J. SINNER/A. Rublev
6-2, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How would you describe your performance today?
ANDREY RUBLEV: I would describe was okay. Not amazing. Yeah, but Jannik, he's playing very good. He's very consistent. Have to be super, super focused to maintain that level.
Q. Do you think he was hitting the lines more than usual today?
ANDREY RUBLEV: He's on a roll. Lines is part of the sport, so... There is nothing wrong to hit a line. Of course, was many times where he played really well or close to the line. He's No. 1.
Q. (Question regarding maintaining that level of play.)
ANDREY RUBLEV: I would say the toughest is to maintain the focus to maintain this level. I think maybe he give me a little bit mistakes maybe when the score was 4-3, second set, he was 40-15 up. One double, 40-30. Easy kind of mistake. Until that, you need to force him to miss. It takes a lot of focus to kind of, yeah, be able to play that level.
In my case I was playing good until 4-2 in the first set. Then one game on my serve at 4-2. He broke me second time. I missed almost four, three balls. Right away with the second shot, he was able to lead right away with double break, which gives him even more confidence, more freedom, more problems for me.
Q. Do you think he changed something on clay since the last time you played against him on this surface?
ANDREY RUBLEV: Since the last time I played against him on this surface was Paris. That was no match. He just walk over me. Today at least here was a bit of rallies.
Q. You were the first one to break him.
ANDREY RUBLEV: Thank you. What an achievement (laughter).
Q. What was your impression today?
ANDREY RUBLEV: Well, the impression was, as I said, to be able to play against him, you need to be able to maintain focus on a high level to be able to play that level consistently.
Like I was explaining before, at 4-2, for example, I already drop a bit the focus and did easy mistakes. He didn't even do anything. Without that, he broke me.
He did like a few mistakes once. Only maybe second set 4-3 when he was set up and break, 40-Love. Hit double. Forehand, backhand mistake. Until then he wasn't giving me free points. You have to force him to miss or you have to go for a shot to make a winner.
Q. Is it also difficult from a psychological standpoint? You think, Again I cannot beat him?
ANDREY RUBLEV: No, I was not thinking this. It was just I was fighting, keep doing everything I can and we see what's going to happen. Yes, it takes you a lot of effort and focus to maintain this level.
Some matches maybe you miss one ball with the first shot, then the guy miss, 15-All. Here you miss one ball, Love-15, then return comes deep. If you don't play this ball good, it's Love-30. That's the difference.
Q. What is it going to take to beat him? Somebody play a perfect match?
ANDREY RUBLEV: Let's see. Alcaraz beats him many times. It's true that both of them on top of the other players. So let's see. The year still is going. The more players are coming, so let's see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports