Australian Open Saturday, 13 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Casper Ruud Press Conference generally all over, and in October last year I played C. RUUD/R. Albot Thiem at the French Open. So I think I had some tough draws at the third round, but also I think this was really 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 my chance to book my spot in the second week for the first time. THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Albot, he played great all week and he beat Bautista, and Q. Can you talk us through your match and how you so Bautista was the seed that I was going to face on were feeling on the court today. paper, out from the seeding. So he beat him in the first round and he played well. He really stepped up this CASPER RUUD: Yeah, no, I think it was a good match. Grand Slam, I think, and it was -- like I said earlier, it was I started off great, broke him right away and I won the a really tough match today, but I really also felt this was a first set 6-1 and then I think I just played very solid and good chance for me to break through a little bit and book heavy with my game, and then in the second set he kind my spot in the second week. So I think it's a mix of both, of answered the questions I gave him with my game. but I'm happy to have broken the barrier. He counter-punched good and played his style of play Q. You have a dad who is one of the few people on better and kind of neutralized my game a little bit. In the earth who can understand what it takes to do that. end he got the break at 6-5 and then third and fourth set I Did he give you any advice specifically toward like felt strong. how you can get through this match? I was able to use the wind well today when I had the wind CASPER RUUD: I think we just talk about each match from the back. I was playing heavy and trying to use that as it comes. It's not like he has been prepping me the as much as possible. Then playing into the wind you try whole week; this is your chance, this is your chance, this to play a little bit more flat and through the wind more. is your time, like this. But every match is important, even So I think I was able to do that well, and at the end of the the first round. Even though Thompson was injured, I match it was a tough game but I was able to hold, which think it was a tough draw. Thompson is a very good was a very good feeling. player, especially here in Australia playing at his home Grand Slam. He's definitely a tough opponent. So I Q. It seems like it's a bit of a hurdle or a barrier to could easily have gone out on Tuesday already. get to the round of 16; a lot of people need a few chances in the third round before they can do that. Tommy Paul, also, two, three days ago is a tough draw. Do you understand the people who say that, like He's very good hard court player, very athletic and good what they mean by that? Is it because of the quality player. So even though like on paper I've been the of the competition you're facing in the third round, or favorite in all matches, I think I've had actually quite a is there something inside, that desire to get into the tough draw. Some would say that maybe Albot is -- round of 16 that you can be your own worst enemy? wouldn't be the necessarily the toughest third round, and I can agree on paper, but he's beaten Bautista and CASPER RUUD: Yeah, well, I think it's a little bit of both. played great, so it was a tough match, and yeah, like I I remember the first time I made the third round was said, I'm very happy to be through to the second week. back in 2019, and I played Federer. That's a tough third-round opponent, the greatest of them all. So then Q. This is obviously a big moment in your career, you kind of think more about just experience being in the your first fourth round at a major. You looked very third round than maybe thinking about actually winning relieved on court once it was over. the match. CASPER RUUD: Yeah, definitely. I really wanted this Then my two other third-round appearances I lost to win, and I think it would be tough being broken at 5-4 in Berrettini at the US Open, he's a semifinalist there, so he the fourth, having a match point at 5-3, and it was tough knows what he's doing over there in New York and out there today because there was a little bit of wind and 104632-1-1044 2021-02-13 06:36:00 GMT Page 1 of 3 it was going one direction mostly all the time. So hopefully that can give some motivation, inspiration for whenever you were further away from the camera you the young ones back home. had the wind from your back, which is also always easier to than to have it coming into your face or into you. So I Q. From having such really good success on clay think I was able to play very well from the having the earlier in your career, what adjustments have you wind in my back, playing heavy with top spin, which I like. made to translate that success on to hard courts? But Albot, he stepped up, especially in the second set CASPER RUUD: I don't think I've done too many and kind of neutralized my heavy spin balls with good adjustments. I just think that I've become more depth and playing fast and chasing down, running down comfortable on the hard court. For a guy who plays many, many balls. So the third and fourth set I was just maybe better on clay it's not impossible to do well on very happy to get one break and was able to hold the hard courts either. Rafa has five slams on hard court serve all throughout. So, yeah, I'm sure you could tell I and two on grass. And Thiem has his one and only on was very relieved and happy to get this win. hard court and they are kind of the clay kings of the tour. Q. The first since your father in 1997 to make the So I think it just proves that playing heavy with good top fourth round. What did he have to say about it? spin suits the clay better, obviously, but it's not impossible to do well on hard court and I think I proved CASPER RUUD: Yeah, he was happy. He's my main that today. Like I've been saying couple times now, that coach, so it's also an achievement for him. Now he has when I had the -- I guess is it tailwind you call it when you done it himself and as a coach, so I think he's happy that have it from your back? Yeah. When I had the tailwind I've been able to not beat his record yet, but at least do on court I was trying to use it and play heavy with good same as he did. That was kind of the last inch he kind of length and spin, which helped or which was working had on me when it comes to Norwegian records in good today, and when you're having the headwind you tennis. I've kind of beaten him on everything else, the try to break through the wind a little bit more with flatter ranking and last year when I got my first title. He lost the shots. I think if you look at the stats I'm sure I played it finals a couple times, so now he was happy, and I'm not with a little bit more spin than Albot, especially with the going to say we joked about it, but he kind of liked having tailwind and I think that was the key to breaking his serve that last inch on me and now he can't anymore, so it's a a couple times in the third and fourth set and keeping the good feeling, obviously. break all the way. Q. Did you know he lost to Goran in five sets? So, yeah, I haven't done too many adjustments, just practicing more on hard court. I've been playing hard CASPER RUUD: Yeah, I know, and I know that he was courts now since French Open last year, so it's been up 40-Love on Goran's serve at 3-all in the fifth to make many months of hard courts training and I'm very glad quarters. So it's one of his best results but toughest that it paid off. losses of his career he's told me, so I've heard that story a couple times. But I hope that won't be the case for me Q.