	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NITTO ATP FINALS

November 17, 2018

Alexander Zverev

London, England, United Kingdom

A. ZVEREV/R. Federer

7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were very upset towards the end with the crowd in the interview. Talk us through what happened from your perspective during the eighth point of that tiebreak.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, the ball boy dropped the ball in the middle of the rally then ran for it. Without even thinking, I stopped the rally, said it was a let. That's how it is with the rules.

Obviously the crowd didn't appreciate it, which I was a little bit upset -- not upset, but I was a little bit sad at the end with the booing and reaction of the crowd. Maybe they didn't know what actually happened. That was maybe part of the reaction.

But, you know, at the end of the day I said sorry to Roger at the net. He said, Look, you don't even have to apologize. This is all part of the game. This happens.

Q. What did it feel like? Must have been a difficult situation having the crowd like that. Why did you feel the need to apologize when you didn't really do anything wrong?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, it was a tough situation I think for everybody, I think for Roger, for me. For the crowd, there's obviously a lot of Roger fans, as he deserves to have them, all over the world. He's the greatest player of all time. He's also one of the greatest people that ever played on a tennis court. He deserves to have all the fans in the world.

I just wanted to kind of say not even sorry from my perspective but just sorry for the situation, that it had to happen, that we had to replay the point.

I aced him after that, as well, so that probably didn't help the situation. I mean, it helped me, so what can I do?

Q. Obviously it wasn't necessarily the way you wanted to end the match, but can you reflect on how well you think you played overall.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I played really well. I played really aggressive from start to finish. I knew I had to be the one that was aggressive, kind of not letting Roger dictate. If Roger dictates, you have no chance of winning a match. I knew that from start to finish.

I executed well, hit a lot of winners, obviously served okay, as well. All in all, I'm happy with how I played.

Q. In the last moment, Roger came to the net and saved match point, and you finished in the net. Are you going to come more to the net in the next years?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I mean, it was just a shorter distance to walk to the net afterwards to shake hands, I thought (smiling). I thought, Why not? Let's save energy.

Q. You came to the net quite a bit today. You put pressure on him, made some tough volleys. That's not the best part of your game I guess. So how pleased were you with that? Also your forehand, you said people think it's crap.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Everybody keeps on saying that (laughter).

Q. You hit it pretty well today, from my perspective.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think I've been hitting it well all year, but some people don't think that.

As I said, against Roger, you have to be the one that is aggressive. You have to kind of take the time away from him, otherwise, as I said, he's not going to lose the match, especially in a big match, in a big tournament, where he already found his rhythm in the last two matches, playing really good tennis. You kind of have to take that away. That's what I tried to do. It worked out well.

Q. In this tournament, many players have a tough time to adjust to this ball and surface. Maybe you did many unforced errors against Novak a couple days ago, but seems like you're striking the ball quite well today. Did you do any adjustment or change of technique?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think it's natural that the longer and the more you play on the same court, with the same balls, you play better. I think all the players will say the same thing. You adjust more. You get used to it more. I actually think the first set with Novak was very high level. I think I played better today.

That's why it's such a unique event. Even if you lose your second match, something like that, you can still have the chance to win this tournament. So far this week I've done everything to give myself the best chance to do well. I'm in the final, which I'm very happy about.

I have another chance to play for a title.

Q. You got booed at the end. If you're booed again tomorrow, how will you react?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: If I get booed tomorrow? I just hope it doesn't happen. I don't know why I should get booed tomorrow. I hope, you know, people realize that I've maybe not done anything wrong.

Q. We obviously don't know who you're going to play yet, but what did you take from the Novak match, if it is Novak? What do you know about Kevin, if it is Kevin tomorrow?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, Novak right now is the best player in the world. It's very tough to beat him. He's barely lost a match in the last six months. He's playing amazing tennis. You have to play your best game to even have a chance. I hope I'll be able to do that tomorrow.

Obviously against Kevin, it's a little bit different. He has a different game style. He hits the ball very hard. He serves very well.

I have to see tonight who it's going to be. No matter who it's going to be, I'll be ready.

Q. Of course it's important that you are in the final after a year where you had some problems in the slams. This will give you confidence for next year, I guess, whatever will be the end tomorrow. Federer was advising you during the Laver Cup to be more aggressive, attack more. Did you ever think about that?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, maybe he shouldn't have done (smiling).

No, I mean, I don't think I struggled during the slams. I think there's been a few unlucky moments for me this year. I've done really well at the French, then I got injured. I don't know how far I could have gone.

But how the clay court season ended for me was a little bit upsetting. The other Grand Slams, I played against a very good Chung in the Australian Open, which I lost a five-set match. Wimbledon I was not prepared to play because of the injury that happened in the French. US Open I had a bad match. These things happen. It's fine.

As I said, I'm here now. Tomorrow is going to be the last match of the season for me, no matter what. Then I'll think about next year when I come back from holidays.

Q. Considering the standard that you played today, who you were playing, and the situation, how important do you think a win like that could be for you?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Very. I think anywhere in the world you play Roger, except maybe if I play in Germany, obviously he's going to be loved everywhere. He has, as I said, the most fans in the world, as he should have, because he's the greatest player of all time. As I said, he's also one of the greatest people of all time. For me, this is completely normal.

Just wanted to go out there, I wanted to play my best, give myself the best opportunity to play in a final of an event that is one of the biggest events in the world. That was my mindset.

I knew I had to be aggressive. I knew I had to kind of play my best game to even have a chance. It worked out well.

Q. What were the emotions and thoughts running through your mind as the booing was going on?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I answered this question like three times already. I can answer it again for you, if you want.

As I said, it was a very happy moment for me that I won the match. I was in the finals. But it was a very sad moment in the same time because that was not the way I wanted to win.

When the booing was happening, it's never a nice feeling. Especially I said to Roger sorry at the net afterwards. And he said, You have absolutely nothing to apologize, don't worry about it.

But the crowd, maybe some of the people didn't know what actually happened, what the situation was. We were kind of in a rally, then after that I served an ace, which didn't help the situation either.

I was very emotional afterwards. The booing went into cheering kind of afterwards, which kind of helped me, as well. Obviously a lot of emotions going on through my head. I was really upset afterwards in the locker room, as well. I'm not going to lie. I had to take a few minutes for myself.

But, you know, I hope the crowd and the people who were booing maybe look at what actually happened, maybe just realize that I've maybe not done anything wrong.

Q. If you play Novak tomorrow, will you change anything in your game comparing the match in the group?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'll try to hit more winners and less unforced errors.

I mean, obviously I will adjust a little bit. But as I said, he's the greatest player right now. This year he's been playing unbelievable, especially the second half of the year. So he's tough to beat no matter how I play him.

But I will talk to my coaching staff, talk to my team. We'll find the best way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297