Andy Murray

PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 11, 2007

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That seemed to be fairly comfortable, I presume. It was tougher when you're actually doing it.
ANDY MURRAY: Yes, it's tough playing against somebody like Moodie, who's got, you know, big first serve, plays pretty unpredictably, you know. Even on his second serve he was hitting some 125 miles an hour, which makes it difficult to know where to position yourself to return.
But I returned pretty good today. High percentage of first serves, didn't make too many unforced errors, so it was a solid match.

Q. Good to get it done in straight sets? Under these conditions, you don't want to be hanging out there too long on a day like today, do you?
ANDY MURRAY: Not really. I mean, it's like -- somebody said it's going to be upper 98 today, and, obviously on the court, it's the a little bit warmer, so...
Obviously I got doubles today, as well. I don't want to play too long, and did my job well, and once I got my opportunities, I took them, and didn't let them back into the match.

Q. Are the conditions as oppressive as Australia, as Melbourne?
ANDY MURRAY: No. In Australia, the court gets so hot there that it really makes your feet burn. Your legs get tired easier than I think they do here. But, I mean, obviously it is really warm here, and you gotta make sure you're hydrated, but I think Australia is still a little bit tougher than here.

Q. In terms of the conditions and the effect they have on your game is it better for it to be hot or do you have no preference about it?
ANDY MURRAY: You just have to adjust either way. I mean, here, it's kind of tough when it's hot because the ball, the ball flies a lot, you know. Your strings lose tension pretty quickly here. You know, you need to sort of adjust, you know, after you get a few games into the match. And, you know, I don't -- I don't really mind playing when it's hot or when it's cold, but, you know, it was kind of windy today, as well, and I prefer it to be a little bit more still, but I normally play pretty well in the wind, I just enjoy playing in normal conditions.

Q. We don't know the identity of your opponent just yet, but it could be Marat Safin. If it is, what sort of proposition is that?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, he's one of the best players in the world. I think on any given day he can beat any player. No. 1 in the world, won two grand slams, and I think he's been in two slam finals as well. To play him in the second round of the tournament is not an easy match. If I do get to play against him, it will definitely be a match I'm going to have to play pretty well in if I want to win, and one that I'll learn from either way.

Q. You've really improved over last couple of years. What one thing would you need to get up in the top 2 to enhance your game?
ANDY MURRAY: Top 2.?

Q. Yeah.
ANDY MURRAY: I think I could just do everything better. I think that's what, you know, a lot the guys -- a lot of guys do. They just keep improving. You know, you take Federer, who's got a very complete game, and he did have that before he had -- you know, he had -- he played serve-and-volley when he beat Sampras at Wimbledon on the first and second serves. You know, he could do it, but it's just about knowing how to use all of the tools at your disposal and using them, you know, to the best effect. And I think Federer does that now better than he did three, four years ago. And that's why he's, you know, No. 1 in the world and has been for so long.
And that's something that I'm going to have to learn to do, because I feel like I can serve and volley, and, you know, use slice and hit the ball hard, as well. It's just about learning, you know, how to do it all at the right times.

Q. Could you just elaborate on why you've chosen to play doubles. Did you feel you just needed a bit of practice ahead of Davis Cup or what was the thinking?
ANDY MURRAY: I think a lot of singles players tend to play here because if they lose singles, it's a long time before Miami. It's good to just get some matches, you know, work on your return and your volleys. But, yeah, it wasn't anything to do with Davis Cup. It was more just to get some matches in and, you know, if you do lose in the singles, you've still got some time to work on your game in the doubles.

Q. I don't know if you know much about America or if you've got a good feel, what do you think about David Beckham coming out to Southern California? Do you think he could spur a fervor for soccer?
ANDY MURRAY: Yes, for sure he will. There's no question. The guy's one of the biggest superstars in the world, and, you know, wherever he goes, the press follows. And, you know, he's maybe not playing as well as he was three or four years ago, but he's still a great footballer and everybody loves him. And the press are definitely going to be watching all of his matches, so I'm sure soccer will get more -- I'm sorry, football will get more coverage over here, I'm sure.

Q. Difficult market?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah.

Q. Is there a key to beating Roger?
ANDY MURRAY: I wouldn't say there's a key, as such, you know, you have to play -- you have to play to an unbelievably high level and consistently for, you know, a long period of time. You can't afford too many dips in concentration and don't want to leave the ball in the middle of the court against him because he can do a lot of damage from there.
But, I mean, there's ways of beating everybody. Whether you can do it or not is a different story, and to do it against him is obviously the hardest task in tennis. So, you know, it can be done, but it's unbelievably difficult.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
ANDY MURRAY: Thanks.

March 12, 2007

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Another very quick, very comfortable win.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was good. I played well today. He's got a big serve like Moodie, doesn't serve and volley as much, but, you know, he's kind of tricky to play against. But at the baseline, he plays really aggressive off his forehand and only really slices his backhand. You have to play kind of consistently. You don't want to go for, you know, big shots against somebody like him. You don't want to give him chances by making mistakes, keep the ball deep against him and try and get a lot of returns in play, which obviously all of the big servers is key and it kind of frustrates them a little bit. I did that well.

Q. Do you feel like you mixed it up pretty well?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I didn't really make that many unforced errors and maybe made a few towards the end of the second set. Yes, I served well, sliced well, passed well when I needed to, and that was the key to kind of my victory and not letting him into the match.

Q. So Davydenko possibly. Just talk about that.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I played Davydenko three times, lost to him twice last year; I lost to him here in the second round. He is obviously one of the best players in the world. He's ranked 4, I think just now. Completely different match. I was into my first with him, being one of the best returners in the game, and Moodie and Mahut, obviously play serve volley. And Davydenko's strength is retrieving and, you know, hits the ball great on the run and returns really well. So it may be a different match.
And it's important for me to serve well and keep a good head out there against him because he can make you do a lot of running.

Q. Does it alter the perspective of a tournament when Roger goes out so early? Does it give the tournament a whole new kind of -- go into anything differently at all?
ANDY MURRAY: Maybe for the guys that have to play against him next, but not me. I have Davydenko in my section, who's 4 in the world, Haas, and then Gonzalez, who's made final of the Aussie Open, is ranked 5 in the world. And Haas has obviously made semis and started this year great.
So my section is not easy and it hasn't opened up because Federer went out. But maybe for a guy like Moya who's beating Canas, then, yeah, for those guys, it makes the draw look a little bit easier, obviously, you know.
But in these tournaments, it happens. There's so many tough matches, tough second-run matches, that they do open up and sometimes you get lucky and it's your section, and sometimes it's not. You just have to try and take your chances when they come.

Q. Were you surprised when you heard that Federer went out in his first match to a lucky loser?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I was watching the match, so I wasn't unbelievably surprised. Canas, you know, he's one of those guys that you have to beat. He's not gonna, you know -- he hits the ball to a really good length, doesn't make many mistakes, actually has a very good first serve, and moves well. And, you know, for a first-run match, it is really tough. On these courts, in these conditions, the ball flies a bit and your racket loses tension really quickly and it takes time to adjust.
And a guy like Canas is not the easiest guy to play on first match, so, you know, he won 41 matches in a row. He had to lose sometime. You know, obviously it happened here. But I think everybody was a little bit surprised, but I wouldn't say it was a complete shock.

Q. For many months you were famous as the last guy to beat Roger Federer. That no longer applies. Is that disappointing to you or do you welcome it?
ANDY MURRAY: No, it's not something that you really think about that much. It doesn't go through your mind. I mean, I don't really know how to answer it. It's kind of -- it was obviously great to win against him, but it's been maybe six months. I've kind of moved on from now. I'm not thinking about it anymore.
You know, my tennis has got much better. I could have easily, after that win, gone on a spell, you know, where I thought I was better than I actually was. And, you know, I'm happy with the way that I kind of kept it together after that, that win, and finished last year okay. And I've started this year well.

Q. Is there a certain amount of relief that you perhaps won't get asked about it quite as much?
ANDY MURRAY: I never really got asked about it until he got close to his record really. It wasn't until last couple of weeks where I started to get asked about it, so, yeah, I guess. I wasn't thinking about it, so it wasn't really a big deal to me. Maybe for everyone else it was, but not me.

Q. Canas was asked how he beat Roger yesterday and he laughed and said, I don't know. What do you think the game plan is for beating Roger? I think in the past, you said just play your normal game. But what are your thoughts on the approach to take?
ANDY MURRAY: I said before, if he goes out there and plays one of his best matches, there's a great chance you're gonna lose. But if you go out there and play a bad match you're gonna lose. You have to play well and give him a chance to lose, you know. If you go out there and are making mistakes off the first balls and you're not putting first serves on the court and you're, you know, going for shots that you shouldn't be going for when you're out of position, you know, just really playing like you don't believe, then it's really tough to win against him.
You have to play like you have a chance at winning and just -- you watch how Canas played yesterday, I know Federer didn't play his best match, but the guy hit the ball high, deep, and didn't give him a chance, Federer, to get to the net that much. And that was why he won, because he gave Federer a chance to lose.

Q. Who's the favorite in this tournament now that Roger is out, in your mind? Is there one?
ANDY MURRAY: There's a few guys that have got a great chance of winning it, obviously. Nadal on these courts and this sort of heat is going to be tough to play against. You know, Roddick, Roddick's playing well again. Davydenko, obviously.
I mean, there's quite a lot of the high seeds left in it. I wouldn't say there's one in particular, but there's a lot of guys that have a good chance of winning.

Q. Would you put yourself in that bracket as well?
ANDY MURRAY: I'd say I'm one of the favorites to win, you know. I take a lot of the guys, like Haas, Gonzalez, and Nadal, Roddick, you know, in front of me. You never know what happens in these sort of tournaments, you know. Draws can open up. And as I said, you just have to take your chances.
And I've played well so far. I'll just try and focus on my next match.

