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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 16, 2017

Alexander Zverev

Cincinnati, Ohio

F. TIAFOE/A. Zverev

4-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tiafoe said after the match, when they asked him how he thought he beat you, he said he thought you suffered from fatigue. He was giving you a compliment, that you were tired. Do you agree with that? Were you not moving as well as you would have liked to?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yes, 100%. I'm completely dead right now. I have been dead for the past two days.

Q. How do you fight through that mentally, or did you not? Was that a fail, in your mind?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, I finished the match. Could have easily pulled the plug in the second set. But I'm not going to retire just because I'm tired. And he's too good of a player to beat him when I'm in this stage.

I mean, I just played, what, 12 matches in a two-week span? I have won one ATP 500 event and one ATP 1000 event in the last two weeks. I beat a lot of top-10 players and have beaten a lot of great players, a lot of tough matches.

I'm not a machine. So I'm tired, yeah. There is no hiding it.

Q. I thought there was a possibility of how much you played the last two weeks you might pull out of here. Was that ever in your mind, just knowing how much mileage you already had on you? And then I was more surprised when you played doubles also here.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, the doubles was a promise to Leander a long time ago. It was tough to pull out of that. I'm someone who keeps my promises. But there was definitely thought, but I actually felt okay yesterday. But I only hit yesterday for, what, 30 minutes.

Today, you know, playing in a match, you get more tired quicker. I don't take anything away from him. He did a great job of finishing the match, but I think in the middle of the second set, I was about a 10% of what I can play.

Q. What did you think of Frances' game?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: He's good. He keeps improving. I played him three times now, two times in slams, which I won. He plays very well.

Yeah, hopefully there's going to be a lot of tough and fun matches against him.

Q. You were one of only three top-10 guys in this tournament, so a pretty open field. Did that encourage you to stay in this tournament? You knew the opportunities in this draw?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Look, I mean, I always have motivation to play. I always have encouragement. But there is a physical limit to all of us, and I have reached that right now.

Q. Given all the matches and everything, when is the next time you're going to get on court and hit a ball?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think starting next week.

Q. Next week?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah.

Q. Heading to the US Open, time off?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'm going to take three, four days off and play a little bit of golf or go to the beach, something like that. Not touch the tennis racquet.

Q. Looking back at the past two weeks, what do you think stands out to you?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It's been great. I mean, I won back-to-back weeks, two big events. Visiting Montreal was very, very special, as well.

I mean, it's been a positive summer so far, even though I lost here first round, but, I mean, there is nothing you can't avoid.

Q. You are on a lot of people's radar. Second Masters title. What do you think New York will be like? Bigger spotlight on you than at a slam before.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think there are a few guys there, strong favorites. I think Roger and Rafa are the strongest ones and a few guys coming after that. I think I am involved in that group. I am in that small group of players. Obviously the two favorites are Roger and Rafa.

Q. Do you think you need equally a mental break and physically, or is there a different percentage there? What's your confidence going into the US Open?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I mean, it's changed. This match is already forgotten. I don't care that I lost that match. Of course I care that I lost, but, I mean, it's something that is normal, something that happens to all of us.

So I feel very confident the way I was playing in the last two weeks. I feel very confident how I am playing right now. And I think going into the US Open, I feel the best I have ever felt maybe going into a slam. That gives me a lot of confidence, and hopefully I can show that on court, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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