“I wanted to do better here – I was not even close” – Disappointed Medvedev after Rome exit

Daniil Medvedev has maintained one of the records he would probably rather be without – with 20 titles in his trophy cabinet, he has still never managed to defend one.

His latest opportunity slipped through his fingers after losing in straight sets to Tommy Paul in the Rome round of 16.

“Well, it’s disappointing, to be honest,” he told journalists in his press conference afterwards. “I wanted to do better here. I was not even close. What can I say? The more titles I win, the more chances I have to defend. So the more tournaments in a year I’m going to play where I already won, maybe not defend, but at least win twice the same tournament, that’s what I’m going to try to do.

“Again, mentally I had to be better today. When I’m not good mentally like I was today, cannot win. That’s what I had to do much better.

“Disappointing, but that’s how sport is. You lose and you go for the next tournament, which is pretty important one.”

Medvedev: I’m going to try to be better in Paris

Of course, that next tournament is Roland-Garros – where Medvedev is also planning to play this summer in the Olympic Games. He may never be a clay-court specialist – the word he used to describe his confidence on hard courts – but he is certainly fonder of it than he used to be.

“I’m feeling much better on clay. What is tough for me on clay sometimes is to get used to conditions, which every court – in every tournament in the world – is a bit different. I don’t even know why exactly. Is it because the surface under the court would be different? Is it because the stands, one court is bigger, one court is smaller? The distance from the sides is smaller?

“On hard courts it’s the same: every court is different. On hard courts, I don’t know, I have this ability to kind of quite fast get used to it. On clay I need more time.

“First set I was absent. I couldn’t put one ball in the court. The court is totally different from central. Mentally if I would be better, at least I would use this time – probably lose the same score – but I would use this time to try to get used to what’s happening on the court and be better in the second set.

“I lost this time not being good inside of myself. In the second set when I started to work it, it was too late. That’s the big problem I have with clay for the moment, is getting used to what I feel on the court. That’s something I’m doing better and better with time, better than before.

“Again, I have one tournament, or two tournaments, left this year on clay. Both pretty important. Both at the same venue. I’m going to try my best to be good there.”

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