Q. You've had the good fortune to work with Brad now for a number of months, and one of his attributes, of course, has been one of the best talkers in all of tennis. What have you learned about American sports from Brad over the past months?
ANDY MURRAY: I kind of had to start learning for myself because it's, you know, I never really followed -- I don't really like American football. It kind of takes too long. Basketball I actually like. I went to a couple matches and I really enjoyed it.
So, you know, obviously Brad speaks about American sports a lot and I started following it. I know a lot of the players now. I can't -- it's kind of -- it's easier -- it's better in tennis because there's more stats to learn. I'm quite into that. And I started learning about a lot of the players. So it wasn't -- Brad wasn't really teaching me about the sports. I was kind of having to learn to make the stuff that he's saying interesting. Because at the start, it was a little bit, you know, I was kind of like "Okay. Whatever. I don't know what you're talking about." But now it's a bit better.
THE MODERATOR: Two more.

Q. When he and Graybow were working with you up in the Bay Area, did he introduce you to Davis or -- Baron Davis or Mullen or any of the Warriors?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I met Chris Mullen. I trained a few times over at the Warriors training facility with Mark, and obviously not -- Mark's very professional when I'm training, but, you know, when I was there, a few of the guys were leaving practice and stuff, and I met quite a few of the players, but didn't meet Baron Davis.

Q. Do they know what a great tennis player you are?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't think so, no. They didn't seem very interested in tennis.
THE MODERATOR: All right.

Q. Does Davydenko make you play more offensive, his style?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I guess it depends how the match is going. I think you have to start off, well, for me, anyway, playing my own game, using my slice and angles and trying to bring him into the net a little bit. But every match I play against him, I've had to change tacks a little bit throughout. But I guess sometimes against him, you have to play more aggressive, because when, you know, you do give him chances to dictate, he can make you do a lot of running. And obviously in these conditions, it's not the best thing to be doing. See maybe tomorrow, I'll have to play a bit more aggressive.

Q. What if it's not Davydenko and it's Hernych?
ANDY MURRAY: I played him once and lost against him in my first ATP match, so it's been a long time since then. He's had a couple of good ones. Obviously beating Tim and Calleri. I probably expect Davydenko to win, but if not, it's going to be a tough match against Hernych, but one I'd go into the match being favored, obviously.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

March 14, 2007

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was that about perseverance and patience, that win?
ANDY MURRAY: No. I think it was about playing the big points better be than the guy who's No. 4 in the world, you know. And that's why those guys are there in these sort of tournaments, their game. That's why they're ranked where they are. I felt today one of the big points getting my serve, I served great. I had some big serves in the last game when I needed to, and, you know, after a pretty bad start, I came back well.
It's never about patience against a guy who's, you know, not just about that, against a guy who's No. 4 in the world, it's about me playing a really good match and managing to come through. And all these wins against these guys are all really special because I wasn't -- wouldn't have expected to have such a good record against them, and, you know, I played well today.

Q. How important is it for you now to be able to pull out the big serves when you need it?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it's important. I think -- you know, I think all the best players and all the great players manage to play the big points well, and whether it was, you know, Roddick when he was No. 1 pulling out the big serves or Federer hitting the big forehands, or, you know, Sampras hitting second-serve aces, all the best players have that ability on the big points to kind of adjust up their game and, you know, believe in their strokes.
And it's something that I worked on a lot. I think, you know, today it kind of showed that I have put a lot of work into it. And against someone like him, it's important because he's so tough. He's so tough when you get into rallies and I needed to serve well and I did that.

Q. What were the differences between when you played him today and when you played him a year ago in terms of you?
ANDY MURRAY: Physically, I'm much stronger, and that's the No. 1 thing that's different. Last year against guys like him who do a lot of running, I'd be out of breath after two, three points, and I'd play some sloppy shots to kind of, you know, get my -- you know, to get my breath back and, you know, end points too quickly. And now I feel like I can run out there for, you know, two and a half hours, three hours in that heat and feel okay.
So I'm not panicking when I'm having to do a lot of running. I feel fine when I have to do it, and that's the main difference between now and last year.

Q. Were you particularly pleased at the end of the first set when you had those set points and then you broke and then you broke him back again and played such a good tiebreaker? That was the nugget of the match the way you played at that particular time.
ANDY MURRAY: I probably should have closed out the set when he was serving, but you've got to give him credit. He had some big shots coming to the net and played some points, didn't miss a first serve on any of them. So I was obviously disappointed not broke him and probably let it affect my game a bit in the 5-all game.
And, you know, change of ends, I had to think to myself I was still in it, you know. The return's the best the part of my game, and I needed to kind of rely on that at 6-5. I did that, and once I got into the tie break, you know, I served really well at the end of the tie break and that was the reason why I won.
It was important to kind of stay mentally focused even after I had that little dip, because, you know, when you put a lot of returns in play, anything can happen when guys are serving out for the set, and it's normal for people to get nervous.

