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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS


June 17, 2012


Marin Cilic


LONDON, ENGLAND

M. CILIC/D. Nalbandian
6‑7, 4‑3 (by default)


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  That's not the way you would like to end a final, is it?
MARIN CILIC:  Yeah, definitely not, but I think supervisor should have just come on the court and explained the rule to the people and to say in fairness for both of us there that what the rule is and, you know, what is the explanation on that rather than, you know, us doing the explanations and everything.

Q.  Did you want to carry on playing?
MARIN CILIC:  You know, that's not on me to decide, because the rule is like that to protect people, the ball boys and the referees.  So supervisor's decision.
But definitely very sorry to finish the tournament like this, especially in the final where we both I think played good tennis.  He was playing also some great rallies and in those last two games was extremely interesting with making two breaks one of each side.  So I think it was good tennis today.

Q.  Do you think the officials had no choice but to default him?
MARIN CILIC:  I don't know.  As I said, supervisor had to just I think come onto the court to give explanation to the crowd and to the people what it is.  I think that's about it.

Q.  Did you speak to him after it?  Did you talk to David?  Did he apologize?
MARIN CILIC:  No, no, I didn't.  He's obviously pretty sad to finish like this.  So we didn't talk.

Q.  Did you think he owed you an apology?
MARIN CILIC:  No.  Why would he?  I mean, we are there on the court battling, so obviously he didn't mean to do that, so it's just happen like that.  It's the way it is.

Q.  Has anything like that ever happened to you before?
MARIN CILIC:  No, definitely not.  I don't think it's going to happen in next hundred years, for sure.

Q.  Did you actually see what happened?
MARIN CILIC:  I didn't.  I didn't, because after the point, after I hit the shot, I saw it's a winner or he's not going to be able to make it, so I just turned to get my towel.  I didn't really see, so I didn't know whether he hit it or not or what happened.

Q.  You were putting him under quite a lot of pressure at that point in the match.  Did you feel his frustration was kind of coming close to the surface?
MARIN CILIC:  Yeah.  He also threw couple times his racquet in the beginning of the second set, so I felt I had to squeeze a bit more and try to push my game on a higher level and to, you know, not to give him too much.
So I think that beginning of the second set was really good on my own side, to break him and to keep few holes to get to later stage of the second set.  So I think I played the right way.  And outside the tennis was really good today.  He was making really, really good returns and putting me a lot of times under pressure.
It was not easy to find some openings in the game, but I think was managing it pretty good.  Then, you know, looking for my chances on his serve, as well.

Q.  You alluded yesterday in the press conference the way he sometimes makes things difficult for the opponent, hitting the ball sort of hard in warmups and everything, but does that kind of behavior surprise even you?
MARIN CILIC:  Well, a little bit, of course.  But tough, you know, to judge from my own side.  I was just trying to focus on my own side and to do the things that I thought that are proper.
I think I was playing really well and that of course the result and him losing the serve made him, you know, more nervous.  Of course, in the beginning of the second set he threw a couple times the racquet, so I felt I kind of needed to push a little bit more that maybe I get some more advantage.

Q.  He says that it was partly because of the pressure that the ATP put on you guys because you play that often.  Can you sympathize with him in that respect?
MARIN CILIC:  I have no more comments about it.  I mean, the supervisor is there who had to give a speech and to explain the rule.

Q.  Is it at all annoying to sort of win a title in that way for you?  I mean, you were playing well, you had played well all week.
MARIN CILIC:  Yeah, a little bit, definitely.  To end the week like this feels a bit bitter and just, you know ‑‑I gonna take it as that I had a really good week, played some good tennis.
I played also good today and came here to play four, five matches.  I won them.  I also was winning  pretty comfortably in those first two, three, and feeling really good and I think form is in the way on the spot where it should be.

Q.  He suggested there were times this week when he had been asked to play when the conditions were wet and difficult.  Have you had any complaints about this week about being asked to play in difficult conditions?
MARIN CILIC:  Well, I was, let's say, a bit lucky in my third‑round match to finish it just before the rain started.  I know he was scheduled to play after me on that court, on Court 1.
So I was a bit lucky to finish it.  Otherwise I would also have to play two matches the day after.  So it happened like that.  It was a lot of rain this week and a lot of interruptions with that.
So you have to deal with it.  I mean, for everybody the same.  Some guys also played one singles, two doubles matches, and even if they won, they would also play day after three matches.  So it was difficult conditions during the week.  You have to be ready for everything.

Q.  Have you ever been defaulted or in trouble for a similar incident in your career?
MARIN CILIC:  No.  I try to keep my calmness.

Q.  Has anything like that happened in a match to you before with an opponent?  Have you had an opponent defaulted?
MARIN CILIC:  No, no, no.  Just, you know, I had couple of times with a guy, he had a point penalty, but that was it.

Q.  Did you know the rule?
MARIN CILIC:  Yeah, I know the rule.  I mean, I don't think supervisor has a choice, because it's there to protect, you know, ball boys, chair umpire also, the line umpires from some incidents, and there has to be some rule.

Q.  What are your plans next week?
MARIN CILIC:  Playing exhibition in Stoke Park and play there three matches, and it's going to be pretty tough field, so looking forward to it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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