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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 20, 2016

Andy Murray

Cincinnati, Ohio

A. MURRAY/M. Raonic

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. Can you just talk about the last game where things -- the rain started and stopped; you were trying to serve out the match. Just what you were thinking during that last game?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, well, it was tough. I think similar to him in the first game of the match really. You know, it's not easy when you're kind of a bit unsure what's going to happen.

We were obviously aware that the forecast was pretty bad, so when you're serving for it and it starts raining, you're thinking obviously, Okay -- rather than just thinking about the point, you're like, Let's try and finish the match.

And then, you know, lost the first one, and then when you're throwing the ball up to serve and there is rain hitting you in the face it's a bit harder. Serves a double fault, and then all of a sudden an easy game has become a really tough one.

Thankfully I managed to get through it.

Q. Was it a bit surprising that he let an opportunity for an overhead smash go? Given that, do you think perhaps he was a little less aggressive against you today compared to previous matches?
ANDY MURRAY: I think he was trying to be aggressive. I think he made maybe more mistakes than usual because of that.

Maybe it appeared that he was being more aggressive, but I felt like he made more mistakes because he was trying to be more aggressive than usual. That's how it felt to me.

Q. Your explosive acceleration off the baseline to the naked eye appears to be on another level. Is that something you have worked on and have you been able to measure that result?
ANDY MURRAY: I have measured my speed over the years. I'm not as fast as I was a few years ago, but I've not lost too much speed.

I'm not the fastest out of all players out tour, but I think my anticipation is what helps my speed. I anticipate where the ball is going to go pretty good from having played tennis from such a young age and played so many matches.

That's what helps me, I think. My speed is good, but I'm not the fastest.

Q. I appreciate that every match is different, but when you start a match with him, with Milos, do you get a sense that it's going to go your way and that you feel - you've now beaten him seven matches in a row - more confident against him and that you've got his number?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I wouldn't put it like that. A lot of the matches we've played have been tough matches. Like when we played in Australia at the start of the year was extremely tough. The Wimbledon final, although it was straight sets, it was two tiebreaks and, you know, it was tricky.

Some of the matches in Monte-Carlo and here were obviously more comfortable. But, you know, few points here and there maybe change today's match a bit, too. If I hadn't served that out at the end, would've become a lot more tricky.

I have obviously played well against him the past couple years. Each time I play against I try to make a few changes so that he's not expecting exactly what I'm going to do. I know he's obviously a smart guy and he watches matches back and follows what's going on.

So try to keep him guessing a bit.

Q. Obviously the weather has been less than ideal. We've got more rain again. How much of a relief is it to be first into the final, and how does that affect your preparation for tomorrow knowing they'll finish quite late?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, obviously right now better for me to be finished now, but I'm not going to be fresher than Marin or Grigor. I played a lot of tennis the last few weeks. Obviously if I had been the second match that would've been even tougher.

But this week has been hard for me coming from Rio. Playing during the day tomorrow will be my first match during the day. Any of the players will tell you how different the conditions are in the day to the night. That's something I'll need to adjust to tomorrow as well.

I'm glad I don't have to wait round until 11:00 to get on the court.

Q. He served at 3-5 and you broke him to win the first set and allowed you to serve first in the second set. When a player is serving to stay in the set, do you approach that game any differently throwing different views or angles at him with to the opportunity then to not only win the set, but to serve first in the next set?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I just try to win every game really. So whether you go up 3-Love and get a quick start, you know -- because like serving out a match is not easy. Like tonight is a good example of that.

When you got one break, it's better to try and get a second one because it's a lot easier serving out a match when you have the second break.

Or breaking serve tends to be a bit easier than serving out a match as well, to break for a match.

Yeah, just at the end of the set got to try and win all of the games and not just give anything to your opponent for free, because no matter how comfortable you're feeling, you know, serving for a match is difficult, especially in the latter stages of big events against top players.

Q. You're having a lot of success reading his serve. Seems that really only you and Djokovic are able to read it so well, his patterns, locations. What's making the difference for you? Are you watching a lot of tapes? Are you studying a lot of his play? How are you able to get so many serves back?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, I watch. It's not so much from tapes. I watch the ball right on to when he makes contact with it. There are things you can pick up with the racquet head when he's making contact with the ball.

You know, still isn't easy because it happens in a split second. But, yeah, again, return is one of the more natural parts of my game. Always stronger than my serving.

That just comes from years and years of practicing. I've always enjoyed playing against the big servers since I was a kid really. I don't know exactly why that is, but return was always a strength of mine.

Q. You said you're not feeling as fresh as Marin or Grigor, but you've won so many matches. Is that kind of confidence helping you get past some of the tiredness, the fatigue over the past couple weeks?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I think it helps in terms of the choices that you make on the court. Like I didn't get broken the last couple of matches, and when I was in difficult situations I made good choices.

That's helped keep the matches shorter. If you're a bit lower on confidence, regardless of how fresh you are, if you haven't played loads of matches you make sometimes bad decisions in those moments.

And because I've won a lot the last few months, that's something that has been good, especially this week for sure. I've needed it to be because I haven't been feeling perfect. I've managed to get through the matches pretty good.

Yeah, in another final now. Go out there and give it a good go tomorrow and get a few days' break before getting ready for New York.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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