Q. How hard is it to take a guy like him out of his rhythm, 'cause he can stay there from the back and hit cross-court backhands for an hour if he wants to?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it's really hard, you know, especially here, because the ball flies a lot, you know. To change the pace is not the easiest thing, you know, to keep changing the -- how quick you're swinging the racket and how high you're hitting the ball is harder than in those places.
So to get him out of his rhythm is really tough. And, you know, he surprised me a bit today at the start. He came to the net more than I expected. I just had to try to hang in, you know, maybe sliced a little bit too often in the first set and started hitting over my backhand, which is really hard to get someone like him out of his rhythm.

Q. Who do you prefer Gonzalez or Haas for next?
ANDY MURRAY: To play?

Q. Who would you prefer Gonzalez or Tommy Haas?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't think it matters. I mean, I think both of them have played great so far this year. Haas has won Memphis, semis at the Aussie Open, and Gonzalez made finals in Australian Open and is playing No. 5 in the world. So either match is going to be difficult.
I don't think it makes a huge difference. Both of them are really good players. So if I'm going to have a chance of winning against them, I'll have to play one of my best matches.

Q. You played Roddick last year, beat him. You've also played him again recently this year. Is it your sense that mentally his confidence has come back. He was playing at a higher level than maybe a few months ago?
ANDY MURRAY: You've got to ask him. I don't really want to comment on why he's playing better or not, because he's got one of the best players of all time in his corner, and I'm sure that helped him. But, I mean, he's still playing like he did before, maybe a little bit more aggressive, but it's not like he changed his technique on any of his shots or anything. So it's probably best to ask him why he's playing better.

Q. Do you sense a difference in him when you've played him recently?
ANDY MURRAY: Not a whole lot, no.

Q. Outline a little bit more what you would have to do against Tommy Haas and what you would have to do against Gonzalez.
ANDY MURRAY: Against Gonzalez, you've got to stay focused the whole match and play really consistently 'cause you know he can hit some huge forehands. You know, he'll play dropshots when you're not expecting them, hit big backhands on the run when you're not expecting it, and he plays unpredictable. And you can't afford to let him, you know, get ahead in matches and just play sloppy games.
You know, against Haas, big serve, hits the ball well from the ground. I just have to go out there and play my game and try and mix it up and serve well. It's really the most important thing against them. And if I want to win, I'm gonna have to play a great match. Simple as that.

Q. I think you set a bit of a record today by challenging the very first point of the match?
ANDY MURRAY: Oh really.

Q. I think it was an all-time first?
ANDY MURRAY: I won, so...

Q. You won. Is that a sense of, right from the word go, your focus was so good today? I mean someone could have, you know, might have of seen that and not been quite sure and immediately you knew it was?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean it was close, but you kind of get a feeling, and, you know, a lot of times when guys challenge, you know, like in the last game, I knew I thought the backhand was in, but it was like, you know, I wasn't expecting to have to challenge on the next point.
There had been three challenges in two points. You know, I think a lot of guys, when they're really sure on one of them, they're gonna challenge, and, you know, I knew it was first point. And I wasn't going to waste one because I saw it wide, and I feel like I have pretty good eyes and my challenging is pretty good.
But, you know, there are times when players do lose them a lot, is when they're just looking to see at the end of serves because there's no point in just saving them up. And, you know, you've seen a few times in the last few weeks the Hawkeye's -- the mark has showed out and called it in, you know. It's worth the chance maybe, trying to get the Hawkeye to make a wrong call or something. You know, it happens sometimes, so, yeah, I was focused this time.

Q. Do you think the Hawkeye is wrong sometimes?
ANDY MURRAY: No, it is wrong. I mean, it's happened twice, I think, now, where the mark at -- once at the Australian Open, I think, Mauresmo was playing, and once when Nadal was playing in Dubai, where the mark has showed that the ball landed out and Hawkeye says that it's in.
You know, it has made mistakes, so I think the best thing to do to see if it's correct all the time is to, you know, use it on a clay court where there's ball marks.

Q. Is it possible part of the ball hit the line and it didn't leave a mark, and that's what the Hawkeye is recording?
ANDY MURRAY: No, because basically it sort of -- the line's here and the mark is like this (indicating). You know, it's saying that it's like this far out, but then Hawkeye, you know, when it comes up, it says in when it's clearly not.
So I don't -- I think it's got to be the machine that's wrong because every ball leaves a mark, and it doesn't -- you know, a ball just doesn't miss half of its mark out.

Q. Do you see that as a problem?
ANDY MURRAY: Not really. I mean, it's pretty accurate most of the time. It's not -- you know, it's only happened twice and it's been going maybe nine months. I mean, they're making less mistakes than the umpires do, so it's definitely not a problem.

Q. Do you think that your umpire should be able to overrule the Hawkeye if the ball clearly shows...
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, yeah, it's no question. It's stupid. It's stupid not to be able to.

