|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
LAVER CUPSeptember 23, 2017Jack SockFrances TiafoePrague, Czech Republic LAVER CUP Prague, Czech Republic 23 September, 2017 R. NADAL/J. Sock 6-3, 3-6, 11-9 Europe - 7 The World - 1 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Congratulations. You gave a fantastic match. It's a pity that you lost in the last two points. You seem to enjoy a lot while you are playing while all the players seem to be a little more worried. Even if you are in the toughest points, you are always having a lot of fun. JACK SOCK: Yeah, I mean, I don't know that congratulations is in order. I lost. But, yeah, I mean, I feel like I always try to have fun out there. I think it's when I play my best tennis. Yeah, some guys seem stressed out there. I try to enjoy it, enjoy the moments. You know, we can't play forever. Life is bigger than tennis. You know, it's a career and we all do it because we love it, so I just go out there and try and enjoy it. It's everything during our career, but, you know, we won't always be able to be out there so you've got to enjoy it. Q. We had the opportunity to hear the pep talk of John McEnroe, a very intense one. JACK SOCK: Which one? Q. Oh, there were some bad words. It was very intense. Talk to me about his pep talks in general and how it was. JACK SOCK: They're awesome. I really feed off that. Everyone likes to think tennis is a gentleman's sport, a country club sport, you have to be very proper and respectful. Yeah, that's awesome, but I think the guys on our team actually feed off that, as well. You listen to an NBA game, if they were mic'd up, you hear some things from coaches, players. Same in the NFL and a lot of other sports. Yeah, I mean, a lot of people like to think tennis needs to be one way, but it's sport, it's entertainment. I think I speak for a lot of us that we do feed off that very well. So, yeah, I think it actually got me going a lot in the match. Q. Jack, the slide and then spill towards the end and you pulled up. Was it a hamstring? What's the situation? JACK SOCK: Yeah, I'm good. I'm ready for the next match. Q. What kind of things was John saying during the breaks and telling you to do? Aside from the language to get you going, like strategy, how was he trying to make adjustments? JACK SOCK: You know, specific stuff we talked about prematch and things that were working out there that were working well and things that maybe weren't working well, just to change it up. Yeah, that's private information (smiling). Q. In this kind of environment, isn't it easier to, like, to learn from your opponent? I mean, you're out on the ATP Tour, like if it's a defeat, you're not like that devastated or whatever, so isn't it easier to learn from Nadal in this case? JACK SOCK: To learn from Nadal? Q. Yeah, just to learn something, to take something with you and to take something from a defeat like that? JACK SOCK: I mean, yeah. I would say that's more so when you're younger and coming up. I mean, I'm 25 years old tomorrow, so, you know, my clock is ticking. I've got so many years left on tour. So, yeah, I mean, I go into those matches expecting that I can win. Maybe when I was 18, 19, I just wanted to go out and see how my level is compared to a guy like that. But, no, I go in playing every match now on tour thinking I can win, and if I know if I am playing good tennis that I can win against anybody. I don't know if I'm so much learning, but, yeah, I mean, I take some positives away from matches, for sure. Q. How is it to play against the world No. 1 three times in 24 hours? And what do you expect from the Nadal/Federer doubles? JACK SOCK: Combined ranking of 3. They'll probably be pretty good. (Laughter.) The two best, greatest of all time. Q. Do you feel like those first two points with your serve in the tiebreak made the difference, like that could have changed the final result? JACK SOCK: I was also down 5-1, injured, and then I battled back. I played a perfect point at 9-All and he comes up with some great shots. At 1-0, I had a forehand on the service line, clipped the tape, thought I hit a good shot. A couple forehands. I mean, what, at 8-All I hit the tape with my forehand again coming in. I liked my chances there. Yeah, like I said, at 8-All, that. Played a good point at 8-9, 9-All. Was in the point. Obviously he was in control of the point a lot. He came up with some incredible defensive shots. Yeah, a good serve at 10-9. It's not even my match. All the matches, his match, everyone yesterday. It says we are down 7-1, but this could easily be us up 5-3, at worst. Four, five points, gone from 7-1 down to up right now. It does suck. Q. A question for both of you, either way. Where did you take the inspiration from for those celebrations? Where does it come from? JACK SOCK: There is a college basketball -- what is it? There is a college basketball team that we got like half of them from. Like a D2 or D3 college basketball team. FRANCES TIAFOE: Black college. JACK SOCK: Maybe Mont Mount? I don't know. Their bench is, I think, the best in the world. This guy is the leader of it. He comes up with it. FRANCES TIAFOE: It's got to be creative out there and just gotta have fun. Obviously it's a team event. We all love each other. We are just trying to show love to them and makes him loose and, yeah, it's just fun to do all that stuff. Hopefully we can get Fed doing some of that stuff (smiling). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|