	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2017

Mischa Zverev

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

M. ZVEREV/J. Isner

6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 9-7

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is it like to get to 6-All in the fifth with John Isner? That can often be the start of a scary experience for people.
MISCHA ZVEREV: Especially yesterday, I watched Karlovic play a little bit. I was checking the score. I couldn't believe it.

But I felt like it's definitely not going to happen today. It's going to probably be three or four sets. It's always when you don't think something is going to happen, it always does.

Honestly, I felt like I was in a weird -- I just felt weird. I didn't really think what was going on. At times I didn't even know the score. I think in the fourth I had Love-40 on his serve and I didn't even know that. I don't know if helped or not.

Then saving match point at 5-4 in the fourth, I also didn't know it was match point. I thought it was 4-3.

I think it also helped me a lot because I was just focusing on playing, holding serve, trying to read his serve, trying to see if I can get some chances here, there, not get annoyed at what's happening. Trying to return his serve for, like, four hours is really frustrating.

Luckily I kept looking to my box. Everybody is kind of nervous. My mom is the only one, like, smiling and laughing the whole time. She's like, Whatever, it's going to be fine.

I think that helped me a lot, so...

Q. Did you ever realize what the score was once it went on or till he shook your hand?
MISCHA ZVEREV: No, there were times when you listen to the chair umpire, you know what the score is. When you start the set 2-All, 3-All, 4-All, everything's the same. He serves big, you try to return, you hold serve, you hold serve. It's been going on for four hours.

Obviously in the fifth set, there is no tiebreaker. Honestly, at one point I didn't know if it was 9-7 or 10-8. I didn't really care. I just knew I had to break him and try not to lose my serve at all.

Q. Did you think about the match last night?
MISCHA ZVEREV: No, luckily I didn't think of that. I was hoping it was not going to go to 22-20 or something like that.

Honestly, towards the end of the match, I felt like he was getting a little bit tired because he was struggling with the serve and the wind obviously.

I felt like his left leg wasn't really giving him the power he needed to serve or move around the court especially, because when I was getting up to 30-Love, 40-Love on my serve, he would kind of not really try for the next return. I think that also helped me to stay focused and believe in myself.

Q. Can you talk about how you actually felt at the end of the match.
MISCHA ZVEREV: After I won?

Q. After you won.
MISCHA ZVEREV: I don't know. I felt like tears were coming. It was the first time ever third round in Australia. The last time I played third round anywhere in the slam was Wimbledon in 2008. It's been a long time. I couldn't believe it.

I've never actually won a best-of-five match if I haven't won the first two sets. So being down two sets to love is a whole 'nother story, especially against John Isner. Match point down, break down in the fourth.

I was so happy that tears were coming. I was looking at my box. I couldn't believe it. Really, that was the moment you train for, you live for as a tennis player.

Q. Where did the motivation come from to keep going? Were you saying something to yourself?
MISCHA ZVEREV: I think it was my mom over there (smiling).

No, honestly, like right now, just off the court, on the court, I just feel like I'm pretty happy. I'm healthy. I'm playing okay. I'm moving okay. My whole family is here. My girlfriend is here. I feel like life is just going quite well.

When you feel like that off the court, I think it helps you to stay positive and focused on the court. Whatever comes, if it's like a let cord on match point, doesn't go your way, whatever it is, you smile at it and try to, like, keep going and just fight.

Q. Do you think having Sascha with you has given you a new boost, a new lease on this game?
MISCHA ZVEREV: Yeah. Actually at one point I thought about him winning in five sets yesterday, being two sets to one down, a break down in the fourth. I felt like maybe I could do the same today.

I looked at my dad. I am like, Poor him. He has to watch five sets of Sascha yesterday, now he's watching five sets of me today. He must be struggling inside. But he was very, very positive and pumped.

Actually looking at him, I think like, today is going to be the day where I'm going to win in five sets, too, because Sascha did it yesterday. I have to do the same thing, I'm his older brother.

Q. Getting your ranking way back up pretty fast, you were saying you would be able to follow him. Does having him on tour help...
MISCHA ZVEREV: It definitely is the case, if he's ranked really high and he's playing really well. But I feel like I can keep up with the level.

When you're young, you wake up in the morning, you already play better than you did yesterday. You know me, being a little bit older, I feel like I have to work a lot to try to keep up. But managing to do so makes me be confident in my game when I play other people.

So Sascha beat Isner in Shanghai relatively comfortably. I asked him, What do you feel like? What was his serve like? How did you play?

He told me a few things here or there. Knowing that he beat him and, I was there and I watched it, also makes me believe that I can do it. When I practice with Sascha, I feel like if I can keep up with him, return his serve, feel like what the baseline game is like, those are little things that help you as a player.

Q. What do you know about your next opponent?
MISCHA ZVEREV: Jaziri? Played him a long time ago. My brother played him last year twice on clay. I've watched him play quite a bit.

He likes to slice. His backhand is very effective. Slice is good. Good forehand. He's a good player. He's not ranked top 20 in the world, but you never know.

See how I feel in two days. See how he does, how he feels. I don't know. I can't say much.

Q. Is it too early to know how your body feels?
MISCHA ZVEREV: Luckily it wasn't hot, so that helps me. I don't like dealing with the heat. But I felt relatively okay throughout the whole match. Feeling is one thing but also moving, I felt like I was closing into the net quite okay, even towards the end of the match. Other people said I looked relatively fine and fit towards the end, as well.

I think and I hope I should be fine in two days.

Q. Have you looked any further in the draw?
MISCHA ZVEREV: No. I was really mad at my mom when she said second round was going to be Isner. I hadn't even played the first round. I don't like to do that. I like to enjoy the moment and live right now. So we'll see.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297