Australian Open Sunday, 14 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Grigor Dimitrov Press Conference

GRIGOR DIMITROV: It doesn't matter. I mean, this is -- G. DIMITROV/D. Thiem I mean, that's a pivotal moment I would say. Like all sort of the top players if you think about it, it takes time for 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 everyone to get to somewhere, but the best part is that you treat every player the same way, and I will treat this THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. match with no difference. I will still go through my routines. I'm still going to do my work. It's just honestly Q. Back in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. What another match. I'm not going to think of what the guy has were you most pleased about in today's win? done, what he has accomplished or what is going on.

GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think just the fact that I was able Clearly in order for him to be here, he's done something to keep a consistency throughout the whole match was -- right, and he's playing great tennis right now. Of course I think that was the key. I think it was very strange the he's a dangerous player. You're entering deep into the first couple of games, but me and Dominic have known second week, it's a quarterfinal match of a Grand Slam. each other a long time, practiced a lot against each You don't take any of that lightly, and I think it should other. We know our game very well, so I think we were never affect anything coming in your head to that extent, both aware of how we wanted to play that match. just focus on your side of the net, focus on your game plan, control what you can on your end and then Q. You've beaten him before. You've beaten a lot of progress through. big names. But were you still surprised at the score line, where it ended? Q. Can you talk about your coach Dante Bottini. You talked about him as a guy who shares kind of a GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think a little bit, just the third set famous philosophy or way to think. Can you talk a to be honest. But I think in all the other sets, like I felt little bit about him more, what kind of a coach he is? like I really stayed in the match. I was playing well. I Is he good at analyzing your opponent or does he mean, he was up a break on both sets if you think about give you some technical advice? it. It was 3-1, 40-15 in the first set. I could have easily slipped that set, and then next thing you know, GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think it's a combination. I think hypothetical, one set all, and you just never know what's it's a combination between actually me and him a lot going to happen. more than just focusing on one thing. Obviously it's not -- I think it's also not easy to be a coach, and I think it's very But the way that I came through, and especially in that important for a coach and a player to be aligned, to share first set, also being able to stay like really focused and similar thoughts, similar feeling. When you get out there really dedicated to the game that I wanted to apply, it on the court and even on the practice court, I think it's was something that I think I did very well today, and just very important. clearly maybe he was struggling a little bit in the third set or not, but I think I did all the necessary to keep a steady So far we've managed to do things very basic, and we're play. still getting to know each other. We haven't spent that much time together. But the little time we had, we've Q. You're going to go from playing the No. 3 player really tried to exploit everything that we think we need in the world, the US Open champion, to a qualifier right now, and I think that's why things are settling in a who I think is making his Grand Slam singles debut. little bit different, of course analyzing the match, practice, How do you adjust -- what do you go through in your and a practice match is very important. head in order to make that adjustment? And does it play with your mind at all in terms of you know this We go through all these routines that when you put them guy across the court and what he's accomplished all together, it creates a good balance. today, and now you have this completely different opponent? Q. I'm just curious from a player perspective at the midway point of the tournament, how do you feel like

104676-1-1002 2021-02-14 08:53:00 GMT Page 1 of 2 Craig Tiley and his team have managed doing this helps me. whole thing during a pandemic, and has communication been good with the players? Q. That fifth game in the first set, I believe you actually saved seven game points so he really had a GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think so far everything has been lot of opportunities to break that set open. You had a great if you think about it. We have to be very thankful broken string, as well. Can you maybe talk about the for being able to play a tournament in the middle of a importance of getting through that game and being pandemic and to pull that through in such a tough and able to use kind of staying in the moment later on in delicate moment of where we're at right now. I think it's the match when you had a couple tougher games in amazing. the second set?

It's just very basic. We all have choices. You can either GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, I felt that I'm going to get a choose to play and go through whatever you have to go chance at some point again. I even thought that the first through, or whether you stay home and practice and two break points, he played an outstanding two points. I that's it. I think any other aspect of things right now, it felt like I couldn't have done anything else any better, and doesn't really matter. We all know what is going on in the the problem is in matches like that, sometimes it can be world. We all know what is going on in every single -- you can get too many opportunities, but you might not country. It's tough. It's very uncomfortable. It makes life use even one. It could have happened, but I stayed, I difficult for so many, not only for us as athletes but think, very calm, and I was really focusing on every point, people around the world. especially when he was 3-1 up and like 40-15. I said, I'm going to play every point. I knew physically I was feeling For us to be able to play, to perform, and for me it also well. I could have chased a lot of balls down. I favored means a lot. The people on TV can watch us and enjoy also some of my shots at the right time, and like it came that part. Very thankful for all the people here in very nicely. Yeah, saving that game I think was big. Melbourne. I mean, the government has done a great job. But then all I had to do at some point was honestly stay in the match, plus the shadow was coming a little bit Everyone is trying to play their part to the max end. through half of the court, so that's also a little bit Yeah, what else happens, we don't know. We've just got unpleasant, the sun was in your eyes. There's so many to stay in the moment, enjoy every single possibility that other little details that could have played a different role, we get out here and see how things develop. but all I did was managed to stay on the right path.

Q. After the game with Dominic Thiem you wrote FastScripts by ASAP Sports your hometown, Haskovo. We know you helped your local hospital during the early part of the pandemic with buying some respirator machines. You're a good man; is being a good human being far more important than being a great champion on the tennis court?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: That goes without saying. I've always believed in very different things, and for sure my mom has always said to me, I always want you to be a good person before a great champion. I've focused on that since I was a kid.

It's just that. Tennis is just a temporarily -- it's not going to be our life forever. We're living our dream right now. Whatever I can do and help in different situations, different circumstances, of course I'll help. I mean, nothing is ever that good and nothing is ever that bad. I think the moment you find that balance, I think the better you can live at peace with yourself.

I think in those tough times, this is very important, and you realize a lot more of your friends, family, and the significance of even your own self. You get to know yourself better. I like to say that from different aspects in life right now, I think I keep on learning, and probably it

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