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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 30, 2018

Alexander Zverev

Miami, Florida

A. ZVEREV/P. Busta

7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. From Love-3 down in the tiebreaker, somehow you managed to raise your level and then you dominated the tiebreak, winning seven of the next eight points. Can you talk about what you said to yourself when you were Love-3 down in that tiebreaker? Because clearly you didn't panic.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: What I said to myself?

Q. Yeah.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I don't talk to myself. That's for crazy people.

But nothing. I mean, I tried to be more aggressive. Made some winners. I mean, made some backhand winners finally in the match and found my rhythm. I think after that, I started to play really well, not only in tiebreak but also the second set.

Q. Both of you guys hit a lot of incredible winners in this match. There were many long rallies. Do you think this match is your best performance in this tournament so far?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think I had other great matches, as well. I think the match the other night was great. I think the match against David Ferrer was a very good match.

I think I'm playing okay. I'm playing well now. Hopefully I can continue so in the final, and we'll see how that goes.

Q. You just mentioned the final, and the next final you will face John. The head-to-head between you guys, you dominate the head-to-head against John, 3-Love, I think. Last year you beat John here in round of 16 maybe. So what's your plan for next final?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, look, it's going to be a completely different match. I think he's going to hit a lot of aces, a lot of winners. You know, it's going to be completely different match.

But I'm ready for it, and hopefully it will be another great one.

Q. (Question about lucky charm and puppy.)
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Here both, but normally in other weeks it's my puppy.

Q. In the first two months there was some losses not in the finals, in the early rounds. What sort of adjustments did you make to gain that much confidence and to play at such an incredible level?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think a lot of practice. I mean, I started to build confidence in practice and started to play well here.

I thought I played well in Acapulco and then I got a little bit hurt against Delpo. That was unfortunate, but it's getting better.

You know, I'm happy where I am right now, and hopefully it will be another great match here and then I can go to clay court season.

Q. Once you got that first set under your belt, you seemed to relax and went into show-boat mode a little bit in the second set. You were celebrating a lot and inviting the audience to cheer for you more. This is the kind of brand of tennis that you enjoy, isn't it, when you can just show-boat and relax and just go for your shots?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah. I mean, I started to play much better, started to hit a lot winners, started to hit a lot more great shots like I did in the second set, beginning of the second set.

So that helps. And obviously get the crowd involved, especially Miami, I think, where the crowd is quite loud, quite powerful, it's always an important thing for me.

Q. You have a very tough first set. How could do you think it will be in Spain in clay with the same opponent?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: How what?

Q. How could be with the same opponent on clay?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: How could it be?

Going to be an awesome match, hopefully. I mean, he has time to prepare now. I'm playing the finals here, so I don't, really -- I'm going to have two days, going to have maybe Tuesday, a light day, then Wednesday and Thursday, and have to play.

I won't have a lot of time to adjust to clay, but hopefully I'll do it well and it's going to be a great match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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