TENNIS Internazionali BNL d’Italia – R. Nadal d. A. Murray 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. An interview with Andy Murray.
Q:You played a hell of a match, what’s your feeling about this match: are you proud of the level?
ANDY MURRAY: I expect to play well, that’s pleasing, obviously I am disappointed about the game I play on the 4-2, after that game I was still in a good position but against him he didn’t give you a lot of chances: that was my chance, I play a poor game and I am disappointed about that. He finished the match incredibly well, the last three games, he was physically a little bit stronger than me at the end. Apart from that it was a good match. I did pretty well, he changes his tactics a little bit and when he did that I went in a period in the 2nd set where I had I few mistakes and I cannot correct them in the 3rd. I would have liked to have done a little bit better, but I did pretty well for the majority. The things is frustrating because I played him a lot of times and my record is not so good but I think I played good matches giving him a lot of problem. I would have liked to have won the match of tonight because I had the opportunity. I didn’t feel his game changed, there are few things he does differently than before.
Q:You played incredibly well compared to how you played Fognini in Naples, but then what happens on the 4-2 game?
ANDY MURRAY: He definitely finishes the match strongly and I respect, but I played a poor game at 4-2, I rushed a little bit. I had to be patient and wait for the right shot.
Q:How this match change your confidence before the French open?
ANDY MURRAY: It didn’t change my confidence too much because I felt like I have started playing better for a couple of weeks. I felt my game is getting there, I don’t feel people respect the severity…what is like to have back surgery. It’s a hard thing to come back, it takes time. I feel like now I am getting close to where I want to be and that’s pleasing with a couple a big months ahead. To be honest at the start of the match I didn’t expect to go out there and be 5-0 in 25 minutes. But after the 1st set I started the 2nd fairly well: I had break points on his serve. That was the tough period of the match for me for 15-20 minutes. Tonight was the best on hit the ball for a while and it’s the best I felt physically since the surgery as well. The beginning of the year was tough for me and I expect this kind of feeling process, I feel like now I am hitting the ball clearly, there are few thing that I can do better and I am going to work on it for the next 10 days. To be honest, play Rafa is quite a big challenge like play tennis: I want to play those matches, want to be very competitive in those match. For everyone else seems that I have nothing to lose, but against Rafa is one of the toughest to do in our sport. I was pretty pumped to try to win and this also put pressure on yourself performance.
Q:Do you think you have enough time to regain the strength to play a Slam at the best of five?
ANDY MURRAY: I hope so. The thing about tonight’s match was the weather conditions that was extremely heavy. You had to put a lot of effort in every shot to get the good pace to the ball and was quite tough for the legs. I expect to feel better in 10 days, I trained hard for the last couple of weeks before Madrid and here. Now I’ll take few days rest and be ready for the French and feel good
