Fucsovics: I needed some time to realize what fairy tale I’d gotten into

– What was the reason for the 0:5 start? Was it the excitement of your very first Grand Slam quarterfinal against the world's best? Or are the Center Court's atmosphere, grass, conditions, and speed different?
– To be honest, probably it's all together. The speed of the balls was strange; they bounced differently than on other courts. But maybe I felt it that way because I was a little confused... The point is that I needed some time to realize what fairy tale I'd gotten into – Márton Fucsovics responded to Nemzeti Sport's question after the 3-set defeat to Novak Djokovic.

– You've played with almost every world-class player at least once in your career. Is Djokovic the best opponent you've ever met?
– I've never played with Rafael Nadal or Björn Borg! Joking aside, I'm really starting to check off the biggest players. Djokovic is a fantastic tennis player; it was hard to play against him, but it's not easy against anyone at this level. I can't say he's the best, but I'm confident that he's among the bests of all time.

– Did you perform better in the previous four matches or Djokovic is that much stronger than the others?
– I've thought about that too. I don't know. I feel like I didn't play very well, I didn't show what I'm really capable of, but obviously, my opponent played a huge part in that. I'm still a little disappointed regarding the quarterfinal, but I'm happy that I got this far.

– Could you have won the second or third set?
– If I didn't make so many mistakes, then probably I could've won one of them. On the other hand, it's hard to judge because Djokovic would've raised the standard of his game if I'd put more pressure on him. Unfortunately, we can't find that out anymore.

– Which element of your game are you the least satisfied with?
– My forehand didn't work properly, so I couldn't attack aggressively enough in the rally.

– What was the experience of playing in the sanctuary of tennis? Plus, the audience seemed to be supporting you.
– The atmosphere was good but could've been better if the game had been tighter. The spectators supported me because they always root for the one less likely to win. However, I have no reason to overrate myself. What's true, though, is that in every game I try to behave on the court in a way that the public will consider me worthy of their support.

– You've played in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments on the center court. Which one is the best?
– They're all great, and it feels good to play on them, but my favorite will be the one on which I celebrate my first victory.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIMBLEDON (£35,016,000; grass court)
MEN'S SINGLES, QUARTERFINALS
Novak Djokovic (Serbia, 1.)–Márton Fucsovics 6:3, 6:4, 6:4

Translated by Vanda Orosz