Modest Agut targets Slam quarter-final

Stan Wawrinka was the best beneficiary of the statistic of winning a Grand Slam in the year he won the Chennai Open after winning the Australian Open (2014), French Open (2015) and the US Open (2016) but 2017 winner Roberto Bautista Agut maintained a modest quarter-final target in a Grand Slam after everyone hoped he would continue the tradition of winning a Grand Slam.

By :  migrator
Update: 2017-01-08 16:57 GMT
Daniil Medvedev of Russia plays a forehand return against second seed Bautista Agut

Chennai

“The ascent into the top-10 starts now. It is a good start to the season and I have a lot of points to defend   later this year. I hope to make it to the quarter-final in Grand Slams this year. Two years ago, winning against top-10 players was tough and in the last year I did better against them. I need to have consistent wins over them and I need to beat them to reach the last four stage in a Grand Slam,” Agut said after winning the Chennai Open. The Spaniard said it was good match for him tactically. 

“I played a great match tactically. I was very solid and could play aggressively whenever I wanted. My game-plan was to keep him moving. I returned very well and that put pressure on his serve, and he started making moves,” he added. Agut made the final here in 2013, as his first ATP final and the Spaniard said he has improved a lot over the years. 

“This tournament helped me get into the top-50 back in 2013. I am a better player now. I have improved on a lot of things in my game and I hope to keep doing the right things,” he said. For Medvedev, the reality of playing in a final was a memorable experience. 

“This is my first. I wanted to enjoy the moment. I wasn’t worried about losing 6-0, 6-0 but I wanted to fight and enjoy every bit of it,” he said. The Russian said he lost because of his opponent’s superior game play and not because of a medical time-out he took in the second set. 

“I felt sore in my right leg and had to call my trainer. But I didn’t lose because of that. Agut played amazing tennis. He was very consistent and was a much better player. I didn’t have a single break point,” he added.

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