so that probably played in my favor. Towards the end of the fifth set as well. The fourth, I was definitely feeding off the crowd in the fourth, especially in the tiebreak it was massive. That was a momentum builder going into the fifth set. The crowd I thought played a massive part, yeah.
Q. You talked to yourself a fair bit out on the court. Do you feel your game actually lifts the more you talk to yourself out there?
NICK KYRGIOS: It’s debatable, I think. I am going to have those. Being an emotional player, I’m going to have those negative and positive patches in my matches. Talking to myself is sometimes not so productive. Sometimes it gets me up and I can start producing some pretty good tennis.
Q. The point that went around the net, is that one of the best points you ever played?
NICK KYRGIOS: That was ridiculous. Never seen anything like that. That’s the first time it’s ever happened to me. But, yeah, it’s going to happen. I have no explanation for it.
