I needed a bit more luck at times

Despite the defeat, Damir Dzumhur can be satisfied with the
match he played against Monte-Carlo Masters 2023 winner Andrey
Rublev. The local player played well against the tournament’s
second seed, especially in the first set when he demonstrated
that he was slowly getting into shape.
"I think that we both played a good match. I felt mentally
strong in the first set and it would have been better if I
managed to win the match. But that’s tennis, and you have to
take the advantage of every opportunity when you play the big
boys. I proved I could resist the best players in the game in
today’s match, Rublev is most certainly one of them, and I’m
glad. He plays the best tennis on clay at the moment, and he
demonstrated that in Monte Carlo. I had a feeling I could
“break” him on several occasions during the match and that I
could turn everything around. However, I needed a bit more
luck at times. I’m satisfied, not with the result but with the
tennis I played. I said before the match that I wasn’t
throwing the towel and that’s why I think that I put up a good
fight against Rublev. I was really close to turning the match
around”, Damir Dzumhur explained.
The local tennis player praised Rublev and talked about his
best qualities.
"Forehand is his best shot. I tried to fight his forehands,
especially when I served, but he had a great advantage when
things were going his way”.
Matches like this one against Rublev build confidence and
that’s what the local player lacked in the past.
"I’m satisfied with my overall performance at the tournament.
I’m really satisfied. This can also serve as an additional
encouragement to play even better and gear up for the future
tournaments. Definitely, this tournament helped me in terms of
my mental toughness. I proved to myself that I can be on an
equal footing with the best and better ranked players in the
world. I set the foundation for the next tournaments. I can go
far if I continue like this”.
Dzumhur still doesn’t know which tournament he’ll play next;
whether some Masters, maybe Rome or Madrid, namely whether he
will have to play Challenger tournaments.
"After all this, I hope to play qualifying rounds at Masters
tournaments. My ATP Ranking is such that I still don’t know

whether I can play big tournaments, namely qualifying rounds,
or I’ll have to play Challenger tournaments. I’ve set a good
foundation for the continuation of the season. These are the
kind of matches that build players”, Dzumhur added.
At the same time, Dzumhur has added that he will try to play
bigger tournaments as well, such as Vienna, because he’s
always felt good there with many people from this region
living there.