Q. You said the other day that you're not home enough to allow the pressure of what people are talking about back home get to you, but have you sought counseling or have people given counseling about not letting the pressure get to you? Has Tim Henman said anything, family, friends, just to avoid a lot of that?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, I've never -- it didn't bother me at the start. It was just kind of hard to concentrate because, you know, I was young and it all happened really quickly for me. And I got a lot of media attention, you know, after I did well at Wimbledon and Queens. I think everyone would say it's difficult, you know, when you get that much sort of attention and had to deal with things and you're maybe not used to it.
But I've not really had anybody that I've spoken to about it that much. I think everybody deals with it differently. And, you know, regardless of what some people say, you might feel that -- you know, some people might want to be more reserved speaking to the media. Some might want to speak out more. Some, you know, just want to be theirselves, and, you know, everybody deals with things differently.

Q. Where do you fall into those three?
ANDY MURRAY: I guess I just try and -- try and be myself. You know, you learn as you go along, there's some things you can and can't say, and, you know, when the right time to maybe say something is, you know. Obviously during Wimbledon time, you don't want to say something that might, you know, get taken the wrong way or make a joke, you know, that people could take the wrong way. It's just about knowing when you can and can't say things, and I think I've learnt that pretty well.

Q. So does that mean, bottom line, you're not going to talk about your mom's cooking anymore like you did at Wimbledon?
ANDY MURRAY: I'll speak about my mom's cooking. It's still not very good, so I don't have a problem joking about her cooking, you know. It's other things I need to be careful with.

Q. Has your comfort level grown with Hawkeye? Is it fair to say that?
ANDY MURRAY: My comfort?

Q. Has your comfort level grown with using Hawkeye?
ANDY MURRAY: In terms of?

Q. Well, when you first had, you know, the first time you went on court, it was new, you didn't really know when you were going to challenge? I mean, like some players now are stopping in the middle of points when they see a ball, whereas in the past, they weren't comfortable to stop the point if they thought it was out. They'd continue to play.
ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, I've -- I mean, I guess, you know, some people it takes a bit of time, you know. But a lot of guys who, when they do feel a ball is, you know, when there wasn't Hawkeye, was good or it was out, you know, it got called the other way, would ask the umpire what they thought. So now, instead of asking the umpire, just ask to challenge.
So it's not -- it's not really made a big difference. And, you know, I think it's just a nice thing to have because we still play a lot of tournaments that don't have it. But it doesn't really make that much difference.

Q. If the guy in the chair can overrule a Hawkeye, why even have it?
ANDY MURRAY: Sorry?

Q. If the chair umpire can overrule Hawkeye, why have Hawkeye there?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I'm only saying he can overrule it when the computer shows that the mark is out and it calls the ball in, then he can overrule. If the mark is out, they shouldn't be able to overrule it, if -- you know if it says that it's in and the mark is in. And if the Hawkeye calls it out and the mark is out, they shouldn't be able to overrule it, but if the mark is out and it calls it in, then, yeah, of course, he should be able to overrule it. You've got to have it.

Q. Did you and Brad have a certain strategy today to take pace off? And you're hitting a lot of roofing balls. It seemed like Davydenko was having trouble with that slower pace?
ANDY MURRAY: Against a guy like him, he hits the ball so clean from the back, it's important to try and change the pace. You hit the ball the same speed to him all the time, he's not going to miss, like a ball machine. So you've got to try and do something to upset his rhythm. And whether it be slicing, trying to bring him into the net, you know, playing high balls, hitting some fast balls, it's just, you know everybody -- everybody will play differently against him, but that's just the way that, you know, I found most effective.

March 16, 2007

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Andy, please..

Q. Well, done.
ANDY MURRAY: Thanks.

Q. Where do you begin to tell the story of that match? It had so many incidents, so many different things going on.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it's kind of difficult to explain. But, you know, first set he played well. I played one bad game on my serve, didn't really have any chances on his serve.
You know, the second set, I obviously had the momentum, 2-Love and game point. And then you know, I fell over and, you know, I felt -- I was in a bit of shock when I went over because I'd had problems with my ankle before, and I said to Tommy and to the trainer when I went down that, you know, I heard something click, but I think it might have been the Velcro on the brace.
You know, and then the trainer said to me that it wasn't -- you know, it wasn't too bad. So he's gonna strap it, see what it's like. And then after ten minutes, it wasn't my ankle that was hurting, it was my side because I'd fallen, you know, so hard on it. And it was quite hard to push off on my right leg for the serve and the balls on my forehand and that's why I had to slice quite a lot on the forehands.
And then when I sat down at the change, I told him it was my hip that was giving me some bother, so we put some like ice cream on it or whatever. It was to make it cool. It kind of helped a little bit.
And then, you know, obviously at the end of the third set, you know I think he got a cramp a little bit and took the injury time out at 6-5., and then was serving slow at the start of the tiebreak. And then -- but then once he got into the rallies, I think he was okay because he was chasing the balls down okay. And then he started serving big at the end of the breaker, so it was quite -- it was obviously pretty eventful.
It's probably the longest answer I've ever given at press conference.

