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WIMBLEDON


July 8, 2015


Vasek Pospisil


LONDON, ENGLAND

A. MURRAY/V. Pospisil
6‑4, 7‑5, 6‑4


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Three sets, but three close ones.  What do you think made the difference today?
VASEK POSPISIL:  You know, maybe the first set a little bit, he played a great game to break.  Also, you know, maybe my energy is a little bit low.  Obviously it's the first time in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam.  I was also kind of going out there feeling it out a little bit.
Then I think from then, after that first rain delay, I felt that first set and a half, I was actually pretty comfortable.  I felt like I was dictating play.  But, yeah, missed a couple balls when I shouldn't have and stuff like that.
But, yeah, I thought it was a good match, a high‑quality match in general.

Q.  To cut to the chase, silly, but the time violation thing, how much did that upset you?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah, I mean, I don't know.  I think a lot of times these umpires, they seem to just want to be seen.  I don't know why they do it at a time like that.  I went 30 seconds.  How many times do you see the top guys go more than that and they don't get any violation, especially when it's important moments.
But then I go out there and I get a time violation.  He said, Yeah, it was right on 30 seconds.  I was right about to serve the ball.  If he would have waited one second longer, I would have served.
I don't know.  I don't agree with that time when he did it.  Maybe the second one, yes, but not that, not at 5‑All, 30‑All.  That was ridiculous, in my opinion.

Q.  Did it affect you at all?
VASEK POSPISIL:  I mean, it's hard to say.  I mean, as little as it could have, you know.  Of course anytime somebody gives you a violation, it's going to have some kind of effect.  It's a direct influence on the match, he gives me a violation.  But I don't think it affected me mentally very much.

Q.  Such a fun match to watch for the spectators with the contrasting styles you had there.  How much of a challenge is it against a guy like Murray to do that?
VASEK POSPISIL:  It's tough.  I mean, especially here, I feel like this is his home court, too.  He's one of those guys, apart from maybe Rafa at the French, Roger here as well, then he's obviously really tough to beat here, as well.  I knew that from the beginning.
With all the tennis that I've played, too, this past week, I felt like that didn't go into my favor.  I felt a little bit heavy legs as the match was going on.
But, I mean, he played great.  I mean, I thought it was a good level.
You know, looking back, maybe it would have been nice to just have played singles this week.  But, yeah, I mean, I gave everything I had.  I don't think that affected the result too much.

Q.  The idea of having to come in and go to net against somebody that passes that well, how much of a challenge is that?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah, it's not easy, you know, to do that against him.  But you feel like you have to, as well.  You have to put pressure on him, don't let him get too comfortable from the baseline, give him too much rhythm.
It's one of my strengths, coming into the net.  His passing shots are one of his strengths.  You have to kind of feel it out during the match, as well.

Q.  Back to the time violation.  Is there a sensible way to get around this problem, if it is a problem, like a clock perhaps?  Do you have any ideas yourself about what umpires might do?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah, I mean, it's tough.  Maybe you can have a clock.  I wouldn't say a clock would be the right thing because, I mean, if you're an umpire, you just have to kind of use your common sense and your judgment with the moment in the match.  If the guys are playing 6‑All in the breaker, I'm not saying it‑‑ it happened at 5‑All, 30‑All, which is a key moment of the match as well.  It was only 30 seconds.  There he could have used his judgment a little bit.  Maybe say, This is 5‑All, 30‑All, he's one second away from serving.
It wasn't like I was still wiping the towel or anything.  I was literally about to toss.  He said, Time violation.  I was very surprised.
So, yeah, I think they just need to use their judgment and, you know, try to take little things out of it.  You know, maybe their egos, I don't know (smiling).  It just didn't seem like the right time to do it for me.  I think it's just something maybe they need to, you know, take a course on how to do it.

Q.  It's their problem rather than yours?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah, I think, yeah.  It's just common sense and judgment.  That's the only thing.  If they do a good job or not, then after they can be‑‑ yeah, that's all I have to say about it really.  I don't know what else to say.

Q.  You seemed to have a good rhythm before the second rain break.  What was the effect of the roof coming across?  Did it feel different?  Do you think it benefited him?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Well, the rain delay maybe benefited him, except I had the upper hand after the first rain delay.  The first one benefited me.  I came out and felt like I had the upper hand, just even mentally.  It felt like I was there, you know, was dictating play a little bit.
Obviously the second one benefited him.
But that's the way it goes.  That's kind of how it is.  But, yeah, I mean, I did the best I could with the situation.
With the roof closing, you know, it was a little bit more humid in there, which made it tougher for me, given the amount of tennis I've played and the amount of sets I've played.  I started sweating a little bit more.  That maybe had a little effect, but not too much.
I also like playing indoors.  Growing up in Canada, indoors is my preferred surface, yeah.  I like indoors.

Q.  Any consultation about whether they were going to close the roof?  Did they ask your opinion about it?
VASEK POSPISIL:  No, they didn't ask me my opinion, no.  I just said, Are they going to close the roof now?
He said, I don't know.

