T. PAUL/C. Alcaraz
6-7, 7-6, 6-3
THE MODERATOR: Carlos, bad luck today. This was your first hard court match in more than four months. Do you think that played a part? How do you assess your performance overall?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I always say that the first match of every tournament is never easy. Of course, change surface is never easy. But I think Tommy Paul played a great match. He deserved the win obviously.
All I can say is I have to take lesson from that match.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Tommy played great, but at some point, tell me if I'm wrong, it seemed to be a battle against yourself?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes, a little bit. I could say I couldn't show my best performance here. But as I said, first rounds, you have to fight against your opponents and of course against yourself. Obviously it was tough to handle that moments knowing that I'm not playing my hundred percents, let's say.
Of course, as you said, it was a fight with myself.
Q. What was the turning point in the second set? Was it mistakes that you made or maybe Tommy was playing a little bit better?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: I had chances. Obviously I was a break up in the second set, had chances to win the match. I mean, I would say I missed a lot. Obviously he played really good game in the tough moments. He returned pretty well, as well.
I mean, I would say a mix of both: he played great, and I couldn't show my best.
Q. You just mentioned you had chances in the second set. You were up a break, mini break in the tiebreaker. In the third set you actually fought off four match points. Are you thinking about positives right now or are you upset because you weren't able to close it out in the second?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: I'm upset right now. Was chances to break his serves at the beginning of the third set. I mean, I remember some points at the beginning of the third that I was dominating and at the end taking the bad decisions. Of course, it made me frustration, you know, on myself.
Of course, I would say at the end of the third set, serving that match points, 5-3, Tommy serving, I was playing great. I could say that's the only part of the match that I play my game, my own game.
I'm upset with couldn't take that moments.
Q. What have you learned from this match? You're young, starting on the tour. What do you think you can go further with this game?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Right now all I can say, it was the first time that I couldn't handle the pressure. I felt the pressure to be the No. 2 seed in this kind of tournaments, No. 4 in the world. It was the first time that I felt that pressure, and I couldn't handle it.
All I can say from this match is I have to train, I have to be ready to have this pressure, to have this kind of moments, and to learn how to handle it. That's all I can say right now.
Q. What's next for you? Are you going to spend some days in Montreal, heading to Cincinnati?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Right now I think I spend one day here in Montreal and then be focus on Cincinnati. I have to train, as I said, to take lesson from this match, trying to be hundred percent to Cincinnati.
Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports