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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2019

Pierre-Hugues Herbert

Wimbledon, London, England

K. ANDERSON/Pierre-Hugues Herbert

6-3, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A tough draw, obviously, but are you disappointed with your own performance, or do you feel like he just played really well out there?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: Yeah, for sure was not the best draw. Kevin is an amazing player, so it was a tough first round. I think he played really good today. I didn't do my best match, so I'm still a little bit sad about my match.

But, yeah, things that can happen when you play the No. 4 seed and when he plays well on a good day, it's a tough round.

Q. Are you 100% fit or carrying any injuries into this event?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I'm a little bit tired. Yesterday I had, yeah, a tough time in my practice, to stop, because I was scared for one of my quads. So I was a little bit scared. But when I did the medical tests, everything was fine.

Yeah, not the best way to start, but it's only a start, I hope.

Q. Going forward, are you going to be okay for the doubles?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I hope so (smiling), because if not, it's gonna be tough. Yes, no, no, I hope so. I was scared yesterday because it was a pain that I didn't know really. So I was really negative.

Yeah, I played today, so it's really positive point. I hope it's gonna be all good from that side in the next couple of days.

Q. Were you worried yesterday you wouldn't be able to play?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I didn't know the pain I was feeling, so I was -- yes, you start, when you're in pain and you're having a Grand Slam, like, the next day, you start imagining bad things.

But I'm more positive now that I played my match. Maybe not the best match I could play, but I was playing. My quad feels good, so, yeah, I hope it's going to be all right. I think it's gonna be all right.

Q. We saw you had the strapping on. Could you feel the pain at all while you were playing today?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: No, it was all right. Really was all right. He was just better today. He played the better match. It was all right.

Yeah, for sure when I entered the court, having stopped the practice yesterday after half an hour, I was, yeah, a little bit scared, I would say, but as the match went, I played and, yeah, so from that point it's positive.

Q. Did you speak to Andy yesterday after...
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: No (smiling). No, no, no. As soon as I did the medical tests and it was all right, I was feeling better, because I was really scared of the tests.

But I don't want to imagine me having to say anything to Andy about an injury or anything. So, no.

Q. Obviously you're a seasoned doubles player. You've done the Slam. How do you feel going into it with a new partner?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I actually feel more pressure than ever. I don't know. But, no, it's something so special. I'm feeling lucky, and I'm so motivated and pumped to play with Andy and to have the luck to play with him here in Wimbledon.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to that, but it's for sure something new for me and new experience. I like it.

Q. I think you have played against him in doubles once in Monte-Carlo?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: Yes.

Q. 2016? What do you remember of that match?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I think it was a really tough match. I think they won the first set. It was, like, a lot of matches on the tour. It went to the super-tiebreaker and it was one or two points.

He was playing with Dominic Inglot. Yeah, it was a great win for us, but, yeah, no, it was a good match, but, yeah, I'm happy that I'll have him on my side.

Q. I just wonder what you thought of him as a doubles player in that match.
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: I have actually seen him as a fifth man when I was playing -- I was not playing. I was in the team, Davis Cup team against Great Britain in Queen's, the quarterfinal. I have seen him play. So his singles, the doubles, and the other singles on the Sunday.

Yeah, I think he's an amazing tennis player at all and a good doubles player, for sure. Yeah, he has a special thing when he's playing on the returns, especially on the return. He can almost return every serve, so it's good.

He's a complete player. He can play from the back, but also, when he's at the net and with me serving, he's helping a lot. So he's a really good, I would say, tennis player at all.

Q. Just talk about what it's going to be like playing with a British player at Wimbledon. I know you have played it in France, a French player. Looks like you're probably going to play on Centre or No. 1. What will that be like having the support and the atmosphere?
PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT: That's actually why I changed my mind, because in my first thoughts about doubles here with Andy, I was more maybe, no, I said I'm going to play only singles.

This made me change my mind, because Andy is someone who rewrote history almost here in Wimbledon. Yeah, is the only British player -- well, for a long time. It's something so special to be by his side, and that's why I changed my mind, because I want to live these kind of experiences.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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