M. CECCHINATO/A. de Minaur
7-6, 6-4, 6-0
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Can you please explain what happened, especially in the second set, there were those two long games. One came out at 11 break points I think, you were up 5-4 and before it was you, you had so many chances. How difficult was it and also the way it was decisive?
ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, well obviously I think it was a bit of the story of the whole match. A lot of chances and didn't take care of those chances, then ended up getting broken in that long game.
And, yeah, he was just too good. I knew that I probably should have won those, both those sets. I had set points in the first set and then I was up a break and then had all those break points before. Long game. It is what it is.
Q. After losing that very tight first set, can you just explain what the mental side of your game was like. Then was it just demoralizing after going down two sets to love with the result of the third set?
ALEX de MINAUR: I think mainly the biggest thing is I'm going through probably this rough patch, and everyone has it, but at the moment it's what I'm dealing with. I'm not happy with where I am, not happy with what I'm showing on court. So it's a little bit demoralizing in itself that I can't come out and play the tennis that I want to and that I know I can.
So, look, it's something that I've got to have a long hard look at myself in the mirror and figure out what's happening, and basically just fix it and get back to where I want to be.
Q. How much of it also may have had to do with coming off the hard courts in New York only a couple of weeks ago and you haven't had many matches or practice on the clay? And maybe could it have been almost a little bit of a letdown after reaching your first quarter final at a major?
ALEX de MINAUR: Who knows. I'm not one to make excuses. At the end of the day, I just didn't perform the way I wanted to. I've had two matches that I missed out on countless opportunities. And I believe that it was exactly, you know, winning those matches is what I needed to gain some confidence and some momentum and be able to continue kind of that good tennis I had been showing.
It's a pity because a sport like tennis is very based on results, everything. Mentally, it's a lot based on results. So you can do all the right things and be training well, be feeling physically fit, feeling mentally well, but if you go into a match and you're not getting those results, then it almost feels like nothing of that counts.
So as soon as I can get a couple matches under my belt I feel like I'll be able to move away from this kind of slump and get back to going deep in tournaments, which is what I want to be doing.
Q. You were saying just a minute ago that you need to take a look at yourself. What would you do? I mean, do you feel you just need to get away for a short break and just sit down on your own and think about it or would you speak to somebody, do you know yet?
ALEX de MINAUR: I honestly don't know. It's a difficult situation because I myself don't feel comfortable on court. I'm not happy with where my level's at.
It's bizarre because I'm basically coming off my career best in a Grand Slam. So obviously a lot of things that I need to just clear my head out and almost just maybe not putting as much pressure on myself, that's probably one of the things.
Look, I don't know what I'm going to do but hopefully whatever I do decide to do, it will help me out and I can get back to where I want to be in indoor tournaments.
Q. What is your opinion now about the Checchinato game? Because he had lost 11 times in the first round in a slam. The only time when he passed the first round was when he got to the semifinal in 2018. Do you see him playing well enough or it was you who didn't play as well as you expected?
ALEX de MINAUR: No, I mean he obviously, he's a dirt player, he plays very well on clay and he played some good tennis. It was tough conditions out there, so he probably adapted a little bit better than I did and therefore he got the win.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports