00:00Yeah, it was a good match. I think I started very well and played a good first set. He
00:08played good in the second set. Third set was really competitive and I think, you know,
00:13I took the match on my record at the end. I went for it. I got it, so I'm very pleased
00:17on how I ended the match.
00:20Congrats. It seems like it was a very tough match, mentally speaking, and you managed
00:32it being very calm. Maybe calmer than what we're used to see when we see you playing.
00:43Trust me, I was not calm at all. It was a big, big battle throughout the whole match.
00:49I had many opportunities that I didn't manage to take also, so that was very frustrating.
00:54But, yeah, I kept it together. I kept fighting. I kept looking forward, trying to find solutions.
00:59I have a lot of respect for Alex. He's a tough competitor. He makes you play an extra ball
01:04away, so I had to win it. That's what I told myself. I need to go for it in order to get
01:11what I want. I think tactically I played very smart, especially in the first and the third
01:15set. In the second set, I played more on his terms, and he played well, so credit to
01:21him. But I'm very happy with the way I handled the situation.
01:24Hi, Oliver. Congrats. It's been a bit of a tumultuous year for you regarding the changes
01:33in your team and everything. I'm just wondering how important it is for you to play that well
01:38here at the end of this season with Larsen, as you feel it clicking back as it was a couple
01:44of years ago?
01:45Yeah, as I said, it's great to be back with the people that I really trust and has been
01:51with me for all my life. It feels good. We're working well day in and day out. We all know
01:58each other very well, so it feels good. I feel like I'm building my game. Actually, I don't
02:05like the word saying back to the level I have, but we're improving. I think I'm playing better
02:09and better, moving better and better. I think it's good. I'm playing some good tennis when
02:16it matters the most on court. I'm very happy to get through today, to be in the semis.
02:22Hi, Holger. Congrats. Where do you find, at the end of the season when we've known you
02:32didn't have an easy year, where do you find this fire in your belly, this fighting spirit?
02:38It's really the way that I can give myself the best chance to win. It's by keep going.
02:45If I stop, I'm not going to win. I need to just push through it, even though today was
02:53obviously annoying losing the second set. That's life. The only thing I can do is to
02:58reset and come back and push. I know if I play my best tennis, I can beat anyone. That's
03:05what I told myself. Let's get back to it, give myself a chance to win the match. Physically,
03:09I know I'm good enough to play as long as it takes. About my tennis, I think if I play
03:16optimal and do the right thing, I can always give myself a chance to win.
03:20Has this year changed at all the way you're approaching the sport in general and the expectations
03:30that you're putting on yourself?
03:34I'm obviously working very, very hard every day to play better with my team, trusting
03:42the things that we're working on and just pushing the limits every day, like 1% better.
03:50I think, to answer your question, it's not really changed the way my approach is, but
03:57it's definitely very professional, very serious, and we're having good fun as well. It's a constant process.
04:08According to the notes of the ATP this morning, you've got a chance of going to the Masters,
04:13the finals. Is that like a thought or a goal or not at all?
04:20Not really, to be honest. My focus is just to do well here in Paris. It's this tournament
04:26that means almost everything to me. It's where it all started a few years back. My goal is
04:31to do as good as possible here, and then we'll see what happens after. Definitely, 100% of
04:36my focus is in Paris, and it's going to keep being in Paris until the job is done.
04:47Another match against Sacha in Paris. I guess you remember this one against Sacha in Roland-Garros.
04:52How do you forecast this one?
04:54First of all, how are you, man? It's going to be interesting. Sacha is a great player.
05:00He's been, not just this year, but consistently one of the best out there in the world. I'm
05:06looking forward to the challenge. We played an epic battle in Paris, and I'm looking forward,
05:12honestly. I'm going to try to play my best tennis and believe that I can give myself
05:18a chance to win, and let's see what happens.
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