J. THOMPSON/M. Berrettini
3-6, 6-3, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How do you problem solve that first set?
JORDAN THOMPSON: I mean, it was one break, but I think I was down 4-1, 15-40. He was playing well. Seemed like everything was going his way. He was serving at such a high percentage.
In saying, that the game I got broken, I just made three loose errors, probably uncharacteristic errors. Just a loose game that cost me the first set. But probably should have lost that set anyway.
Yeah, it's tough when a guy is that big and he's serving that well, yeah, to just try and build some rhythm.
Q. When he hits the let cord, it goes over your head, bounces in, you both looked at each other like, How did that happen? What's going through your head?
JORDAN THOMPSON: At that point in time I was thinking everything that you're touching is just turning to gold. Especially when the wind is going that way, the ball is traveling that way, it still somehow snuck in. That is just one point.
Didn't need that for the head space at that point in time.
Q. How do you assess your level and his level?
JORDAN THOMPSON: Usually I would say, like, it's the first week of the year, first match of the year. It's a joke our off-season. We're starting the '25 season in '24. It's a joke. I would say we both had a lot of time off, but we haven't. It's just a weird feeling playing this early.
Yeah, I guess it's first match of the season. But he played Davis Cup felt like last month. We both did. It's just maybe a little bit rusty here and there. But I wouldn't say it's a huge, huge amount of time off to make us feel like out of sorts.
Q. Your next opponent, Michelsen, a memorable match with him in February. Reflect on that. People were saying it was the comeback of the season from you.
JORDAN THOMPSON: Hopefully I don't get off to that start in the next one (smiling).
I don't know how, I've said it so many times, I don't know how I turned that match around. I was down 6-1, 4-1, 15-40. I think he served for the match a few times, had match points, just couldn't get it done.
I think I'm the tougher player that would just hang around, fight for every point. That day it paid off. Hopefully it doesn't get to that point next time.
Q. After 10 years on the circuit leading up to this year, anything in particular for you that really changed in the way you approached things or really clicked that led to such consistency?
JORDAN THOMPSON: I think just mindset. Look, in the last couple of years it's been mindset. Been guilty of just being complacent, making balls, just competing, relying on my legs and my wheels to win points.
But now we're trying to be more aggressive and take the game on a bit more. So I think it's probably a credit to that.
Q. What sort of foundation has it given you heading into 2025 with the seeding in your grasp for the Aussie Open as well? A signal of bigger things to come for 2025?
JORDAN THOMPSON: I hope so. Everyone on tour is so good. I feel like every match is nearly a 50/50 battle. But yeah, sneak in a seed now.
This tournament, I mean today I think I was eighth seed and playing Berrettini. I don't know how he's not seeded. But I feel like everybody could be a seed. This is one of the strongest tournaments of the year. It always is. It's a good practice for Melbourne.
Q. The Nadal win on this court last year, did that have a big role in the way your year ends up panning out?
JORDAN THOMPSON: Yeah, for sure. Taking down Nadal in Australia in the quarterfinal of one of your hometown tournaments is huge, especially when you idolized the guy growing up. It's special just to share the court with him, but to take him down is a whole different thing. Gave me so much confidence. No matter what he's ranked, he's always going to compete.
Yeah, just kick-started the year.
Q. Non-existent off-season, how do you avoid burning out? You're coming into it off of two weeks.
JORDAN THOMPSON: Feels like it. Feels like two seconds (smiling).
Yeah, it's a tricky one, especially for us Aussies. We practically leave after the Australian Open and we don't come back until Davis Cup is finished. The season's that long. We come back at the end of November. Yeah, we're away for 10, 11 months. It feels like literally we get three weeks off if you play Davis Cup. That's great. Then you got them pushing for an earlier start.
I don't know how the '25 season starts in '24. I mean, it's a joke. We should be playing next week. There's a lot of things in our sport that need a bit of cleaning up at the moment.
Q. Is there anything that you do to try and keep mentally fresh or is it just impossible?
JORDAN THOMPSON: For me when I come back to Australia, I just want to get down to the beach, chill out, take two weeks off the racquets. But still got to do a lot of physical stuff to stay in shape.
It is literally three weeks before you're back into tournament mode. You can't afford to have any slip-ups with that amount of time off physically.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports