PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

 

March 19, 2008

 

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think made the difference today?
ANDY MURRAY: Umm, I wasn't -- there wasn't much difference. You know, in the second set for him to break me, a slice off the top of the tape that just dropped over.
You know, so that was -- well, that didn't help me, because I was great up until then. He got a bit of confidence and started to play better after that, and I was disappointed not to get into a tiebreak after, you know, after I had broken him when he was serving for the set.
But I didn't serve well enough today, and, you know, I was a bit too defensive on the break points in the third set, even though, to be fair to him, he did serve very well on a lot of them and didn't give me any cheap points.
So credit to him for that, but I was a bit too defensive in the third set.

Q. Do you spend a lot of time kind of kicking yourself after a match like that, especially those opportunities in the early in the third?
ANDY MURRAY: You can do if you think that you screwed it up a little bit, but I don't think that I miss any sitters, I didn't make any mistakes. But I guess if I was playing a bit more aggressive then, a lot like I was in the first, set coming to the net, and, you know, taking my chances a bit better, you know, I'd be obviously much more happy because I think I would have won the match if I had done that.
But, you know, I still think that I was good enough to win the match today, and I'm disappointed I didn't.
But, you know, I'll learn from it, because, you know, stuff that I did out there in the first set and the first few games that showed me that I can, you know, I can play very good tennis and win a set really comfortably against someone as good as him if I can continue to keep that up.
But it's a consistency thing and making sure you do it the whole way through the match, and I didn't do that today.

Q. How do you assess your attitude? Given what you were saying yesterday, were you more pleased with...
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it was better than yesterday, that's for sure. You know, I got annoyed a couple of times, but that was more purely because I was playing a bit defensive and I wasn't quite finding a way to get on the offensive in the third set.
You know, but it wasn't -- the mindset today was way better than it was yesterday. It was much calmer at the start of the match, and, yeah, that side of things was definitely better than it was yesterday.

Q. That was a lot of tennis within 19 or 20 hours, but is that just par for the course?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think so. I think they changed -- did they change the schedule a bit this year? I think we played the first couple of rounds over -- it was finished on Saturday maybe.
THE MODERATOR: One more day this year.
ANDY MURRAY: One more day?
Yeah, so I don't know if I would have had to have played tomorrow or not, but, yeah, it was -- both of us played relatively late, so I'm sure both of us would have rather had a later match. But it was the same for both of us today.

Q. The consistency thing, is that something that you think will come with time, or are there specific things you can do to work on it?
ANDY MURRAY: I think it's an experience thing and knowing how to continue playing the right way. I think it's easy when, you know, when you're slightly younger to, you know, lose concentration a little bit.
You know, maybe I did that a touch today early in the second, but got a bit unlucky with the net cord. I think it's, yeah, just a bit more understanding how you've won those sets comfortably and making sure that you -- you know, obviously guys like Tommy can up his level and play great tennis.
But even when they are doing that you have to maintain, you know, your level and continue to do what you were doing, you know, today, instead of really continuing playing like I was.
When he started to play better I got on the back foot a little bit too much and did too much running.

Q. Obviously you're trying to explore all the options in your game. Does that make being consistent difficult? It's hard to sort of find the balance all the time?
ANDY MURRAY: Like I said, my game is a bit more complicated than some players'. And I think in the match against Karlovic yesterday, you know, I showed how much I've improved my volleys and serve and volleying. When I'm up at the net I feel way, way more comfortable than I did last year.
Then my match against Melzer I think I won 19 out of 26 points at the net and didn't miss any approaches, so that's something that I'm really pleased with and it's getting better. But again, I probably didn't do it enough today. You know, I did it in the first set but didn't do it enough in the rest of the match.
That's something that, yeah, you just got to learn from and make sure that, you know, the next time you're in that position and next week in Miami that I do that.

Q. Why do you suppose that happened? You're doing it well, and then you just stop doing it?
ANDY MURRAY: Doing what?

Q. The serving and volleying?
ANDY MURRAY: It's different when you're playing against a -- returning against -- or serving to someone like Karlovic who tends to just block a lot of returns. The volleys are a bit easier. Tommy hits the ball much cleaner and much harder from the back, which makes it more difficult.
You know, but like I said, I was doing it in the first set today, and then the second set when he started to play better and make some more balls and play deeper I didn't. Instead of finding a way to get into the net, I sort of played too far behind the baseline. When you're a meter, meter and a half behind the baseline, it's pretty tough to get yourself forward.

Q. Obviously Wimbledon is a long, long way away, but still it's always a big tournament for you. What would you consider a result that would be successful at Wimbledon this year?
ANDY MURRAY: I actually dreamt for the first time in my life about winning a Grand Slam, actually winning match point at a Grand Slam about two days ago. I kind of woke up, and now I feel like I'm ready to go on and play on and get deep into the Slams now. So, God, I want to win it.
You know, I'm going to try my best to do that, but I know it's going to be difficult. There are certain things I'm going to have to do better, you know, if I'm going to do well at Wimbledon. But I played well on grass before, and I'm obviously looking forward to it, because I missed it last year.
But, you know, you never know in Grand Slams. You can get some tough draws like I got in Australia, and sometimes the draws can open up for you. You know, hopefully I'll get a good draw.

Q. What was the setting of the dream?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't even know. I just know I won a Grand Slam and I woke up few hours later and I was unbelievably disappointed. (laughter.)

Q. We've had that dream, a few of us? Did you say a swear word or something like that when you realized it was just a dream?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I was just a bit disappointed. (laughter.)
It was the first time I had, you know, first time I dreamt about something like that. You know, I think that it -- well, it's kind of made me realize that I'm not too -- not as far away from it as I was a few years ago.

Q. Were you actually lifting the trophy or what was the...
ANDY MURRAY: I can't even remember. I just remember, you know, being on the floor in the last point. You know what dreams are like. Tend to be a bit strange. You know, you can wake up and not quite understand what happened, but I definitely, definitely won a Grand Slam.

Q. Miles, I don't know him or anything, but watching him here he seems so calm, doesn't seem to be so emotional and like Brad, the other extreme in a way. Is it easier with Miles or do you notice a difference there?
ANDY MURRAY: I think when it does get to big matches, you know, I think the calmer your coach can be the better. Because I think in tennis matches and a lot of sports, there are so many momentum shifts and, you know, you get really high when you're winning and unbelievably low when you're losing.
You know, it can be a bit of a distraction if you feel like -- well, I guess it brings you down a little bit as well. You're on such a high and feel a little bit low. Miles is pretty calm and right in the middle and doesn't get too fired up. You know, I think that's a good thing.

Q. Would you mind telling us what you think how Haas will do against either Ljubicic or Federer in the next round? Your thoughts on that?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I don't really know. I don't know what his record is like against Ljubicic. Obviously Federer is doing very well this week. I don't think Tommy has a great record against him. You know, I think if they play tomorrow that's definitely going to favor the other two, because he's played a couple of long matches the last two days.
But, no, I mean he still hits the ball very well and, you know, he's going to be tough for anyone to beat.

Q. When do you go to Miami, and who's going with you?
ANDY MURRAY: Same people I've got with me this week. I guess I'll probably go tomorrow or the following day. You know, I guess it's probably best to get there as soon as possible and get used to the conditions. It's going to be a big tournament for me next week.

End of FastScripts