TENNIS INTERVISTE COPPA DAVIS – Incontro finale di Coppa Davis. Federer/Wawrinka b. Benneteau/Gasquet 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. L’intervista del dopo partita

Severin, when did you decide to play Stan and Roger, and why?
CAPTAIN LUTHI: Yeah, yesterday like one hour after we came to the hotel or something like that, I don’t know, pretty quickly after we were all at the hotel. We discussed and took the decision pretty quickly.

Stan, this must have been one of the best doubles you played over the last years together.
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, no, for sure, it was great doubles. Past Davis Cup match wasn’t that good, but was different tie also.
We were ready to play well, ready to go for the doubles. I think we are both playing well tennis, so it was important to be aggressive on the court and to show that we’re going to take the lead and going to take the doubles.

You looked extremely confident. Did it help yesterday playing so well? Different man from last week.
STAN WAWRINKA: Was the Masters last week, was the top eight guys. If you tell me about Shanghai or something, I will say, Okay. Sorry to make only some miss at the Masters (smiling).
I feel great with my game. As I say, was important to get some confidence. I feel that I’m playing well, good tennis. I’m great on the court, a lot of confidence. You know, I’m here to go for the win, not to expect something else. I need to try everything I have in my racquet to win those matches.

Are you writing a fairytale, Roger? It looked like a fairytale.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, no, extremely happy clearly that I’m out on court helping the team, trying to get back to winning ways. I’m very happy, of course, that we played so well today. It’s always a pleasure playing with Stan. But I think today we played exceptionally well.
Nothing’s won really yet, but clearly could be a big point.

Can you bring us more up to speed on your back. You talked about it yesterday, but it looked like you were moving more freely, not covering as much court as in singles, but how were you feeling?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, for me I think probably a doubles is a proper test, as well, because you got to keep serve and volleying, be explosive all the time. Yeah, I’m very relieved to do that, I’m actually feeling really well.
Yesterday was actually quite an easy match as for the body. I didn’t have any muscle pain or anything coming in today. Yeah, so, got one more match tomorrow. I’ll try to play my best tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll feel fine again.

Can you share anything about what David Macpherson contributed in terms of contributing to the match and how helpful that was?
ROGER FEDERER: I think he’s been very helpful for us. We had a good, long conversation about doubles. Not just yesterday and today, but in previous days. I’m so happy that Severin had the idea to contact David, and David was ready to jump onboard and help us.
Singles is more freestyle, in my opinion. You play the way you feel. You don’t play the tendencies so much. In doubles I guess you have to do it a bit more often sometimes.
For me personally, I think we were perfectly prepared. Obviously you have to be able to execute it. I think Stan did that unbelievably well today. I tried to keep up. Severin kept us motivated and going. It was a cool last sort of 24 hours, I must say.

Did any of you have any expectation of which French team was going to turn up for the doubles? I think most people thought it was going to be Tsonga rather than Benneteau.
CAPTAIN LUTHI: Yeah, for sure, you know, we talked about the possibilities the French have. But honestly I wasn’t sure. They have a few possibilities. It was more about preparing ourselves the best possible way. Then, like Roger said, I think it was a big advantage that David knows all the French players, doubles players in general well.
One hour before the match, he could really go into the details we were already talking this week. So, yeah, it was a great preparation.

Roger, can you tell us a bit how you felt physically yesterday compared to today, and if you feel you’re going to be at 100% tomorrow?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, that’s my mindset right now. Honestly, it’s like the last question I’ll answer about my back now. I’m fine now. I understand you want to know everything about it. But I know as much as you do. I’ve been very open and honest. For me it’s just about now whatever it feels like, I feel like I am at 100%. I’ll give it 100%. That’s all I can do right now.
Medical team, coaching team, Stan, the rest of the guys, have all been unbelievably supportive and helpful through the tough times this last week and also yesterday. So this match is clearly going to lift all our spirits, especially mine. I’ll come out tomorrow and give it everything I have.

Captain, since you always answer straight the questions. Who do you consider played better today? Roger, who lost only nine points, or Wawrinka who returned pretty well the whole match?
CAPTAIN LUTHI: It’s not a question I’m thinking about. I think they played both great, honestly. Sometimes one guy is playing better at one moment than the other one.

Can you try to give an answer?
CAPTAIN LUTHI: You always ask…
ROGER FEDERER. …funky questions (laughter).
CAPTAIN LUTHI: Exactly.
But honestly, we don’t care. They both played well. I think what was also really good today. Sometimes you have like periods where one guy’s returning well and the other guy’s not returning well. I think today it fit together well also.
They were both maybe at the same moment very good at the return so they could do the break. I’m just happy that we won.

Stan, obviously you feel extremely well in this stadium. Can you tell us how you can use this atmosphere to your advantage. It helps you become even better?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, it was important for me. I feel good because when I came here I was confident. I was trusting my game. I had a few days to change surfaces. I can switch to clay quite naturally and I did that well.
Feeling well with my game helped me remain very calm on the court. Of course, we expected the atmosphere to be extremely loud. I’m surprised to hear the Swiss fans make so much noise and mark their territory to support us.
When I’m on the court, this helps me stay focused. We talked about the crowd. We knew they would support the French players. So we had to really concentrate ourselves.
But I think on the Swiss side, things are going well. I think they made even more noise than yesterday. They were even louder today. So we showed them that we were ready to fight, we were ready to go and get the three points. I’m very happy we won the match, this doubles match, and now we are up 2‑1.

Stan, you said this match was different from any other. How was it different?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think the way we prepared mentally for this doubles match was different. We know that we are able, when we play well, to beat the top players. But last year the difficulty is that you can’t decide everything yourself when you play doubles. The rhythm is different. You have to accept that.
For us, it was important today to always keep giving a lot of intensity in the shots, always to be very aware of what was happening.

Roger, what can happen to you tomorrow? The back is okay. Your level of game is very high. You feel good. There’s confidence. What can happen tomorrow?
ROGER FEDERER: Nothing is done yet (smiling). We won the doubles match and we are preparing for tomorrow, as we have to do. We are playing against a very strong team. Just because we are laughing doesn’t mean you can win a five‑setter the next day.
It’s true we are feeling well. We are all happy to be here together in Lille. We’re having a very good weekend together.
Of course, the result will create positive or negative emotions according to what happens tomorrow. But we will be well‑prepared. It’s a very important day for all of us.