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Florian Mayer on Wimbledon


 

Originally published on: 03/07/12 00:00

Mayer reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon aged 20, in 2004, beating world No.3 Guillermo Coria en route. Eight years later, he's matched his career-best Grand Slam run after beating Richard Gasquet on a rain-affected Tuesday in SW19.


Do you consider making the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2004 your proudest achievement?
Of course. I was so young and it was my first Wimbledon. It was amazing. Everything went so fast and I got to the quarter-finals, the German press were so interested… actually it was too much for me when I was so young. Now I’m older and able to handle it better but of course it’s getting tougher every year to reach this success again.

How much do you enjoy completing at the All England Club?
It’s a special atmosphere. You have to play completely in white. It’s quieter than other Grand Slams. It’s a different world and it’s really nice every year to come here.

What’s the toughest match, mentally or physically, you’ve ever played?
Toughest match was when I lost was in five sets against [Richard] Gasquet at home in the Davis Cup [in Stuttgart in July 2011]. I was serving for the match and got cramps. It was really tough dealing with the pressure of playing in the Davis Cup. It was good to learn from that and now it’s getting better.

How do you cope with that pressure when you’re on the court?
Some days you can handle the pressure. Some days you cannot. It’s not easy.

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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.