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U.S. OPEN

August 28, 2018

Alexander Zverev

New York, NY, USA

A. ZVEREV/P. Polansky

6-2, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Has Ivan told you anything about the heat and humidity in Australia when he was playing there often?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I've played in Australia before, so I know what it feels like.

No, I mean, before the match, obviously it was important to be hydrated, it was important to kind of get yourself ready for a tough match, for a tough battle, especially in these conditions.

Everybody was kind of working for that, working together. There was no stories yet about any Australian matches.

Q. You played in a lot of hot places in the runup. The ATP, there was much talk about how there's no blanket policy about tournaments giving the 10-minute break. The US Open enacted that. Are you totally fine with that, having played in a bunch of tough conditions before? Would you like to see the ATP make a policy?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, for sure, the ATP has kind of a policy. They are extreme conditions. In Washington we played in 140 degrees on-court temperature. We shouldn't be playing when it's that hot out there. We should be playing later at night.

I mean, at the end of the day, the ATP or a lot of the supervisors, they're kind of sitting in their offices where it's an AC system on, where it's cool, and we have to be out there. They tell us it's fine. They're not the ones playing.

For sure, the rule should be more strict. There should be a certain temperature, certain conditions where we shouldn't be playing. I've played in very hot conditions.

You know, obviously we have to get our bodies ready. Obviously we have to get our bodies ready for the toughest matches, the toughest competition. There's certain conditions you can't get yourselves ready; no human can.

Q. How would you put today's conditions in perspective based on what you just said?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, today was fine. I mean, I played in the shade most of my match so it was okay. No, no, no, I'm not talking about today. I'm just talking in general. Today was absolutely playable and it was okay. I know there's been a lot of retirements. I know there's been a lot of issues.

Of course it's tough. If you go a long five sets and play for four hours, it's going to be very, very difficult. I don't think today was at a stage where the rule should come in place yet.

Q. What rule would you like to see?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: This is for the ATP to decide. But I'm just saying I've witnessed it. I've played myself in 140 degrees on-court temperature in Washington. Not this year; a few years back. I'm just saying that shouldn't happen.

Q. Ivan often compares tennis to his beloved golf. Has he done that with you?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Not at all (smiling).

Yeah, I play golf. Yeah, he's doing that pretty much every day.

Q. What does he say? How good is your golf game?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: My golf game is not great. It's average.

Yeah, I mean, he takes quotes from golf players. But he takes quotes out of all different kinds of sports, from great, great athletes, great people.

Q. Is there one that sticks in your mind?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: He told me so many. Right now I can't remember one.

Q. What did you think of playing on Armstrong?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It was nice. It's a nice stadium. For a number two court at a Grand Slam, it was absolutely perfect.

One thing is that it feels like there's not a lot of air coming through, so it kind of feels like -- especially today, where it was kind of hot, it feels like there's no fresh air. It's kind of like in a sauna.

But the court itself is nice. The stadium is nice. I actually enjoyed playing in it.

Q. Do you feel like there's been a Lendl effect already in your game or mentality? Do you feel at all different? Are you thinking at all differently, about different things on the court?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, there's things that he paid a lot of attention to, and then he made me pay a lot of attention to, as well. I hope in the long run this will help me, as well.

This was a first round. This was a first round of the first tournament that we are together. Hopefully I'll play a lot more matches here. Maybe you can ask me this question at the end of the tournament.

Q. Do you feel pressure to play well for him because he's such a well-known coach?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No. I mean, our goal both is to do the best I can on the court. His goal is to prepare myself the best I can. We're working hard towards that. We're working hard to being the best player I can be. We're working hard to one day maybe winning these kind of tournaments. It's no secret that's why I took him. That's the reason.

Q. We've heard a lot about your dad, how much he's affected your game. Did your mother have any effect on your game, either what she was doing with you from a young age, anything like that?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: For sure. As I said a lot of times before, she was the one that set my technique from a very young age. She was the one who kind of coached me till I was 12, 13 years old. She had a lot to do with it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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