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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 6, 2018

Sam Querrey

Wimbledon, London, England

G. MONFILS/S. Querrey

5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You win the first set and things are pretty good. He just takes over?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah, it's tough. He plays good defense and some great passing shots. Never really truly got comfortable out there, I felt like.

You know, in the third set he hit a running forehand passing shot on the line to break me. In the first game of the fourth set he hit a little backhand passing shot on the line again. He hit some good shots to break me in those games.

Q. How would you describe the way he's playing right now? He plays Kevin Anderson next, a similar player to you, also on grass, of course.
SAM QUERREY: He's always tough. I mean, if he's locked in, engaged, you know, playing well, he's tough. He's got a big serve, and then on the return games he's lengthy so he can stab balls back in play, he's got great passing shots. He baits you to come in and if you don't come in on something that's good enough, he's going to hit, you know, a good pass by you or make you hit a tough volley.

Q. Outside you were talking the other day about Federer. Outside of, say, Federer and maybe Rafa, the rest of these matches, you know, everybody's emphasizing upsets. Cilic yesterday. Of course he does win the first two sets and games. He loses. But in a slam, the occurrences, are they "upsets" or are people so balanced that anybody can beat anybody else?
SAM QUERREY: You always have more upsets at Wimbledon. I think the grass is such a different surface. So you always see more here.

On any given day, guys can beat other guys, but you see it even more so here. Not only see it on the men's side, seems to be even more so on the women's side.

Q. Muguruza, yeah.
SAM QUERREY: I think it's more of the surface.

Q. You have had some great matches here. We still have John in the tournament, Kenzie is still alive, Frances. Taylor lost today after being up two sets to one. The rest of the American players seem to be the younger guys, who are treading water. What's the state of American tennis in your mind? Are we stuck or are we just spinning our wheels? What do you see happening in this?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, realistically we don't have guys that are vying for slam titles right now. We've got a lot of good players. You see John wins Miami and, you know, the younger guys are doing well. But, you know, I don't think anyone's put their money on them to win these Grand Slam events.

But I feel like we've got a lot of good players and guys that can make runs deep into slams. And I hope we can keep getting better and keep having more guys go third, fourth round in slams and give ourselves opportunities to make the semis and the finals of these things.

Q. Do you see any reason for it? Any theories about why the falloff or the failure to punch through?
SAM QUERREY: No. I mean, I feel like things come in waves. I mean, in the '90s we were probably the best tennis nation. You know, you have the dominance from Roger and Rafa the last 12 years. Novak and Andy. We have dropped off. Maybe in 10 years we will have another wave back to some dominant Americans and 20 years from now maybe we'll dip. That's kind of how I see it.

Q. On the upsets, do you see a difference in mentality between how people when they face top players when they're younger compared to these days now?
SAM QUERREY: How they -- the mentality facing a top player?

Q. Yeah, if they really thought they could win, that kind of thing. Or is it just the same and other things have changed?
SAM QUERREY: I don't know. It's a tough question. I feel like guys think they can beat top players sometimes. I mean, maybe less at Grand Slams, because it's three out of five. But you see it in Masters Series, guys are, top five guys are losing occasionally.

Especially right now, I mean, Roger and Rafa are very dominant, but, you know, Andy has been hurt, Novak seems to be coming back. But for a while there it just seemed like no one had a shot at ever beating those guys. Now I think there are holes here and there and so I think it gives guys hope they can break through and beat some of these guys and win some of these tournaments.

Q. How do you feel about the plan to go back to 16 seeds?
SAM QUERREY: Is that just for Australia?

Q. No, Grand Slam committee, so it would be for all...
SAM QUERREY: Oh, I hope that doesn't happen. I like the 32 seeds.

Q. On what basis?
SAM QUERREY: A lot of times I float around between 17 and 32. (Laughter.)

That's the honest truth. That's why I don't want that changing.

Q. What do you think is better for the game? Forgetting about you for the moment.
SAM QUERREY: I don't know. I am a fan of trying new things in tennis. So, you know, if they want to try that for three years and see if we get great matchups and it works and the fans like it, that's fine with me.

I'm just, me personally, I don't want it.

Q. Right now WTA and ATP have almost identical number of seeds surviving after two rounds, both have, like, 18 and 17...
SAM QUERREY: You have to throw this tournament out, though, when seeds get knocked out. I feel like that happens -- I feel like, you know, better examples are the other three slams. I don't know how many seeds are getting knocked out of those, but I feel like it's tough to go off Wimbledon with that.

Q. For those who don't quite understand it, how would you describe that point that you made why Wimbledon is this great equalizer for seeds, nonseeds, and the so-called upsets?
SAM QUERREY: Why we have more here?

Q. Yeah.
SAM QUERREY: The surface is just -- a clay court and a hard court, it doesn't feel that different to me. A grass court, you know, it's very different. I feel like -- you know, more intangibles come into play, much more difficult to move on it.

You know, a lot of guys or women play two events on it. So you just -- if you don't play a lot on it, it's hard to move on it, and it's just -- the game is just a little more uncomfortable out there. I think that's why you see more upsets.

Q. People keep talking about how, because they change the grass, it's higher bouncing and harder, and clay court guys do better on it. So that's a little deceptive, isn't it? It's still a really tricky surface compared to the others, right?
SAM QUERREY: I have played this tournament 11 or 12 times. It's been the same all 12 of those times.

Q. The grass?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah, doesn't seem to bounce that much higher.

Q. That's what Rafa said yesterday, the exact same thing.
SAM QUERREY: Yeah, these people that talk about court speeds and differences and bouncing -- clay court is a clay court and grass court is a grass court and hard court is a hard court. I don't notice much difference between all hard courts, all clay courts, and all grass courts.

Q. They extended the period between the end of the French and this to give people one more week. Does that really mean anything? And of course 50, 60 years ago, Australia and the U.S. and this were all grass and now we have one grass. I mean, is that the big problem? You don't play enough grass? Or it's just the game?
SAM QUERREY: I mean, that extra week is nice. Not necessarily people are playing more grass court tournaments. But I think, you know, for me, it was always tricky if you made it to the third round of the French Open, it's like do I go home for four days or come back? Now you can kind of -- you always know you get to go home.

And I mean, I wish the grass court season was a little bit longer but I understand why it's not. You know, it's not, with today's game and players, it's not the purist form of tennis. I feel like you really get a sense of who the best players are on the other surfaces.

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