L. MUSETTI/M. Cecchinato
3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Now it's almost imminent you will be playing Novak. Do you have a message for the World No. 1 ahead of your match?
LORENZO MUSETTI: I mean, I don't have any message. I will just enjoy. I don't know. I have a lot of feelings right now, and I'm not thinking about the match. I try to enjoy a bit the win of today, and then tomorrow I will focus myself on try to beat Novak and try to go forward.
Q. You could see at the end what it meant to you lying on the clay. Just describe your emotions at match point then.
LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, I mean, I was really satisfied at the end and was a mix of tension and I was a little bit tired. I mean, was my first time playing in the fifth.
You know, everyone saw the ending, and I had a lot of match points. I didn't win that match points. Then at the end on 5-3 I served good. And I finally, I mean, at the last match point at the end was really satisfying for me and really emotional.
Yeah, like standing on the clay for me for today was my celebration.
Q. I apologize because I know you have been asked about Jannik a lot, but Carlos Moya said how different you two are, personality in terms of tennis, that you're almost like an artist, he's a machine. How interesting is it for you that, I mean, you both are having such success at a young age but that you are different as people and as tennis players.
LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, I mean, I replied a lot of times at this question. Me and Jannik, I think we are the future of Italian tennis, and of the tennis in general.
Yeah, of course he's a bit forward than me. Yeah, I don't know, I'm just living what he was living like last year, so we are growing up together. We are playing every week now together. I finally enter into the tour. That was my goal.
But I have to focus on myself. Of course I see and I'm happy for Jannik is going well, but of course I have to see myself. I have to improve myself. Of course I'm really proud and happy that Jannik is still winning and is still going forward in the slams and is one of the best in the race.
Yeah, I think he deserve it, and I think we will have a lot of time together in the future. I'm happy about that.
Q. You hit some pretty insane hot shots, trick shots today. I wonder if those come natural to you, or do you practice those a lot? Pretty incredible.
LORENZO MUSETTI: No, today was maybe two of my best shots ever. I think especially the first one, because was unexpected. I mean, the other one was a lob, so the only thing that I could do was like trying to re-lob him, and it came in.
The other one was a little bit more magic. You know, I had also a laugh about it, because, I mean, I wanted to do it, but if I try like 10 times probably, I don't gonna do it like either one time.
It's sort of lucky and the magic, I don't know how to call it, but was fun.
Q. You told us that Jannik has one year in advance and that you will discover this year what he discovered last year probably with his match against Rafa Nadal. Do you know what he learned from this experience? What did you notice yourself from this experience and something you could use before your big game against Novak?
LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, I mean, he played now a lot of times with Rafa. I think he played already three times.
I think the loss of last year, he was I think set point in the first set, and he was playing really good. I think was the only one to scare a bit Rafa last year in the French Open.
So, yeah, I think even if he lost, he took a lot of experience, a lot of confidence in the court, and that's what I'm trying to do. I won three matches, three good matches with a lot of great opponents.
We practiced a lot with Djokovic together, so we know each other a little bit. Never played and is gonna be the first time, especially in a Grand Slam. So for sure there is going to be a little bit of tension, but I think it's what I'm working for since my childhood. All the sacrifice and hard work I did in the childhood became reality now. So I'm just enjoying the moment and I will try to do my best.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports