Roberto Bautista Agut had a solid 2016. He defeated Novak Djokovic in Shanghai, which, according to him, was one his best wins ever. He won in Sofia and Auckland. "I played well last year, it was the best season in my career but I want to continue improving my game and stay fit for the season (ahead)."
The World No.14 wants to improve his record at Grand Slams. He hasn’t gone past the fourth round in any of the four Grand Slams.
"I would like to play in the quarterfinals of Grand Slams. It's one of my goals for the upcoming season. I know it's difficult but if I play well and continue improving, I will have the chances to do it," he says.
His approach to Grand Slams, however, doesn’t differ much from any other event. "I like to go everywhere with the same approach, and same concentration but you feel more pressure in a Grand Slam," the Spaniard admits.
He feels that the gap between the top four and the other players is reducing which is good for the game. "All the players are improving and its more level now which makes the game more competitive and interesting to watch."
Agut prefers to start his season in Chennai because of the conditions here. "The conditions are really tough, there is a lot of humidity and it helps you prepare well for the Australian Open."
Talking about Spain, a country known for its tennis talent, he said "Spain is the best country in tennis. We have 14 or 15 players in the top 100. There is a great culture of tennis in the country."
Agut feels that the presence of a lot of clay courts is one of the reasons why the country is producing so many good tennis players. "It’s good to play on clay in the beginning of your career, that makes you understand the game more, makes you stronger mentally and physically."
About his compatriots, Agut says he is closer to (David) Ferrer than he's to (Rafael) Nadal. "I work with him (Ferrer), as he stays very close to my place. I spend more time with him and my game is also more similar to him."
Comments
SHARE