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LAVER CUPSeptember 20, 2019Denis ShapovalovPatrick McEnroeGeneva, Switzerland D. THIEM/D. Shapovalov 6-4, 5-7, 13-11 Team Europe - 1 Team World - 0 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Obviously very disappointing outcome but very tight match, as Dominic acknowledged just a few minutes ago. How were you able to regroup after the first set, come back strong in the second? DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Honestly, I think he played really well in the first set. Serve percentage was really high. It was tough to kind of get back on serve. He was serving so well and just playing really clean. On the second set, just tried to change it up a little bit, put a little bit more pressure on him, put a couple more returns in the court. When I got that break, I felt like I was really in the match and I can play with him. Even though he broke me back, I felt like I'm really in it and I'll be able to break him again. Then third-set tiebreak, just a little bit unlucky. He played some good points. On match point, you know, I didn't do enough, and yeah, unfortunately that's tennis. Q. Did the team come around to pick it up for you to help you overcome this? How does it feel to be such a team in tennis? DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, definitely they picked me up, you know, but it's not the end of the world. It's just one match. You know, now we have Jack who is up a set, and I'm not sure what the score is now, but, yeah, it goes on, you know. I think it's a big kind of part for me not to drag the team down with me. It's important. Okay, I had my chances. I lost. You know, they helped me kind of, you know, be positive, and now it's my turn to kind of help them, as well, on the bench, and hopefully we can play really good doubles tonight. Q. So on that note, in terms of regrouping for doubles, how is the team helping support you with that? And what positives can you take having a match under your belt on this center court now? DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, again, like I said, you know, they all praised me in the locker room. We all kind of had a chat. But also it's my part to get over it and get ready for the doubles. Now Jack is playing, so it's his turn and they're out there supporting him. It's not about sulking, being there for me for hours. You know, it was a tough match and I feel ready for the doubles. It's not like I need, you know, guys to hug me and stuff to kind of get ready for it. It's another match, another chance to win today, and hopefully we can take the lead. Q. Patrick, it continues to be oh-so-close and just not getting over the line. I mean, the match points have been there every year. How frustrating is that as a captain/vice-captain? PATRICK McENROE: Well, obviously Denis played a heck of a match. It was great tennis, very exciting. As he said, he fought his way back into it and had a couple of match points. At some point our guys are just going to have to finish those matches off. He didn't do anything wrong. Dominic, as he said, played a couple of great forehands, but I think in a situation like this we just gotta take our chance, gotta go for it. That's what Denis did to get back in the match, played great, and hopefully we can get through this one and get a win with Jack today. Obviously we have seen it before. We know we're close, and we just need to maybe win one of these to get us back over that hump. Q. Denis, having John there by your side, trying to encourage you, talk about that aspect and how important it is and the experience of having somebody like that alongside you. DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, it's great to have him alongside with me. He has so much experience, and he's such a champion of the game. Any kind of advice he gives me, it's a privilege to hear. It's just great to kind of have him and Patrick alongside me this week and just kind of helping me out and giving me small tips but small tips that hopefully I can take with me to the future. Yeah, I think he was very helpful on the bench today. You know, he was really keeping me calm and keeping me going and fighting. We were kind of problem-solving together. It was really, you know, fun to kind of talk through the match with him. Q. So you're a long way from Canada, but there was quite a lot of crowd support for you. A lot of "Come on, Denis." Was that surprising? And how much did that help you today? DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, it's always amazing to kind of have the love and crowd support, especially when you're overseas, you know, when you're in Europe, having that Canadian flag. I saw a lot of people with flags. It's absolutely amazing. They definitely helped me a lot in this match. Of course I know the whole crowd wanted to see a really exciting match, and obviously we gave them one. Obviously I'm very thankful to kind of have the support, and honestly it feels like wherever I go, they kind of follow me around the globe. So I'm really privileged to have such great fans. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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