ATP CUP

January 3, 2020

Alexander Zverev

A. DE MINAUR/A. Zverev

4-6, 7-6, 6-2

Australia - 2, Germany - 0

THE MODERATOR: Who has the first question?

Q. Obviously a frustrating night particularly on serve. Do you know what was happening with that serve to lead to all those doubles? Do you have any idea why?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, obviously, I'm not feeling my serve. That's no secret. But I think I just didn't practice enough, to be honest. I'm on, what day? Seven, day eight of tennis. It's tough. Even though that the match could have gone 6-2, 6-2 my way, to be honest. So, yeah, things happen. It was a good match and I thought we played pretty well, both of us. Yeah, the serving was awful, but normally when I'm up at break I don't lose a set anymore. But, yeah. I just need to practice a little bit more.

Q. So looking forward to the Australian Open there's still plenty of time to iron that out?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah.

Q. Did you see Nick Kyrgios doing pushups every time you double-faulted?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I did not see that.

Q. Does that annoy you that he was doing that or is that just --

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: What do you want me to say? It's Nick. It's just what he does. He does that at Laver Cup as well. I mean, I know that Grigor almost had a fight with him and Jack in 2018. Yeah, I mean, he can do whatever he wants. If he wants to do pushups, that's fine, as long as he doesn't offend anybody or do the Nick Kyrgios stuff that he sometimes does that I don't care about it.

Q. What did you make of the atmosphere tonight?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, it was great. But in Australia the atmosphere is always amazing, I think. Whether it's here, in Perth, or in Melbourne, the fans are amazing always. Obviously great that they always support their local countrymen but they're always very fair, they're always very, how do you say, sports enthusiastic, and they know how to behave. And, yeah, it's right that they should support Alex today.

Q. There's other matches where you get down but then you can turn it around. What do you kind of tell yourself during those matches and what's kind of missing do you think at this moment just to start the season?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, as I said, I didn't play enough tennis yet. I will pick that up. Now I will practice as much as I can. I am still practicing here five, six hours a day. That's what I did yesterday. That's why the third set I was a bit tired, to be honest, which normally doesn't happen. But at the beginning of the season everyone's a little rusty, I think.

Q. How much do you think Alex has improved since you beat him here a couple of years ago in the Davis Cup?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Obviously he's improved, but I think his serve has improved a lot. I think his game style is still similar to what it was, he's still a base liner who is very, very fast and covers all the court. Yeah, but he's young, obviously, at the age of 18 to 20 he's going to improve.