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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2016

Alexander Zverev

Indian Wells, California

A. ZVEREV/G. Dimitrov

6-4, 3-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was it two years ago you were at the Orange Bowl and won semifinals or something? Two years ago?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, three, I think. Yeah, three.

Q. How did you feel? Huge stadium; huge stadium; incredible opponent; in trouble in the third; how did you feel? How did you get out of it?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I try to stay as calm as I can. Grigor played well for an hour or so, middle of the second set till middle of the third. He didn't give me many chances, but I knew I would get my opportunities. And, you know, I used them well.

Yeah, I'm just happy to be in the third round here.

Q. Would you call that one of your biggest wins?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I had a few really big ones beginning of this year and last year, as well. You know, obviously Grigor is such a good player, as well. You know, he's young, as well. He has so much potential to really do well in the future.

I think this kind of match will -- I mean, we will see it a lot in the future.

Q. A week ago you were in Davis Cup. Can you tell us what you brought home from that experience.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, Davis Cup, I had a great match against Tomas, which unfortunately I lost in five sets, but, you know, for my first-ever Davis Cup match, that was not bad, you know, even though I lost the deciding rubber.

I was quite tired still from the match against Tomas. My first Davis Cup, it wasn't too bad even though I lost both matches and the team lost 3-2 at the end.

But still I think I had a great first match in Davis Cup, and I think there is a lot more to come.

Q. You have got a lot of experience around you with your father and your brother and all that having connections with the tour. But with yourself, how have you found getting used to the extra attention and the focus that's been placed on you as always the youngest one in the draw and this and that and the potential, et cetera? How much do you appreciate it, and is there a tendency of getting carried away with it?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, as you said yourself, I have great people around me to --you know, if I kind of go up from the ground, they always let me stay on the ground and really tell me what's good for me and what's not.

I think without them, without my brother and my dad and everybody around me, also Jez Green, I think I wouldn't be where I am right now. But we all know there is a lot of hard work still ahead of me and ahead of us all as a team.

Yeah, I mean, of course it's nice to get attention. Of course it's nice to get recognized as a tennis player at an early age. But, you know, as I said before, I have great people around me who take good care of me.

Q. I talked to Taylor Fritz recently, and he said that so many of the people he plays are bigger, more physical, the older guys. Do you find that, too, that you have to add some muscle or just kind of, you know, grow into your body a little bit?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I have been working on that for the past two years now with Jez. I mean, I think we did great in the past few years, but I think there is a lot more work that has to be done from the physical part, as well.

I think that's probably one of the biggest parts of the game these days, you know. Playing on a daily basis with those kind of guys, with the big guys, you have to be really, really strong.

That's probably one of the biggest parts for us young players. I mean, Taylor, obviously we all know that he can play really great. I think all of us, we have to become better physically, as well.

Q. I understand you and Nick have developed quite a friendship. When did he tell you that he couldn't play?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I talked to him yesterday after the match. Obviously I talked to him during Davis Cup week, as well. He said, Yeah, I don't feel too well. I asked him, Do you think you'll be ready for Indian Wells? He said, Yeah, most likely.

But I totally understand that he had to pull out of doubles now because he really doesn't feel too well. I even saw him yesterday after the match. He wasn't feeling great.

So, I mean, it's unfortunate for -- I mean, we got a wildcard, got a great opportunity to play. I mean, yeah, we will play at some point again.

Q. You got great results on every surface so far. Do you have a favorite one?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I get that question a lot. I don't know actually. I played great on clay for the last two years. I played great on hard courts this year, as well. I played great on grass last year, you know, even though it was my first time ever on grass.

I really don't have a preference. It's just all where I -- when I'm playing well.

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