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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS


April 10, 2011


Michael Llorda


MONTE CARLO, MONACO

M. RAONIC/M. Llodra
6-3, 0-6, 6-0


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, in French.

Q. You had three breakpoints in the third set, and after it seemed to slip away. What happened?
MICHAEL LLODRA: It was very tough for me to play on clay again. My opponent has a very unorthodox game and in the beginning I was trying to return early, but it didn't work, so I started stepping back and making him play. That's how I won that second set.
In the third set, I got broken very soon. At 15-All, I made a bad choice. Then things went very fast from there.

Q. How did you feel today?
MICHAEL LLODRA: I believe I need more time to adapt to clay than on other surfaces. Also, I played a very different player today because he was tough to return. He has a very good serve. After that, I was able to step back and it went well for me for a while.
But I only played three times this week on clay so I'm not getting scared. I know I need time to adapt.

Q. Was it tough hearing the whistling or booing at the end?
MICHAEL LLODRA: I heard it, but there's always some stupid guy trying to be funny. I don't pay attention.

Q. You had good tactics in the second set. Why didn't you do the same in the third set?
MICHAEL LLODRA: I tried. But on the important points, I was trying to approach the net and the conditions were completely different when we had new balls. Although today, the conditions were not that fast.

Q. You remember the match in Australia where you had many problems, mainly with his big serve. Were you able to get over this?
MICHAEL LLODRA: It's not because I lost to him once that it's going to change anything. In the second set, he became frustrated because I changed my tactics. But overall in that match he was better than I was and there's no reason to be upset.

Q. Both of you didn't slide on the court, trying to finish the points off quickly. How did you prepare?
MICHAEL LLODRA: You can't really talk about preparation because I only played three times, one hour and a quarter, this week.
I always put down the Monte-Carlo tournament on my schedule every year, but I take this more as a 'warm-up' than as a real tournament. I try to play as many matches as I can. I take advantage of the other good players being here to practice with them.
But clay is not my style of game, so I need more time to adjust than on other surfaces. Today I fought with the weapons I had on the given day.

Q. What are you going to do next?
MICHAEL LLODRA: Madrid.

Q. It seems that you had psychological problems in the third set specifically.
MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, you're right. I tanked the third set (being sarcastic). I need a psychotherapist.

Q. Don't you think psychologically you need...
MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, you should become a coach (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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