00:03Lerner, congratulations, a great victory today.
00:06How were you able to get over the line in that fifth set?
00:11Yeah, I obviously was kind of down and out in the fourth,
00:15but just really had a lot of belief that I was still in the match, that I could come back,
00:19and I think physically he was struggling towards the end of the fifth,
00:22so I just, you know, really tried to get over the finish line.
00:27A lot of us were distracted by what was happening on Chatrier as you were making your comeback,
00:31so what were you able to do down double break in that fourth to get yourself out of there?
00:38I was in a lot of return games, honestly.
00:41I was struggling a bit on my own service games.
00:43I think he was putting a lot of pressure on me on my service games.
00:47He was really just finding a lot of forehands, I think, especially off my second serves,
00:52and he was just really making it tough on me.
00:56I wasn't putting in that many first serves, so obviously he was getting pretty good looks
01:00pretty much every point.
01:02I don't think I held serve until 2-4 in the fourth.
01:08So honestly, I mean, it was just really holding serve.
01:11I really did have a lot of confidence that I could break.
01:15The biggest thing was just kind of trying to find my rhythm on my service games.
01:22Well done today.
01:24So no Alcaraz, obviously, and no Sinner now, and you have a lot of players in your age cohort
01:31who are doing pretty well, this sort of, I don't know, next, next, next, next generation,
01:36whatever it is.
01:38How do you guys rate yourselves?
01:39Are you ready for prime time, so to speak?
01:42Do you think of yourselves as like contenders for the biggest title and titles,
01:47and why do you think you guys are doing so well, so quickly at this point?
01:53I mean, I can't speak for anyone else, honestly.
01:58But from kind of what I feel, I feel like all the young guys coming up really want to prove
02:04themselves.
02:05I think a lot of the guys coming up really have a lot of belief in themselves that they belong
02:10at this level
02:10and that they can challenge the top guys for these events, and I think that's huge.
02:17I think just believing is a huge first step, and I think a lot of these younger guys, myself included,
02:24are just very eager to go out and prove themselves.
02:27Is there anything style-wise you think?
02:31I know you guys are completely different players in some ways,
02:33but in terms of how you all sort of attack points, construct points, see the game,
02:40is there anything that you pick up on that sort of makes you guys ready at this point in your
02:47careers
02:48to stay with the best players, people who have been at this for 5, 6, 7, 10 years?
02:57I think, you know, all the younger guys, I mean, everyone's a different player.
03:02Everyone wins a different way.
03:05I think, like I said, I think a lot of us, you know, feel like we're ready
03:15and feel like, you know, we can contend at this level.
03:17I think everyone obviously has their own way of playing
03:20and their own reason why they are so successful.
03:23So I can't really put my finger on one thing that, you know, everyone really does that works.
03:31How has your own confidence level on the surface changed over the last two weeks,
03:36I guess, basically with getting to the third round here,
03:38obviously what you did in Geneva?
03:41I mean, it skyrocketed for sure.
03:44I think especially matches like these, playing against guys that are great, clay quarters,
03:51just getting through these tough matches.
03:54I mean, a lot of confidence match to match.
03:57Even some of the matches that I lost, I think that, you know,
04:00I was doing a good job of just taking a lot of positives away from every time I stepped on
04:05the court,
04:06win or lose.
04:06and it's been, you know, I would say baby steps in getting to where I am now
04:13and I'm far from where I want to be on the surface still.
04:17But I am very happy with how I've, you know, improved
04:20and I definitely see the results of my hard work, I think.
04:25You played him in China on hard last year.
04:28You know, you were playing next year.
04:29You're not someone to avoid that information.
04:31Yeah.
04:31Thoughts on Caboli then?
04:32Because you played him and beat him on hard court in China, your one previous meeting.
04:36How do you think clay might change that factor in being in a major?
04:42Yeah, I mean, completely different match.
04:44Obviously, I tried to take as much confidence from our previous meeting.
04:47But, again, different surface, different format.
04:50It's been, I don't know, how many months?
04:53Seven, eight months.