Q. Definitely.
ANDY MURRAY: But, yeah, it was, of course, a great match. But I was more happy about my ankle not being too bad.

Q. Taking all of that into account, how proud are you to be sitting there having won a match like that?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't feel proud. You know, I'm just happy that I won. It kind of took a while for it to sink in because there were so many ups and downs. At one point I didn't think I was going to be able to play; I felt okay. He obviously had the problem.
I felt like I should win the match and then save the two match points and then managed to go on and win. So it was -- I'm not proud. I'm just happy that I managed to win, and, you know, hope I didn't cause anybody too many problems with the injury time-out that I took.
But, you know, it's just unfortunate it had to happen because it's -- you feel bad when, you know, you take an injury timeout as long as that, which I never really had to do before. And then you feel like you the can run around okay and you feel like a bit of a brat for taking so long to stop the match and you feel like you can run around.

Q. (Indiscernible) it all the time.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I know. I just hope tomorrow when I wake up tomorrow everything is not too sore, because, you know, first and most important thing is my health. And, you know, my ankle I've had problems with it before and I don't want to risk anything if it's hurting a bit.

Q. How do you feel right at the moment?
ANDY MURRAY: I'm pretty sore actually. The cut on my knee is pretty big one. You know what it's like when you stop and it kind of seizes up a little bit; it's hard to bend my leg; it's pretty painful. And my side's, now that I've stopped, is kind of tightened up a little bit.
I just had ice on my ankle, so I can't really feel it just now, but that felt worse when I came off, as well. So I feel okay, but I've definitely felt better.

Q. What did Tommy say to you when he came across the net after you fell?
ANDY MURRAY: He just said, like, you know, what happened, like, can you get him some ice. You know, and I was like, I'm sorry. You know, I felt something go and that might have been the brace, but I hurt my ankle before.
And he was just, you know, like, I can't really say the words that came out of his mouth, but he was, you know, obviously pretty concerned, which was really nice. And, you know, I practice with him a lot in the off-season, got to know him a bit. He's a really nice guy, and they're the sort of things that make tennis a special sport, when you get matches like that and guys coming over to show concern for your health.
You know, unfortunately, you know, one of us had to lose, but it was definitely a great match. But that's -- he was just concerned about my ankle and what happened.

Q. When it actually happened, it looked as if you were writhing in agony, but was it excruciatingly painful at that moment or were you just terrified that something had gone wrong?
ANDY MURRAY: It was a little bit of both. I wouldn't say I was in agony, but I had, you know, landed on my hip, I'd scratched my knee, and I felt like I'd done something to my ankle. And it was kind of a combination of things where, you know, I was in a little bit of shock, because I really didn't want to have problems with that ankle again, and I felt like since I had it happen at Queens, I'd done a lot of exercise to get it strong, and wearing the brace and stuff, and then something had happened, you know. You can take time out. And I felt I'd been playing well. All those things start coming through your head.
I definitely wasn't in agony, but it was kind a combination of things that it was hurting pretty bad all over.

Q. It didn't stop you taking another dive, though. You fell again, didn't you? You tripped up on the Hawkeye wire, wasn't it?
ANDY MURRAY: That's ridiculous. They should never have something like that on the court. You know that could have been way worse than the first fall. You know 'cause I wasn't expecting it at all. At least when I kind of felt like I was gonna go down on the first one, you know, you kind of roll out of it a little bit, and you kind of put your arm down to stop yourself. But that one, I was looking to see if the ball had gone in and then, you know, the back of my heels caught the wire, and I just went right under it. That could have been my hamstring or, you know, if I'd caught the front of it with my foot, I could have gone flat on my face.
So they've got to make sure they tape those things down because if not, it's pretty dangerous for the players.

Q. Andy, after the injury did you ever really feel comfortable on hitting the ball again, because it seemed like the latter part of the second set, beginning of the third, you were just guiding it around, didn't really start cutting loose until deeper in the third.
ANDY MURRAY: I didn't -- it wasn't that I didn't feel uncomfortable hitting the ball. It was more my movement to forehand side. And that's why I had to end up having quite a lot of sliced forehands, because I couldn't really push off on that side and load up to hit my forehand.
So I didn't feel uncomfortable hitting the ball. It was just more the movement part of it and the kind of -- I didn't feel like I had that much strength because my hip was kind of giving way a little bit.

Q. In a match like that, that's got lots of incidents, how is it for you to regain your concentration and your composure and refocus when you've been sitting out or you've fallen over or anything like that?
ANDY MURRAY: I didn't really feel like I -- I can't really remember that many of the points during the match and what happened, and normally that's something that I do. And I think after it happened, I was kind of in shock for a couple of games, and then, you know, I wasn't really thinking. I was kind of more concerned about how I was feeling and I didn't feel nervous at all. And maybe that's why I managed to kind of win in the end, because I wasn't really thinking about the situation I was in. I was just kind of -- you know, I know I'd been hustling, my way into the match and just getting to balls and putting the ball back. I just didn't feel like I was that nervous at the end because of what had happened. I was just more concerned that my body was okay.

