00:00 [Music]
00:03 How much do you know about Lucas?
00:06 Many questions, let's start with questions.
00:08 Tough night, you know that. These kids are good.
00:14 Did he surprise you with the level that he played?
00:17 How much did you even know about him beforehand?
00:20 Congrats to him, particularly in the third set, playing some great tennis.
00:28 I watched him play, I didn't know much about him, but I watched him play
00:32 and I knew that he possesses great quality tennis from the baseline,
00:38 especially the forehand side. Moves well, very talented.
00:42 He got in as a lucky loser to me, so he didn't have anything to lose.
00:47 He played great and deserved to win.
00:50 I was more surprised with my level, my level was really, really bad.
00:54 That's it, these two things come together.
00:58 He's having a great day, I'm having a really bad day,
01:01 and that results in a negative outcome for me.
01:04 Novak, do you think the fact that you didn't play as well as you normally play
01:09 was because you haven't played since the Australian Open,
01:12 or was it also because you haven't played here for a while
01:14 and these conditions are pretty unique?
01:15 It could be both, to be honest. I'm not so sure.
01:18 I'm going to obviously analyse what was done, what could have been done better.
01:24 And then move on.
01:27 I do play fewer tournaments, so I'm more selective with my schedule.
01:33 Of course, it's not a great feeling when you drop out very early in the tournament,
01:38 and especially here, I haven't played in five years.
01:40 I really wanted to do well, but it wasn't meant to be. We move on.
01:44 Novak, tough loss. Do you have an idea of your schedule going forward right now?
01:51 Do you think you're going to be in Miami?
01:54 For the moment, Miami is there.
01:58 Ten minutes ago, I was on the court, so I'm still hot-headed a bit.
02:06 I need to take a day or two and then see what I want to do next.
02:11 Novak, as that match progressed, obviously he was playing some outstanding tennis,
02:19 but did you have a feeling that maybe he was also going to come off the boil?
02:24 No, if I didn't make him. But I really didn't make him.
02:30 I helped him play well, and I didn't help myself at all.
02:36 I made some really terrible long-force errors, and just quite defensive tennis.
02:43 Not much on the ball in the third. That's it.
02:49 He just stepped in and used the time that he had.
02:53 He was playing more free and more aggressive than I did,
02:58 going for his shots, and that break on 3-2 in the third was enough.
03:03 A bit of windy conditions today, completely contrary to what I was having
03:10 in my training sessions these days in the first match.
03:13 Still, it's not an excuse. I should have done much better.
03:17 Again, credit to him for pulling it off.
03:21 In the last couple of years, you mainly are playing in the run-up to a Grand Slam.
03:27 I feel like this is the first time in a while you've just been playing on the court.
03:33 Not really. I haven't played in five or six weeks.
03:39 I can't really say I'm part of the tour as all the other guys.
03:44 What I'm saying is that there's not so much...
03:46 I haven't played here in five years or Miami, so I get your point.
03:51 Is it different mentally coming in if you're not pointing towards...
03:57 I wasn't enjoying not playing in the Sunshine Double the last couple of years.
04:01 I really wanted to play.
04:04 It's different, but again, it's not like I made a mistake for coming here.
04:10 I really wanted to come and I enjoy being both Indian Wells and Miami.
04:15 Last one.
04:17 Do you feel there was anything you could do in retrospect to change the result?
04:23 We're so used to you being in full form and having titles this far in the season.
04:30 Any thoughts about this season?
04:32 I would have done everything differently.
04:35 As I said, a very poor performance from my side.
04:41 No titles this year. That's not something I'm used to.
04:46 I was starting the season, most of my career, with a Grand Slam win or Dubai win or any other tournament.
04:55 But it's fine.
04:59 It's part of the sport. You have to accept it.
05:03 Some you win, some you lose. Hopefully I'll win some more.
05:06 I'll still keep going.
05:08 I guess every trophy that eventually comes my way is going to be great, obviously,
05:17 to break the negative cycle that I'm having in the last three or four tournaments
05:23 where I haven't really been close to my best.
05:26 Last one.
05:28 Thank you.
05:30 (upbeat music)
05:32 (upbeat music)
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