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COUPE ROGERS

August 16, 2015

Daniel Nestor

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

BRYAN‑BRYAN/Nestor‑Roger‑Vasselin
7‑6, 3‑6, 10‑6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were saying a couple days ago the guy you were playing with is a pretty good player. Play with him again?
DANIEL NESTOR: If he wants to (smiling).
No, we're set for Cincinnati and the US Open. I'm not sure. We haven't really talked about it. But Benneteau has been out for a few months. I'm not sure when he's supposed to come back. I don't know what's going on past the US Open.

Q. What do you think of the week you've had this week, making it to the final, and the match today?
DANIEL NESTOR: Well, if you would have offered me this before the week started, for sure. But once you get in the final, you have some chances, you start looking back at 'what if'.
The first game I missed a volley to break, which is tough. Then I double‑faulted at 2‑Love in the third‑set tiebreaker, which was not great timing.
But, you know, overall they're a tough team. They always seem to play the same level. If you play well, you have a chance. If you don't, if you give them too many points, they're going to beat you.
The tiebreaker, they were just a little bit more solid.

Q. They were talking about you guys have played a lot of times and the record is pretty even. You must feel proud about that.
DANIEL NESTOR: Yeah, I mean, I know what to expect against them. There are things that they do really well, a few little patterns. I kind of am prepared for it. It's just whether you execute or not.
As I said, we had chances. It was a really close match. I mean it was 6‑All, then they win the last four points.
Yeah, I mean, they're the best team ever. As I said, they play well when it matters. You really have to maintain your level. You can't give them anything. I think there were times where we kind of gave them a couple points.

Q. Was that a farewell speech today?
DANIEL NESTOR: For Montréal?

Q. Yes.
DANIEL NESTOR: I don't know. No idea. I mean, it depends on rankings, the body. Davis Cup is obviously still important. I can't answer all these things. Four years ago at the Olympics, I said there was no chance I would play Rio. Now it looks likely that I will play.
I can't make any predictions. Right now I'm planning on playing next year.

Q. When you play Rio, will you play with Vasek beforehand, similar to what you did with Sebastien?
DANIEL NESTOR: I'm always available to play with him, but unfortunately he has a good partner now.

Q. The last time, in Sydney, you both left partners to play.
DANIEL NESTOR: Yeah. But also I think that year maybe we weren't doing as well with our other partner, so it kind of made sense.
Sebastien and I always played well together, too. I thought it made sense that year.
You know, Vasek is in a great partnership with Sock. I'm kind of just waiting to see if I can find a good partner full‑time (smiling).

Q. On that note, Novak Djokovic was saying yesterday he wants to play doubles with you in 15 years.
DANIEL NESTOR: In 15 years?

Q. He says you'll still be playing.
DANIEL NESTOR: Might be playing, but won't be a very good level (smiling).

Q. You were saying on the court that you like this tournament more than Toronto. Can you expound on that.
DANIEL NESTOR: I mean, the venue I think is a little bit better. Just the aesthetics, it looks a little bit nicer. I think it has more practice courts. The atmosphere just seems a little bit better.
I mean, nothing against Toronto. I just think the venue's unfortunately too far from the city. With the traffic, a lot of players don't like being in the car for an hour back and forth from the hotel to the courts.
Once you're at the venue in Toronto, it's fine. They're both great tournaments, let's put it that way, it's just that Montréal is a little bit better.

Q. At what point in your career did you decide you were going to be a player professional for the doubles?
DANIEL NESTOR: Just doubles or professional player?

Q. For the doubles.
DANIEL NESTOR: It happened right after I had surgery in '99. I came back. I was ranked in the top 100 then, playing pretty good singles. But it was tough to come back. I started having elbow problems. It was just one thing after another.
When I was playing singles, I was always better at doubles, but the years I did well in singles, I was playing a lot of matches, singles and doubles. My body felt like it was breaking down quite a bit. Felt like I couldn't really keep up at that point.
So, you know, I was already around 30 years old. At that time it was pretty old for singles. I decided just to do something I was better at anyways.

Q. It seems doubles is more violent because it's shorter distance?
DANIEL NESTOR: More violent, did you say?

Q. Yes.
DANIEL NESTOR: You definitely have a better chance of getting hit. I don't know if 'violent' is the right word. Coming from Canada, we're a hockey country.
You have to be prepared to have balls hit hard at you, good reflexes and that kind of stuff. That's part of it. If you want to be a good doubles player, you can't have the fear of getting hit, all that stuff, so...

Q. I'm doing a book on introverts. Do you think it helps to be an introvert or extrovert playing doubles in tennis?
DANIEL NESTOR: I've had that personality my whole life. As a doubles player, you have to express yourself a little bit more, be more communicative. I think that's the reason why I chose tennis in the first place. I played team sports when I was a kid, a little bit of soccer and basketball. I was quite shy. Tennis was a better fit for me.

Q. So you're more of an introvert?
DANIEL NESTOR: Yeah, for sure. Which isn't always great for doubles because there's times when I go a little bit silent during matches, mostly because I'm just thinking about my game, what I want to do better. My partner thinks, Why is he not talking to me?
Yeah, I mean, communication is key for doubles. You have to be a little bit more outgoing than a singles match, for sure.

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