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DAVIS CUP FINALSNovember 18, 2019Gaston GaudioMichael KohlmannNicolas MassuParis, France THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everybody. This is the last press conference of the captains, Group C. All these conferences are going to be in English. I will start with the captains to tell us what are your impressions about your group and the other teams in your group. MICHAEL KOHLMANN: I think it's an even group. I think there's not a clear favorite. Even though Argentina, for sure, has the best-ranked players. In our history, we always had a hard time against Argentina. I lost a couple of times already, especially in Argentina. And that was always tough for us. So this time around we are on a neutral place, on a hard court, which would be always our surface also to choose. So it's, yeah, it's a different time of year. And, yeah, we're looking forward to the matches. We are actually happy to watch something maybe on the first day because these guys have to play on the first day. And yeah, we are happy, we are looking forward to good matches, tough contest, and hopefully we as Germany, we are good, too. NICOLAS MASSU: First of all, it is amazing to be here in the finals. There are only 18 teams here, the best nations. And for us it's -- we've been fighting for the last six or seven years to be here. So we have a very young team, but they are very motivated. And to share the group with Germany and Argentina, it's great motivation. We play with Argentina one-half of the year ago in San Juan. With Germany, I don't remember when, but I think many, many years ago. So I think this is a very open tie. The two teams have very good players - not only singles but also doubles. And we are looking forward to the matches. We start tomorrow against Argentina. So yeah, I mean, we are focused on the matches and try to do our best. GASTON GAUDIO: Yes, like those two friends said already, it's going to be a really tough tie. Always playing against Chile is tough for us. There's like a lot of emotion going on. And yeah, we are looking forward to go through and try to do our best. We're going to play on a surface that is not our favorite but our players are really used to it. So I think we are pretty confident we can do it. THE MODERATOR: We are now open to questions in the room. There are microphones on both sides. Q. Can you talk about the fans, as many Argentines are living in Spain. Are you expecting a good turnout? GASTON GAUDIO: Well, we'd love to have all the people from Argentina coming up to this stadium tomorrow. Of course, we're going to need the support of them and it will be really helpful for us if all the Argentinians living here in Madrid come, they can come tomorrow to support us against Chile, which is another nation that they really are fan and they follow every single national team in any sport. The people from Chile are very passionate. So we hope Argentinians can do the same tomorrow and they can support us because we will really need it. Q. Same question for Massu. Nicolas Massu: Like Gaston said, for our country, the sport, tennis is huge. It is the second biggest sport in our country. And after many, many years they follow the tennis players everywhere. And I think that this Davis Cup is different. Normally you play local or outside, and here you have 18 nations that are playing together in the same place. So I think that, we are waiting that many Chileans arrive tomorrow to support us, not only on Tuesday, also on Thursday. But, yeah, I mean, tennis is a very important sport in our country. We have two young players that give some good news in the last two or three years, and I think that helps a lot. And like I said before, we are looking forward to play these finals, and we've been preparing for a long time to be here. So we are motivated. Michael KOHLMANN: I think for us it's tough to say how many Germans will show up actually. We hope that there are a couple more than we expect right now. I think the South American fan base in Madrid is a little bit higher than the German, even though -- maybe Toni Kroos can help us a little bit, he is playing, maybe he has some friends coming supporting us. But yeah, I think there is one thing -- I don't really understand right now. We play our qualifier in front of 5,000 fans and there are regulations that there's a minimum capacity for the crowd, over four-and-a-half and now we play in stadiums which fit only for 2,000. So it's like, yeah, there are a couple of things we don't know yet because it hasn't started. So we have to see how it turns out to be. Anyway, we are here not to talk about anything which was in the past or which is going to be. But we try to focus on our sport to be, you know, to show the best things we are able to. And then after the week we can talk about anything else. I'm sorry, but I'm the only one who I think is not able to talk Spanish. I had two years in school. We had our last tie here in Spain and I'm still not able. So if we start to qualify longer or more often, and I'm as long the captain, I promise you I will try to learn it a little bit. Q. Gaston, the German captain said Toni Kroos is coming. I want to know if you talk with the Argentine players here in Spain and if they are coming tomorrow. GASTON GAUDIO: Well, actually, we don't have anybody, I guess, we don't have any soccer player in Real Madrid nowadays. I talked to Solari - he used to work or is still working in Real Madrid - because he wanted to make a visit to practice but he didn't have the time. So maybe he's coming and maybe he shows up, we'll see. We invite him. But it's not only the famous people who we need to support us, we need the fans from Argentina actually that are living here in Madrid, please come over and show up, we need them. (Question in Spanish.) THE MODERATOR: If you had an option to choose Argentina or Germany in the first match, would you choose Argentina? Nicolas Massu: For us, we aren't prepared to play the first day with Argentina or Germany. We have to play, it doesn't matter when, with both countries. And I think this tie is going to be open. The rankings are not that far, some players to the other ones. I mean, Argentina have a better ranking and I mean in the papers, but you always have to go to play the match, that is why it is nice in sport, you never know what happens inside the court. But for sure Germany also have a great team, great players, not only singles players, also doubles, a great team. And we are here also because I think we have been playing many, many years in Davis Cup and all the team make good things, and I think we have a chance. And like Germany, Argentina have also a big chance to pass and it is going to be tough for everybody. THE MODERATOR: Last one. Q. Nicolas, have you made a decision about the doubles team, your doubles team? I think that the singles are clear. Nicolas Massu: Yes, we have everything fixed and we are going to tell when you have to know later. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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