Do you think you were lucky the match was stopped Friday night?
ND: No, I do not think I was lucky that the match ends, I played very good tennis. He managed to raise its level at the end of the third set. I have had opportunities to complete the encounter in straight sets but I did not, and we must especially give credit to Andy for that. I do not have the impression of having played badly at that time, it was he who was able to do more.
He never dropped anything in this game, except for the very end of the fifth set maybe …
ND: It showed he was one of the biggest competitors and fighters of the circuit. It was a really tough match. More than four hours … A little of us as usual! With Andy, it’s always a thriller, a marathon. I’m happy to be me out.
We have the impression that, faced with Andy, this type of combat is actually inevitable …
N.D.: It’s exhausting to play Andy. We play a lot of cat and mouse both. It’s tiring. Match five hours, four hours. This semi-final is one of the toughest matches I had to play against him. It’s always physical.
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When you have lost the fourth set, what state of mind were you?
ND: I thought I was pretty well started the recovery, with two white service games. Then at 5-5, I made some mistakes, missed two forehands. He defended really well on one or two points, too. He deserved to win this set globally. No doubt about it. I mostly tried to stay calm. Honestly, I knew that I will have my chance in the fifth set. I continued to believe in it and I did a great final set.
Having had to play this Saturday you might be detrimental in view of the final?
ND: Physically, it was not an easy match. Sure. But I think it will go for Sunday. I will put everything I have left. Hopefully that will be enough.
Friday evening, after the loss of the third set, you are out of the court and the match was interrupted for eight minutes. Do you find it just?
ND: Listen, I left the court at the end of the set. I took my bag and I asked for a medical time. After I was examined. It just takes time to leave the court, to go to the locker room, settling on the table and to be cared for. So I do not see how that would be unfair.
What was the treatment?
ND: It was to get treatment on his leg.
How did you find the public on Friday and Saturday? He strongly endorsed Andy. Does it upset you?
ND: I think people wanted that Andy won the third set, have an exciting game and it lasts as long as possible. You know, I respect that. I have no problems with that, it does not hurt me, though of course, it can be frustrating at times when the crowd is not on your side. But it’s like that. Today (Saturday), I think it was fine.
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