Q. I just want to know if you thought about bouncing the second smash in the middle of the tiebreak?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, I -- you know, first one I hit, I hit pretty well, and I maybe wasn't expecting it to come back. And then, you know, at night with the floodlights and stuff and everybody's kind of gasping, it's kind of a long wait for the ball to come down. I waited a little bit too long and ended up hitting it, like, around my head. I wasn't thinking about bouncing it, but it definitely wasn't one of my better smashes.

March 17, 2007

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is it kind of right to assume that you were paying a bit of a price for last night today, physically?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, yeah, I mean, I didn't know how I was gonna feel really till I got on court. And I had a bit of an unprofessional decision on my part to have gone on. You know, I guess the older you get, the more you learn that it's not always about just going. And, you know, I wanted to go out and try and play and maybe see if I could, you know, see if I could move okay.
And then, you know, obviously after the first couple of games, I kind of realized, you know, that when you can't change direction, and when the movement, which is generally the best part of your game, is missing, it's quite hard to play.
So, you know, hopefully I'll learn for next time that it's, you know, best to be cautious rather than, you know, going out and playing the match.

Q. The trainers tell you about the damage that you've done to yourself and whether you could do anymore damage if you played.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, that was the thing. I spoke to the trainer, he said you're not going to do more damage by playing. You know, I got him out on the court, and it was one of those things where, you know, if I didn't go on the court, you know, that would have been fine. But when I did go on, I might as well have played the match, because it's not like it was gonna get worse.
He said to me when he came on, that, you know, I've done everything that I can. You should try and be playing. You've got the tape, you know, on your ankle and the brace, so you're not gonna do more damage to your ankle. Unless you -- and unless you, you know, do one bad move in your hips, you know, it's not going to be worse. But it was a pretty tough ask, you know, when you've got an ankle and knee and hip problem to kind of, you know, move well out there and not really be cautious. And I was a little bit scared to move.

Q. What exactly is the diagnosis on the ankle?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, it's just -- it's like a slight strain, just behind the, you know -- not the front of the ankle just behind it where I did it -- at Queens, when I hurt it there. You know, I was lucky I had the brace because it would have been much worse if I didn't, you know.
I'm happy it's nothing too bad, because, obviously, when I've had ankle problems before, I haven't been able to walk. And then, obviously, today I could kind of run in a straight line, but when I when I was able to change direction, really feel like I had much strength.

Q. Which bit hurts most and which bit are you most concerned about sort of going forward?
ANDY MURRAY: I'm not concerned about any of them, because it's not like, you know -- you tend to get concerned if it's a problem where you feel like you can't, you know, walk on it or if it's a shoulder and you can't lift your arm above, you know, your shoulder. It's just, you know, they take two, three days, four days to heal, and, obviously, I didn't quite have that time.
So I'm not concerned about anything in the long-term, I just hope that I'm going to be ready for Miami.

Q. How bad did you feel when you woke up this morning?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I actually didn't -- I didn't feel tired. It's just every single place that I moved to, whether it be my elbow or, you know, roll onto my side and it was the cut on my knee, it was just like I felt pretty uncomfortable. You know, none of them were, like, really bad. It's just, you know, when you have of four or five small injuries, and it's kind of difficult to compensate on one leg or the other.
So, you know, I didn't feel terrible when I got up this morning. It was just, you know, everywhere I kind of put my arm or my leg, it was kind of bruised somewhere.

Q. Have you ever felt that beaten up after a match?
ANDY MURRAY: Probably not. I've obviously had like injuries that have hurt much worse than that. But in terms of it being, you know, your full body almost, it's -- you know, I haven't felt like that before, and I guess I probably never will again. It was one of those kind of freak incidents where I kind of landed on all of my body.
So, yes, it's -- I felt, obviously, worse in one particular place, but in terms of the whole, on the whole, didn't feel great.

Q. On the plus side, though, Andy, would you not say it was a week of progress, despite the happenings of last night and today? Would you say it was a progressive week for you?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, obvious. I mean, to get the semis of a Master Series, it's great. And, unfortunately, I couldn't give 110 percent today, like I normally do.
I beat two guys in the top 10 who have been playing very well this year. And, you know, I'm getting close to the top 10 now and don't have too many points to defend. So, you know, I put myself in a good position do that soon. And, hopefully, I'll be ready for Miami, and get a couple days rest and a few days hard work and I should be feeling good.

Q. Andy, can you talk about the play Novak Djokovic, how he's been coming up. You're both kind of on your way up. Can you talk about his recent success and comment on his play.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, he does everything, you know, pretty well. He moves good; pretty big first serve; you know, hits the ball pretty solid off both wings; passes well. He doesn't really have one in particular weakness. You know, he finished last year really well. And, you know, also the middle part between Wimbledon, U.S. Open time, he won a couple tournaments and made a final.
So he's been doing really well, and I think with that match, he went into the top 10. So it's great for him that he's managed to do that. I'm sure he'll be around for a long time.

