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Lorenzo Musetti F interview

  • def. Emilio Nava 4-6 6-2 7-6 [14-12]

Q. What were you thinking in that tiebreak?
LORENZO MUSETTI: I was not thinking. I was just playing. Like living every point. Yeah, it was a fantastic tiebreak. Also, Emilio played really good and he saved, like, three match points.

Yeah, it was a fantastic tiebreak. Match point, it was, like, unbelievable.

Q. Coming in as a top seed, was there pressure on you from the beginning, and how do you feel you dealt with that pressure here in Melbourne?
LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, I had a lot of pressure since the first rounds, but I got a lot of experience last year in New York.

So I knew how to manage the pressure and the feelings of the final. Today was, like, crazy match. First set was really tough. Second set was really good.

He went down a little bit, but third set was really a fight, and I'm very happy to win my first slam.

Q. You had a couple of words with Novak as you were passing each other in the tunnel on the way out. What did he say to you?
LORENZO MUSETTI: He just said, Congratulations. He knew that I lost in the final in New York, so he told me, You have a good mental trainer.

I just said, I learned from you. I gave him, like, a good luck for the final and just these words was I really enjoy from Novak.

Q. First time playing against Emilio. What was your impression of his game?
LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, I knew that was a tough opponent. Yeah, he played good. He played, like, every ball, every point. So was really tough to beat him, and I did it. So I'm very happy of this.

Q. Your one-handed backhand, it's a very attractive and effective shot. Was there an inspiration for that? Was that something that just came up naturally the way you were coached?
LORENZO MUSETTI: No, my backhand sometimes can be really good and sometimes can be too defensive with the backspin. It was not easy today, because on Rod Laver, it is a big stadium, you stay like far from the line. So this was the only thing that I haven't like that, so I'm very happy with this, because the strategy of the match was to don't go too far from the line, because Emilio plays really aggressive. Yeah, I did it, and I'm very happy.