Arthur Fils

Press Conference

A. FILS/F. Auger-Aliassime

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Arthur, congratulations. Nice win today. One year ago you were also in the quarterfinals here. How do you think your game has changed since then?

ARTHUR FILS: Well, I think I improve a little bit everything, but very happy to be back in the quarters in a tournament that I really like. I like to play here. Nice to be in the desert, a nice atmosphere, so very happy to be back in the quarters.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. That was pretty remarkable from 5-Love down, second set breaker. You talked about tunnel vision in the interview. What did that episode teach you about the power of your mind? Is that something you're still developing?

ARTHUR FILS: Yeah, I'm trying to develop it. Of course, 5-0 down, the small talk with Lapo, my fitness coach, he told me stop to complain and just play some tennis and be focused.

From this moment, you know, just start to block everything around and to be, like I said, tunnel vision, and just to see myself winning points and points and points.

Of course, usually 5-0 down in a breaker, you're supposed lose it, but today I managed to win it and I'm very happy.

Q. Looks like your forehand has been tweaked slightly. Can you talk about that and the work you've done on that shot?

ARTHUR FILS: What do you mean? The forehand?

Q. Forehand.

ARTHUR FILS: That we change it?

Q. Yeah.

ARTHUR FILS: Yeah, well, we change it a little bit. We try to be a bit shorter on the preparation. I don't know if you understand, but because I had big preparation before and now -- yes, shorter swing, exactly.

I mean, I had eight months, so we had some time to change it (smiling). So, yeah, we changed that, but then after, my forehand is still my forehand. When I feel it good, then I feel great on the court.

Q. How do you think that's helped?

ARTHUR FILS: Well, you know, when the ball is going, when you have a big swing, you can produce a lot of power, a lot of spin in my case, because I have a grip, very close. But also, it's not easy if the guys are playing fast on the forehand. When you have a big swing, you can take the ball a bit behind.

Now, with the shorter swing, well, I play much more ball in front of me, just sometimes you feel like your lack of power. But in my case, it's okay. You know, I can still hit the ball pretty hard. So, yeah, it's a bit better for me.

Q. Another question on the tunnel vision. How would you say that you lock into that? Do you feel it's important for you to have maybe two personalities on court? One very excited and emotional and the other one very relaxed and calm and focused?

ARTHUR FILS: Well, if I could have only the one very relaxed, calm, and focused, I would sign. But, you know, with my personality, I like to really, how you say, like, embrace the emotion. I like to sometimes to celebrate, sometimes to get a bit mad. Well, of course the goal is to never get mad, but I like to embrace the emotion.

But when it gets to the important moments, important, yeah, moments, whatever, I think it's better to be very locked in and to don't really show your emotion. Even if it's positive emotion, you know, to try to be very locked in. But especially to avoid any negative emotion.

That's what I'm trying to do, especially in the important moments, like a breaker or breakpoints or whatever. Then after, when you win or when you win this point or these kind of important points, then you can celebrate.

But if you start to celebrate after each point that you win and start to complain after each point that you lose, then you're not helping yourself.

Q. During your recovery from injury, you had spoken about the value of patience. As a young player, I can imagine there is a lot of pressure with a ranking drop and opportunities to pick up points. Would you say that that patience has paid off and how you composed yourself throughout that injury recovery time?

ARTHUR FILS: Well, the points, it's okay. The points, they leave, they come back, it's okay. Sometimes you win some matches; sometimes you lose some. The points is not a big pressure for me.

The only pressure that I got was would I be able to come back to my level to where I left, you know. That was the only question. You know, I talk a lot with my team, my friends about it. I'm, like, Well, I know I will be back, but what level?

You know, I just had to keep working, stay very patient, like you said, because it's long, it's a long process. Eight months, man.

So just stay very focused on the work, try to not watch the other players, you know, because, well, it's nice to watch them for one tournament or a second tournament, but then you start to feel, okay, the guys are improving a lot.

Me, I didn't touch one racquet since six months. I don't know how I'm gonna be after.

So, you know, just try to focus on myself, my way to be back. And, yeah, I think we made a great job.

Q. Felix got one or two time violations, right?

ARTHUR FILS: He got one.

Q. Just one?

ARTHUR FILS: Yeah.

Q. What do you think of that rule?

ARTHUR FILS: I think the umpire -- well, there is a rule, so you need to play with the rule. But the umpire sometimes should understand the moment of the match, and especially at that time when we play now with Felix, he got a time violation but for nothing.

I mean, because I think that the electronic line didn't work, and, I mean, I made the one return. Maybe it was out; maybe it was in. But it was very close. He start just to ask the umpire, Well, are you sure it was in, or whatever? Then the umpire from the worst give time violation. It's a bit weird.

There is the rule, but the umpire needs to understand the moment, as well. At that time, you shouldn't give the time violation. I mean, of course, if the guy is always taking 26, 27, 28 seconds, then you give the time violation.

But Felix is always on time, like every time that we play, he's always on time. Okay, sometimes he can take a bit long, but he is always on time. So to bring a time violation on this, I think it's not good.

Q. You play the winner of this match here, Frances and Sascha.

ARTHUR FILS: What's the score now?

Q. Zverev is serving for it in the second set. Could you just talk about what it would be like playing either of those two?

ARTHUR FILS: Big Foe, we played once in Miami. We had a great battle. I think it's nice to play against him, especially in the U.S. With the crowd and the energy, it's going to be nice. He's a big player, big champion.

And, Sascha, we know each other very good. We played, I don't even know how many times, but we played a lot. Sometimes it's going in his way; sometimes in my way.

But whoever it is, it's going to be a nice match, because they are, both of them, champions. One is top 5 now since I don't know how many years. Big Foe has been top 10, and he's playing great tennis. It's going to be a nice match to play.