Q.  I know it is short after your match, how do you feel going on clay now for Davis Cup?
VASEK POSPISIL:  It's tough.  Right now I'm very exhausted.  I had a couple physical issues, as well, which I have to look into right now.
But, yeah, it's going to be a good challenge.  But I'll have a couple days off and, you know, try to be as fresh as I can.

Q.  There was an expletive violation in front of the Royal Box in the third set, use of language.
VASEK POSPISIL:  Was there?  For who?

Q.  For you, I thought.
VASEK POSPISIL:  No.  No.  That's why I'm surprised to hear it.

Q.  Murray is still good in long rallies.  You've played so much tennis.  Was that a problem?  You were just having to chase down balls?  Did the fatigue start to catch up to you a little bit?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Well, I mean, the reality is I played a lot of tennis.  How much that affected the match is hard to say.  But I definitely started feeling a little bit heavy, especially that third set, you know, a little bit at the end of the second, I guess.
Yeah, that's just normal to feel that way.  I played, I don't know, 31 sets in seven days or something like that.  Then you're going to play Andy, who plays long rallies.  Obviously I would have liked to have been more fresh, I think.
But, yeah, I mean, it's still, you know, a great week and I feel like, you know, just the beginning.

Q.  That was probably about as undemonstrative as you've been throughout all your matches this week.  You usually encourage yourself.  Was that a conscious decision because of the occasion, maybe an energy saver, or it just happened that way?
VASEK POSPISIL:  After the first rain delay I realized that.  I was actually doing a good job of being intense, you know, saying the 'c'mons', getting myself pumped up.  I actually felt I did a pretty good job of that.  I think the momentum was on my side when I was doing that.  Whether or not that was affecting him, I don't know.  But it was definitely helping my game.
Yeah, then after the second rain delay, maybe I could have done that a little bit more.  But also the fatigue started setting in a little bit.  I think, you know, that also takes a bit of energy to be intense.  Yeah, so maybe that had a little bit of an effect, as well.

Q.  After Milos lost, he talked about various problems he had.  He was very assuring he was going to be able to play Davis Cup.  You said you had a couple little things.  Any chance at all that you are going to pull a Milos?
VASEK POSPISIL:  No, I definitely don't want to do that.  The only way I would do that is if it was recommended that I don't play.  I actually have to go and do some MRIs right now.
But I'm not expecting it to be anything serious.  Yeah, the plan right now is 100% to go play, unless the MRIs show something I'm not expecting it to show.  It's just a precautionary MRI, so I'll see.

Q.  Is this like the NHL, upper body, lower body?  Can you tell us what it is?
VASEK POSPISIL:  It's my right hand.

Q.  The serve?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Well, yeah.  Late in the second, I had some issues there.  But I was actually already a couple days ago, my doubles match and stuff, so...

Q.  I know it's quite early yet, but any reflection on the two weeks?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah, a great tournament for me.  It's my first quarterfinal.  I'm very, very pleased with how it went.  I felt like I had a tough couple up‑and‑down moments this year, tough draw, a couple injuries as well.  Last year with the back and stuff.
I felt like it was a very rewarding week with all the hard work I'm putting in, trying to stay patient.  I feel like I just did a great job mentally and physically this week, you know, coming back from behind.  Winning three five‑set matches, then coming out in doubles, trying to do that there, which may have hurt me more than helping my cause.
But overall, you know, it was a great showing for me, I think, mentally and physically.  Yeah, I'm excited for the rest of the year.

Q.  How aware are you of how big this played in Canada, with 'Anything is Pospisil' hashtag?
VASEK POSPISIL:  I haven't been going on social media too much.  But, yeah, I've heard that it's been on the front page of papers and stuff back home.  That's great.  My brother is telling me that 'Anything is Pospisil' is trending on Twitter.  That's always nice to hear.
Yeah, so that will happen a little more often now.

Q.  You've had some good moments in your career obviously before.  I guess the key is to take those and carry the momentum and build something big.  How can you take this and go through the summer season on your favorite court and use all of this to really put a consistently long period of success together?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah, I mean, I can just take confidence from this.  You know, I've had some deep runs.  I've had some great ‑ like you said ‑ some great weeks the past couple years where I've beaten top‑10 players, where I've gotten to semis and finals of big events, Washington, Rogers Cup, now quarters here.
I've shown that I can beat the best players in the world and have great runs in these events, that my level is there.  I just need to be more consistent.  That's something that I'm working on now.
Just the last couple weeks I've kind of made the right steps towards that.  I think, you know, I can definitely be one of those guys that is more consistent.
That's what I want to be.  That's my ambition now.  Yeah, so I'm hoping that I can take just confidence from this.  Now going on my favorite surface.  Grass isn't my favorite surface.

Q.  Are you sure?
VASEK POSPISIL:  Yeah.  Well, it's not my best surface (smiling).
Now with the hard court swing, the summer series, those are my favorite tournaments.  I'll be looking to do some damage there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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