A. MURRAY/J. Chela
7‑6, 7‑5, 6‑2
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA
Q. I would like you to make a summing up of your French Open 2011. I'm sure you had good feelings on the court, especially compared with other years. Can you give us a briefing about that?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: Well, it was a very good tournament for me. It's the second time I've reached the quarterfinal here and the third time I'm in a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam tournament.
I didn't expect that in my career. I'm very pleased. Of course I'm just coming out of the match right now and I'm still under the feeling that I lost, but I believe I will leave this tournament with a positive feeling.
Q. But this was a change of plans for you maybe, so how are you going to get organized now?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: Well, now, thanks to my new ranking, I'll be top 20, more or less, and I would like to finish even better at the end of the year.
I want to keep pumped up and to keep improving.
Q. You played very well during that match. Can you explain how that first set escaped from you?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: Yes, it's a pity I lost that set. Against those good players, you have very few opportunities. If you have one, you need to convert it.
So two breaks up, and one was just along the line and I missed it. So I think that set was a key in the match. After, I was always behind and running after the score.
Q. 2004 was the year where you beat Coria. Are you here to show that Argentina is still here?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: Yes. Most players of my country, most of them are retired now.
So the difference between now and 2004 is that at the time I was the only one who had lost in the quarterfinal. I remember Paola Suárez winning the doubles also, or in the finals at least that year.
I remember that when I came back a lady in the plane asked, What was your result? I said, I lost and Nalbandian won. She touched my shoulder and she said, Don't worry. We'll take you home all the same.
Now, well, I'm alone. And because I'm the only one, people think I did very well. But of course those years were better for Argentina.
Q. So it's a bad year for Argentina?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: No, it was a good year, all the same, because we had other good results. Juan Martin is the best player from Argentina this year. For me, it's a bonus.
Q. You know, at one stage you said, Maybe I'll just play Davis Cup. Now how did you get pumped up to continue working and to carry your career so far?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: Well, this year when I said, no, I'm not gonna play anymore, not even the Davis Cup, well, the next day we reached the final.
And during the year I have played many tournaments and the Davis Cup. But after playing all that I was extremely tired, and I made a decision that was a difficult decision, because I was injured.
People said, It's not very bad, but it was bothering me a lot. It was bothering me. I had some pain. So I tried to come back. I was using tape.
But I wanted to do well immediately. I had a lot of pressure and I was not able to win any matches or tournaments, so I had to play the challengers again.
But I knew it was the right way to come back. And to come back among the top 100, top 50, it was the only way.
So I was playing each match as if it was the final in a Grand Slam. I was practicing every day, day after day.
Q. Before that tournament, I believe you were planning to play one year more or maybe two years more. Have you changed your mind now that you have some good results?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: No. I'm going to play next year, that's for sure, because I have a good ranking and I still want to play. I'm very eager to play. But after that, I don't know. We'll see. We'll see.
Q. Did you talk with your family or people from Argentina? I guess everyone was watching your match there.
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: Well, they're all very happy. They know what it means for me and they know how I enjoy tennis. I worked for that. My wife ‑‑ for my wife it's a very important day, too. She has exams today, so I think she didn't even have time to watch the match.
THE MODERATOR: Any English questions, please?
Q. You had plenty of chances in the first two sets, but you didn't obviously convert them. Can you explain what happens?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: (Through translation.) In the first set, the opportunities were better. I was two breaks up, and he is a player who plays very well, who volleys very well.
So I had a set point that I was not able to convert. Against that type of player, if you don't convert your opportunities, then it becomes very difficult.
In the second set it was the contrary. He was up all the time and I was fighting back. I thought I could come back into the match, and again it was 7‑5.
Q. He's got a very good record against you. Do you think there is something special in his game that bothered you?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: (Through translation.) I think he has a good record against many other players, not only me. I think he can win Grand Slam tournaments. He's a very complete player, and he can mix it up a lot.
He does everything well, and he can play against any player.
Q. Yesterday he said he seriously injured his ankle. Did you have the feeling that he was indeed seriously injured?
JUAN IGNACIO CHELA: (Through translation.) I'm not sure his ankle bothered him a lot. If he was really injured, I don't believe he would have been able to run that much.
He played five sets begins Troicki. We played three hours, and I didn't notice he had any difficulty in running.
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