“What’s the news on your finger (it was hurt in a fall in the previous round against Fritz)?
He’s still big. I think I hurt a joint, from what I understand. I tore something. I do not know what it is. But I didn’t break any bones, that’s the most important thing. And I managed the pain with painkillers. It was manageable.
Tell us, how difficult is it to play against Tabilo? He was very impressive in the first set…
I didn’t play well in the first set, but that’s why I didn’t play well. He hit very hard, with a lot of cushioning. He played extremely aggressively. He didn’t let me play. I had the merit of hanging on. Things changed in the tie-break, and the dynamic reversed after that.
You said during the tournament that you wanted to play as aggressively as possible. There, you may have changed this dynamic by playing without rhythm…
It is not easy to play aggressively against an opponent who is trying to play every shot to the fullest. In the first set, I barely touched the ball. To play aggressively, you have to have rhythm. I didn’t get it today. In the end, sometimes it’s also about finding solutions. I found one, especially in the tie-break of the second set and I was more comfortable with my shots at the end.
Did you feel the support of the Italian public?
It’s funny, Italy is one of the three countries where I have the most support. I feel like I’m Italian when I play here. I get so much love, so much energy from the crowd, all the time. Even today (Friday). Normally, the public always wants the underdog to do well. There, I really felt that they were behind me. That helps. I truly appreciate it. Italians are a “crazy” crowd, and I like that. I like the energy. I like it when they are loud. And when they’re for you, it’s even better. I won’t replace Jannik (Sinner), but maybe for this week, if they can see him like that, I’m happy. »
