THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Can you explain what’s the difference, apart from when you have Federer on the other side of the net instead of having someone else, what is the difference in terms of playing style?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, Roger is an unbelievable player. He has achieved so much during his career. And, yeah, I mean, what he is doing on the court and off the court, yeah, it’s just something different.
I mean, playing against him for the first time on the big stadium of a great crowd here was, yeah, for sure different feeling. But still I was trying to be as prepared as best as I can to play very good tennis.
Q. What did you make of your performance out there today?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I was trying to compete, to fight, and believe that I can do it. I mean, Roger was playing great in the crucial moments. I had some small chances in the second set.
But, yeah, I mean, today was a great lesson for me. Yeah, I’m taking it for the next tournament.
Q. If it is a lesson, what have you learned from that lesson that you experienced today?
HUBERT HURKACZ: I mean, a lot. I would say it’s tough to explain what have I learned.
Yeah, I mean, playing on such a huge stadium against Roger Federer, it’s just something different. I mean, still, the match wasn’t one way throughout the whole match. So, I mean, he was playing really, really well. But still, I had some small chances, so also give me motivation to work and to get there sometime.
Q. What about his serve? How do you feel it? Can you read it? Can you see it?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, he’s changing directions all the time, so it’s really hard to read it. But, I mean, I think in the second set I started to do it better and the return games were a little bit closer.
Q. Being in semis in a Masters 1000, do you think this achievement comes all of a sudden or are you expecting to come in at some point of your career?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, like, all the time you come to the tournament, you want to win the tournament.
I mean, for the first time here, playing quarterfinals against Roger, obviously it’s a great achievement. For me was, yeah, great to be here, to play against a couple of great players, against Donald Young first time, then Lucas Pouille, Kei Nishikori, and Denis Shapovalov, they were huge wins for me.
I mean, yeah, like, practicing throughout the whole year, yeah, just waiting for this chance to be here.
Q. Do you feel you’re a bit of a different player now than when you came here?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, for sure. This experience playing here just — yeah, I just gained this experience. I mean, I will take it for the next tournament that I will improve.
Q. What are your plans for the next couple of months? After Miami, then what? Are you going to play on clay, for example?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, Monte-Carlo, then Madrid, Rome. Yeah. That’s the plan.
Q. Did he say anything special to you when you shook hands at the net?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, he said that, yeah, Well played. Yeah, just good luck for the future.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #366 at 2019-03-15 20:10:00 GMT
