|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
U.S. OPENAugust 29, 2012Ryan HarrisonNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK R. HARRISON/B. Becker THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Did it feel good to get the first round under your belt and advance through fairly routinely and get comfortable on the surface here? RYAN HARRISON: Yeah, absolutely. It was a really good match. I started a little nervous, but I got things rolling and was able to get a straight‑set win. I felt really confident out there, especially toward the end, so it was a really good start. Q. How important is it to win in straight sets early in a slam? RYAN HARRISON: I mean, I think it's definitely beneficial, but it's not like a do or die. But it certainly helps. Q. Can you tell me what you did well. RYAN HARRISON: Well, at the beginning I was serving well. That kind of kept me in it. I got down a break early. I wasn't playing great, but I was serving well enough where it was competitive. He gave me a slight chance at 5‑3 serving for the first set.  I took it; I broke him. From then on out I was in pretty good control. My nerves let up on me a lot. I was able to swing out and get in control of things after that. I never really got in any trouble. The only service game I was in trouble was 3‑0, double break up in the third. I was in a comfortable position, he played a good game, but I was able to hold anyway and finish it out. Q. Do you have a goal for this Open for yourself? RYAN HARRISON: Obviously you want to, but I've got a really tough opponent next round. I know I can do well and I know I can win this match if I play well. It's going to be not easy, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. It will be fun. Q. Looked like Benjamin had momentum when he had that first set point in that first set. What changed at that moment? RYAN HARRISON: Well, I hit a good running passing shot. It was not an easy shot and I was able to come up with it. Then he missed a couple first serves and I was able to make a few solid returns. I think he double‑faulted on breakpoint. So a buildup of solid returning made him feel like he had to serve better. He missed a few first serves trying to go for too much. Q. Did you watch him beating Agassi here on TV or... RYAN HARRISON: I did. I was in the stands actually. I was like 14 or 15 years old. I heard Agassi's whole speech after that match, too. Q. Was that emotional? RYAN HARRISON: I think everybody in the crowd was tearing up. It was an impressive speech and one heck of a career. Q. Does it feel weird to play the same guy? RYAN HARRISON: You don't really think about it. Andre's legacy is so extraordinary that I don't think it's defined by that match he played with Benjamin. Q. Since Agassi and Sampras, Americans have been looking for the one American that can take their spot at the top. People are saying you're the guy with potential. Do you pay attention to any of the stuff being said? RYAN HARRISON: I mean, hearing the good stuff is always exciting. (Smiling.) But I think that those guys have obviously had such extraordinary careers. They've done so well for U.S. tennis. I've got such a long ways to go. Hearing stuff like that doesn't really come into play. I mean, I've never made third round of a slam. After that you got to get second week. It only gets tougher from there. The closer you get to the top, the more difficult it gets. I have a long ways to go. I do believe I can get there ‑‑ and I'm going to do my best to get there ‑‑ but it's not going to be easy. Q. Does it help you have others like Sock and Johnson who is suddenly having a good tournament here? RYAN HARRISON: Yeah, I've seen these guys all through juniors. Me and Bradley and Steve Johnson played each other all through juniors. Me and Jack actually never played until we were pros. I was playing with more of Klahn and Johnson and Rhyne Williams, the guy who played Andy. So I know all those guys pretty well. It's good to see them pushing each other and playing good tennis. I think once one of them has a good win, it becomes a realistic thing for everybody. You start playing more composed and more under control, not thinking that these guys are unbeatable. I certainly think for a guy like Bradley, you know, seeing Steve have the success he's had and so many of the matches he wins, he obviously gets out there and is playing good tennis. He has one game to serve this out, so it would be great to see another American go through. I think we've had four or five young Americans win a first‑round match, which is great for U.S. tennis. To have this happening here, it gives us a good chance. I think one of the best things about this whole group of guys is how determined and motivated everyone is. You've heard obviously the lack of work ethic and all the chirps that you want to hear about that, but I think all these guys ‑ I can speak especially for Bradley and Steve‑ that they work really hard. Q. Del Po has proven he can win this championship obviously. What are you going to have to do? RYAN HARRISON: It's going to start with my serve. If I serve well, everything kind of becomes a lot less, I guess, pressure on the rest of my game because I can dictate and I can actually swing out on some return games and have a little bit of a crack because there's not as much pressure. It's going to start with that. If things go my way, then I know I can return well enough to where I can put some pressure on him. I play good defense, so with some of his shot‑making, I can make him hit a couple extra balls on some of his service games. Like I said, it's not going to be easy, but I think I have the game to do it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|