Australian Open Monday, 15 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Daniil Medvedev Press Conference

we are great friends. There is no rivalry in this part of D. MEDVEDEV/M. McDonald competition, I would say.

6-4, 6-2, 6-3 Q. In general, if you were to have an injury, would you rather keep it to yourself or do you mind if your THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. opponents know?

Q. 18 in a row. Were you more pleased today than DANIIL MEDVEDEV: To be honest, depends what it is. with the previous rounds? Happened to me once against Wawrinka in US Open quarters where I actually in the first set thought I'm going DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, thanks a lot. Today was a to retire from the match. I was super lucky to win the first great match. I think maybe Mackenzie didn't show his set. I was doing dropshots, going to the net like I didn't best level. But I played a great match, was feeling the care because I thought I'm going to retire. I won the first ball great, serving great, hit some good winners. Was set. I said, I will not retire after winning the first set. The feeling really good out there. That's the most important. painkillers started working, I started feeling better. I was I'm happy about it. lucky with two days off after this match. I had a strain, not a tear, and I managed to work a lot with the physios Q. When you feel that comfort on the court, where to get it better. does it start from? At this moment, for example, everybody could see it on DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't think anything the player TV. Sometimes I can cramp at the end of the match or knows exactly. There are for sure days where you feel a something and nobody will see it because I'll try to keep it little bit worse on the court, for sure days where you feel just for myself. Otherwise opponent is going to think, better. You don't really know where it's coming from. Okay, I will be all over him.

The thing that you can make is to put all the chances on Depends what you have and what you think to do after. your side, how to say, to make everything outside of the If you think you're going to retire or not, things like that. court, on practice court, just before the match so that during the match you going to have the best chances to Q. As you've matured in your career, into the feel your best. Even if it doesn't happen all the time, quarterfinals now, what has been the mentality that's what I've been trying to do since long time. Has change coming into a major where you expect been working well for me most of the times. Yeah, that's yourself to go far? It's easier for us to watch you do the most important. it, for you to as a player expect it, then pace yourself for two weeks of top tennis. Q. If you end up playing Andrey in the next round, will you talk to each other the next couple days? DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think two of the most important things, at least for me, first is experience. It's different, DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, for sure. I don't know about you know. You have always a day off between matches, other tennis players, but for me it would seem like 95% of which we don't have on normal tournaments. It's out of the guys, it's part of our job. We're going to play each five sets. It's not that first games of the match you're other maybe 10 more times in our careers, 15. For sure, going to hold yourself, but you need to know you can't I mean, almost 100% it's not going to be 15-0 for give it all in the first set. You have to take care about somebody. yourself, also about your body.

It's our job. We can talk just before the match. Of course I think the other thing is that when you're seeded higher, during the match we're going to try to win, fight for our that's when you can have a little bit easier draws. Even best. You never know. Sometimes you can maybe even the US Open, I made final. I was supposed to play not fight on the court but, like, argue on the court or Djokovic in quarters and Federer in the semis. Finally I something because we're competitors. After the match played Wawrinka and Dimitrov, which is a little bit easier

104697-1-1044 2021-02-15 05:27:00 GMT Page 1 of 2 than playing Novak, who has 18 Grand Slams and stuff DANIIL MEDVEDEV: For me all of the three because like this. even no matter how much Grand Slams, how many Grand Slams they all have at the end of their career, I remember, for example, Australian Open when I made what they did in tennis is amazing. I remember when first first round in a slam, I was feeling great, playing a Sampras beat the record of the Grand Slams, I was great level, but I had Novak in the fourth round. I was the really young. I remember all the news, sports news, only one to take a set from him, but I lost. These two saying, This record is forever. Just like Messi and things, I find most important. Ronaldo in football. Then the three guys came, they just not beat the record, they destroy the record. What is this Q. Andrey got through. So the fact that you're close number? friends, does it make it any easier or tougher? Is amazing because, for example, me, I'm 25, I'm playing DANIIL MEDVEDEV: For me it doesn't make a good tennis. I feel like I'm one of the top players in the difference. As I said, on the tennis court we're going to world. I have zero slams. Imagine for me to get to 20, I try to win. Doesn't matter. If you can win 0-0-0, you're need to win five years in a row every slam. Roland going to make it. You're not going to give two games at Garros I'm not so good so far (smiling). Five years in a the end to say, He's my close friend, I'm going to give row I need to win every slam against amazing him two games. If you have to win 7-6 in the fifth, you're opponents, five-set matches, not be injured. That's going to try to make it. Same for him. ridiculous numbers. For me, they're the three for sure greatest players in the history of tennis. As I say, after the match or before the match, unless there's a huge fight during the match, which I doubt, one Q. When you were growing up, were your tennis of us going to say congrats to another one. We'll be idols or favorite players Russian players or from disappointed with the result, but we'll move on and have elsewhere? Who were they? How big a deal in many more matches to come. Russia will it be to have three quarterfinalists here?

For me doesn't make a difference, to be honest. DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, first of all, it's going to be amazing if Andrey wins, it's going to be for sure one Q. Will you call him Jannik? Russian in the semis.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, otherwise he would not be Q. He did, by the way. happy after the match. DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Okay, Ruud retired. I didn't know. Q. How has what the world has endured the last year affected your understanding and appreciation of the So it's amazing (laughter). It's definitely one Russian in privilege to play? the semis, three Russians in the quarters. I'm not sure if it's the first time in the history, but probably. It's great for DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I mean, I always felt privileged to our sport. We are both, with Andrey, really happy for play tennis, especially to earn money playing tennis. Aslan, because he was practicing good in ATP Cup. We That's something I like. Sure, there can be tough felt like he could do something amazing. To be honest, moments during your career, but it's something I like being in your first Grand Slam main draw and making doing. quarters is something exceptional. He's not over yet. Let's see how he does tomorrow. If you manage to be good at it, you're going to make a good living, so I'm happy about it. For sure when we had Talking about idols growing up, for sure, I loved watching tennis stop for such a long time, I knew at one moment the Russians play. I was always supporting them. After I it's going to come back, so I practiced, I knew that at one never had an idol because I always wanted just to be moment I will need to show a good level again. myself. I didn't want to be like someone else.

But it makes you, yeah, appreciate more things like the For sure when I watched, say, Roger and Rafa playing all crowd here, we had it, now we don't have it. We feel like the finals, it was just great to watch. I never even we are missing it. So hopefully in few days we're going supported anyone exactly in these matches, I just liked to to have it again. It's the same with everything. watch it.

Q. You mentioned the top players. If you had to FastScripts by ASAP Sports reflect between Roger and Rafa and Novak, who is really the strongest or the best, who would you say and why?

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