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ROGERS CUP

August 7, 2017

Peter Polansky

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

P. POLANSKY/V. Pospisil

7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Quite a run the last couple of weeks. Big comeback tonight. What was the difference in the first seven games then what happened afterwards?
PETER POLANSKY: Well, I mean, I didn't start my best. He was playing more solid than me from the baseline in the beginning, which that can't happen if I am going to win that match. I was just hitting a few too many mistakes in the net.

I told myself to just kind of relax a little bit, get the ball up, keep it deep, keep in the point. I think the match kind of did a 180. He was being more solid than I was, going up 5-2, serving well, a lot of confidence. He was making a lot of balls. I was missing after five or six balls.

All of a sudden I started making everything, and he was overhitting. I think his level dropped, but I think partially it had to do with just the match completely turned around from my end. Especially when I broke him when he was serving for the first set, I think that put a lot of pressure on him. Things just kind of slowly started to break down.

But, I mean, I think it was partially due because I was putting a lot of pressure on him, just making every ball.

Q. What do you recall from your first encounter with Roger Federer?
PETER POLANSKY: I remember it went really, really quick (smiling). I wish I was out there longer last time. Nonetheless, I remember I actually did play a pretty decent match against him. I looked at some of the highlights after the match, and there were a lot of good points. I just lost every single one of them.

If I do recall, I didn't serve my best against him, which is tough. A guy like him, from the first ball, he's putting you in danger. I think it's going to be key on Wednesday to just be serving a little better like I was today, at least take a little bit of pressure off my service games. Then, you know, I'm returning well. Feel like I can break him if I get a couple good looks on his serve.

Q. Vasek just told us this was one of the most extreme turnovers that he had in his career, but in a bad way. Was it one of your most extreme turnovers in a good way?
PETER POLANSKY: I think from the score, yes. Well, I don't know. I felt like even though I was down 5-2, I really felt if I just made him play a few extra balls, and I made him play a little bit more, I felt like the match would turn around, maybe that not extreme. I still thought I was going to lose the first set, but I was hoping to take the second set, push him into a third. Maybe he gets a little tired, his movement slows down a little bit.

I didn't think I was going to win that first set, for sure. He was serving for it. I returned well that game. I think he had maybe 30-15. Just made some solid returns, put some pressure on him. That's the game he started sailing a couple balls long. I knew, Okay, I'm in this match now. I felt a lot better.

Q. What does it mean to you to be in an all Canadian matchup on center court in the Rogers Cup first day?
PETER POLANSKY: For me it's huge because, number one, I'm not playing a lot of these events throughout the year. A guy like Vasek, has played a lot of Masters events. Most of the guys in the draw have played quite a few. For someone like me, it's special to have the opportunity to play here. Just to win one match, not that I'm satisfied, but every match is a great feeling. Same goes for, like, Grand Slams. If I qualify or win around there, it's just such a good feeling, whereas for someone else maybe the motivation isn't as high.

But yeah, I love it here, especially in Montreal. I love playing in front of the crowd on home soil. I couldn't ask for really a more meaningful first round, to play a fellow Canadian. I've got a lot of respect for Vasek. Now the second round is against Federer. It's going to be extremely special regardless of the result. I'm going to go out there, fight hard, just give it what I got.

Q. What's the value of having played Federer before in the second round?
PETER POLANSKY: Well, I remember I was practicing with him in Toronto, a couple times here, when I was younger. I do recall playing a couple practice points with him. I was pretty competitive in the points. But again, it was just practice.

In 2014 when I played him in a match, I was going into the match with a certain mindset. It ended up being completely wrong with how I thought he was going to play. He was just much more aggressive. His intensity level was three or four notches higher than what it was in practice.

Now I know a little bit more what I'm going up against, and looking forward to just doing what I can with my game, go from there. I'm not going to change too many things.

Q. With Roger Federer, wherever this guy plays, sometimes the player can be in front of his home crowd, and it becomes not a home crowd. Are you aware you might not have the crowd necessarily cheering for you?
PETER POLANSKY: Yeah, I think that's totally fine. I'm not going to go into the match thinking everyone is going to cheer for me. Even in Toronto, it was 50/50. Guys wanted me to get into the match because it wasn't super competitive from the scoreline. But he was hitting great shots. Everyone is on his side. I'm on his side, most of the time, just not what I'm playing against him (smiling).

But yeah, I mean, I can't really say, like, take hard feelings if people are going to cheer for him. It's kind of expected, I think.

Q. You're 29 now. You have a lot of experience as a professional tennis player. Would you say right now you're playing the best tennis of your career?
PETER POLANSKY: I would say right now is probably the best. I've played close to this level a few times. Even for the most part of this year, end of last year, my level was pretty high. I've had a couple other moments like end of 2013. I went on a decent run. 2014 before I was injured, I qualified for the French Open, lost to Tomas Berdych.

I think my level right now might be a notch or half a notch higher than my previous highest level.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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