"I inspire myself from Rafael Nadal, I was impressed by his attitude and his dedication" - Maxime Cressy

Maxime Cressy heaped lavish praise on Rafael Nadal after winning his first-round match at the Sydney International. Cressy, who recently lost to the Spaniard in the final of the Melbourne Summer Set, revealed that he looks up to Nadal for inspiration.

Cressy, 24, has been on a fine run of form this year. He took down compatriot Reilly Opelka in Melbourne before ousting Grigor Dimitrov. However, his serve-and-volley tactic came undone against the Mallorcan, who beat him 7-6(6), 6-3 to lift his 89th career title.

The American began his Sydney campaign on Tuesday by beating Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-5. During his post-match press conference, Cressy was asked to elaborate on how he maintains his composure on tour following significant results.

In response, the World No. 75 was quick to mention that he looks up to Rafael Nadal for inspiration, lauding the Spaniard's "attitude" and "dedication."

"I think I inspire myself from Rafa. I was impressed by his attitude and his dedication to always be prepared and no matter what be very vigilant, and I think I'm inspiring myself from him, and to be always disciplined," Maxime Cressy said. "Everyone is good and everyone can play well, and I always have to play my best tennis of the day."

"I was a little excited after the Rafael Nadal match" - Maxime Cressy

Maxime Cressy in action at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set

During his press conference, Maxime Cressy claimed he was "a little excited" after his match against Rafael Nadal in Melbourne, but in the same breath admitted that the defeat was a "little painful."

"Yeah, of course I was a little excited after the Rafa match. A little painful match for me, but I moved on pretty quickly," Maxime Cressy said. "Yesterday I was a bit excited, but I got myself down really quickly. I knew that if I wasn't able to get to neutral position, today would not have gone well."

The American had his chances against the 35-year-old in the opening set, especially as the Spaniard double-faulted deep into the tiebreak. But Cressy failed to cross the finish line and ended his Melbourne Summer Set campaign as the runner-up.

The 24-year-old will next face Serbia's Dusan Lajovic in the second round of the Sydney International. Cressy asserted that he gives equal importance to every opponent and added that he feels "very confident" ahead of his encounter against the Serb.

"I consider every player the same," Cressy said. "For me, every opponent is just as tough. I always have to bring out my best tennis. No, tomorrow I feel very confident, yeah."

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