04:57And, you know, we've both improved a lot since then.
04:59And he's obviously had some great results in general and on clay as well.
05:04So, it'll be a tough match for sure.
05:07Your coach is a pretty...
05:09I'm sorry.
05:11Oh, I'm sorry.
05:12Chris, I didn't see you back there.
05:13It's all right.
05:15Lerner, five setters have been exceptional for you.
05:19Four now at the slams and you've won them all.
05:21A lot of times, it's really difficult for young guys to excel in that format and matches that grinding.
05:27I just wonder, what do you think has been working for you?
05:30How have you been able to do it?
05:33Yeah.
05:35I try to take as much confidence from my previous matches.
05:39I try not to think about it too much.
05:41Honestly, I don't want to jinx myself or anything.
05:47But, you know, I've been fortunate to come out, you know, on the winning end of my previous five setters
05:52today included.
05:53And I think, you know, a good bit of it's mental.
05:58You know, obviously, once you get to a fifth set, both guys are feeling the nerves aspect of it and
06:04the physical aspect of it.
06:05So, I think, you know, I've done a good job in just kind of staying focused.
06:11Obviously, both guys kind of see the finish line and it's just kind of who can make that big push
06:15to the finish line first.
06:16And, you know, fortunately, I've been able to be the one out in front.
06:21But nothing really in particular that's really helped me.
06:27Yeah.
06:28And just with regards to your clay game overall, do you feel like you're enjoying the surface more?
06:35And do you feel like some of the patterns maybe that you weren't connecting,
06:38some of the ways your shots were coming off your racket or the things that were happening that were kind
06:42of puzzling at first
06:43have pretty much all been clarified in your mind?
06:47I think there's been a lot of progress for sure.
06:50I wouldn't say, you know, I'm now like a perfect clay player.
06:54And, you know, I'm content with where I am.
06:58Obviously, I'm very happy with how I've improved on the surface.
07:00And I think I've made pretty great strides, especially since last year.
07:04But I think there's definitely a long ways to go.
07:07And, you know, I still am seeing improvement match to match.
07:10And I think a lot of it is just a willingness to keep learning, even when the results are getting
07:17better.
07:18Just still knowing that there's a lot that can get better.
07:23Your coach is a pretty good clay court player.
07:26Are there two or three things about clay court tennis that he's kind of hammered into your head
07:31or tried to hammer into your head?
07:36Yeah, I mean, nothing like groundbreaking, I'd say.
07:42Obviously, we put in a lot of work on, you know, my shot selection
07:46and, you know, what to do in certain situations.
07:51You know, what ball to hit in a certain, you know, from a certain position
07:58or, you know, how to play against these different players.
08:03And, you know, in general, like my movement, I'd say my shot selection is probably the biggest thing.
08:07But overall, I think obviously he sees the game really well.
08:11I think he sees my game really well.
08:12And he was really able to pick apart, you know, what things I could get better.
08:17And we put a lot of time into that.
08:18And it's definitely paid off.
08:21Obviously, there's been a lot of talk about Yannick Sitter and, for a good reason,
08:25immense status lately, having won all the matches he won.
08:27And he was considered a huge prohibitive favorite at this tournament here.
08:30And now with him out, there's going to be a lot more guys who get mentioned as possibilities
08:35and having chances.
08:36Is that something you sense in yourself and maybe the locker room generally already,
08:41just how much there's a clear vibe shift when that name is suddenly no longer in the draw?
08:50I mean, I got off the court a little bit before that match finished.
08:53So I haven't really seen that many people or, you know, gotten a great vibe of, you know,
08:58how the reaction of it.
09:01Obviously, I saw him talking about how he wasn't feeling great.
09:05And, you know, it's tough to see.
09:08But I think it's part of the sport.
09:12It's obviously not the way you want to see someone go out for sure.
09:15But I think everyone obviously feels like, you know, the draw has opened up a bit.
09:22For me personally, I know I have a tough match ahead of me.
09:25So it's not like I'm too focused on that.
09:30Thank you.
09:31Thank you.
09:31Thank you.
09:32Thank you.
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