Q. In terms of Miami, how conservative are you going to be, how cautious are you going to be? Obviously you've got Davis Cup on the horizon.
ANDY MURRAY: Miami is the No. 1 priority just now. I want to get ready for that and give 110 percent there and just take it sort of day by day. I've got six days, and maybe if ask for a Friday start to play my first match. So, you know, from speaking to the physio, he thinks that I should be okay for that. And I might have to take a few days off the court, but, you know, I just -- I hope that I'm going to be okay to play, but I'm 90 percent sure I should be fine.

Q. Andy, you and Djokovic are the same age, 19 years and ten months old. He said that you know each one since you were 12 years old. When you're not injured like this, are you looking forward to your matches and creating somehow rivalry, you know, between you two and, you know, some kind of more flare in the future with him?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't look forward to rivalries, I wouldn't say. You know, we get on pretty well off the court. I'm sure we'll have of some great matches in the future. You know, we played in Madrid last year. I had my chances to win there and didn't. But, you know, I'm sure we'll play each other a lot, and I'm hoping that both of us will be around for a long time.
So, you know, I guess we'll play each other maybe 20, 30 times in our career.

Q. When is your, what are your plans immediately? You go straight to Miami? You're going to stay here tomorrow?
ANDY MURRAY: I think I'll go to Miami. I think it's best to kind of get there. I've been here for pretty much two weeks now, so you know, go to Miami. The physios will be there, maybe JP will come over, which, you know, unfortunately he couldn't come this week, which would have helped. You know, hopefully, I'll get to see him next week.

Q. When you said right at the start, Andy, that you thought it was an unprofessional decision, was it your decision alone? I mean, do you say, whatever anyone else is saying, I'm making this choice, I'm going out to play regardless of what anyone else might say?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, well, I think, you know, because, you know, like, JP wasn't here, you know, I've worked with him for three and a half, four years now, and he knows my body really well. You know, he -- we spoke about maybe having surgery on my ankle, you know, at the end of last year, you know, because it is kind of weak, that, you know, I think maybe his, you know, his input would have helped a lot.
But, you know, since I was here on my own, I had to decide. And I didn't know till I got out on the court how bad it was gonna be. But it's kind of difficult to make that decision, I guess, on your own.
Brad's not a physio or a doctor. You know, and he just asked me how I was, and I said, you know, "I'm doing better," you know, "I'll go and give it a go."
You know, I did and it was maybe the wrong decision. But, you know, the physio here has been a great help, and you know, helped me through my match last night and taped me up and stuff today.
So, you know, I appreciate that. But it's just when you have somebody who knows your body and has worked with you for four or five years, that that helps as well.

Q. Andy, when you said a bit of an unprofessional decision on my part to go on, you're talking about going on today and not continuing last night, right?
ANDY MURRAY: Huh? Not continuing --

Q. You're not referring to your decision to play on last night despite your injury; you're talking about your unprofessional decision, then, was your decision to compete today?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, today.

Q. Right. Right. That's my question. What was Michael's advice midway during the second set when he came over and had that long chat with you? Was it any different than what he said at the start, he felt you couldn't worsen it by carrying on play?
ANDY MURRAY: I got him on, I said to him, "Look, I feel like I have to change direction. I've got, you know, no power, and I feel like I have to kind of guess, and, you know, if I did change direction, I felt like when I did push on my leg, it was gonna hurt. And I didn't have that much strength.
And, you know, he just said to me, "With the tape on and the ankle brace, you know, you're going to have to be really unlucky to sprain your ankle, and your hip is," -- you know, "it was more of a bruise from banging it on the ground. It's not going to worsen."
He said, you know, "Just keep trying, and if you want to stop, you can stop. But it's not going to get any worse."
And I just felt like, I started the match like that, it wasn't getting worse, so it's, you know, I should have finished it. But maybe I shouldn't have -- I shouldn't have gone on.

Q. Could I ask your take on tomorrow's final between Nadal and Novak?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be a tough match. I think they played once before and Nadal was two sets up on him at the French when Djokovic stopped. Nadal's been playing really well this week, and Novak has as well. But, you know, Nadal has experience of playing a Master Series finals before. He's won, I guess, seven or eight Master Series. So, you know, I'd probably say Nadal is a favorite.
But Djokovic has been playing well, and you never know. If he plays a good match, he might upset him.

Q. Is the level you saw today high enough to beat Nadal, do you think? I know it's hard to say with an injury.
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, it's tough. I think it depends a lot on how Nadal plays. You know, if he plays his best, then, you know, nine times out of ten, he's probably going to win just now. You know, maybe not in the future.
But Nadal is, you know, a great player and won two slams and made final at Wimbledon. So I'd say if he plays his best, then he'll win. But if he doesn't, Djokovic is playing really well just now, has a lot of confidence, so maybe he could upset him.

Q. Just to change the subject. Have you been watching the cricket world cup?
ANDY MURRAY: No.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.