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ATP CUP

January 2, 2020

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll get started. We'll have the captain introduce his players.

SATOSHI IWABUCHI: Yes, let me introduce Ben McLachlan and Yoshihito Nishioka and Go Soeda and Toshihide Matsui. And my name is Satoshi Iwabuchi.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions in English, please.

Q. Satoshi, how do you sort of see the innovations at the ATP Cup and the fact that you'll be able to, with the other coaches, be able to do on-court coaching from the bench and the side of the court?
SATOSHI IWABUCHI: Yeah, I'm very looking forward to it because it's like a very new format, different. And in Davis Cup this is the same. We represent country in a team event, but many things are new. So I'm very excited to be here and I'm looking forward to playing the ATP Cup matches.

Q. Disappointing that Kei Nishikori isn't available through injury? That was a bit of a setback for Japan.
SATOSHI IWABUCHI: Yes, of course, but he's top-10 for a long time and he, yeah, he's ready to play. It's good for our team, of course, but at the same time we have good, experienced players here, and, yeah, it's still a big chance to beat other countries.

Q. You shaped my question for you. Big shoes to fill stepping in for Kei, but you must be confident of your chances this week in Perth?
SATOSHI IWABUCHI: No. 1 in Davis Cup. We also without Kei and we couldn't win other countries, but actually we can play okay also. So for sure if Kei was here we should be happy. But I think he's trying to be recovered for next year. So we just have to be ready for the first match in this ATP Cup. And just the same thing of trying to show other countries that we can play without Kei also and still our team, I think, is pretty good. So just try to look forward to how to beat against different countries.

Q. Has the team had a chance to relax or has it been full-on preparing for the week ahead? Your time in Perth, how has it been?
SATOSHI IWABUCHI: Well, for me it's first time in Perth, so I don't know about this place. But a couple other players have been here many times, so, yeah, well, I think this city's very nice and it's nice to stay here and it's beautiful. So, yeah, we're very relaxed here and still also we're focused on the tournament. So I think our visit is very good.

Q. As a doubles player, can you talk about the benefits of having three guaranteed matches this week and how is that going to work for your confidence sort of moving forward?
BEN MCLACHLAN: Yeah, it's different but we have three matches to play and it's a beautiful court. We're going to play in a huge stadium for the first matches of the year and I think it's a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to getting out there and playing.

Q. Go, what do you think is Team Japan, what do you think is going to be Team Japan's greatest strength sort of this week to help you win matches?
GO SOEDA: We like the team competition so it's great to get started.

SATOSHI IWABUCHI: Our team is very, me and him in order Yoshi, the young one, Ben is middle. It's, everyone has different character. So, but especially Japan is, we like the team competition, so we have a chance to through the final tournament, yeah.

Q. Could you just individually just talk about what your most looking forward to about the next sort of seven, eight, ten days at this tournament. Just go along the line.
BEN MCLACHLAN: Just really looking forward to playing the new ATP Cup. It looks like it's going to be a great event. Really like the court here, the center court's beautiful, and having that team area on the side of the court looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. So just looking forward to getting amongst it.

YOSHIHITO NISHIOKA: This is first time for us but for other people it also first time, so I think nobody doesn't know about this tournament, so I think we have also chances to make, I mean, the final round. So on just, just beginning just, I mean, focus on how we through the quarter final and if we pass it then just be ready for the next one.

TOSHIHIDE MATSUI: Well, I'm just happy to be here. Just like to thank the ATP and the Tennis Australia for such an opportunity for me to represent the country again and, yeah, I'm very excited about it. Thank you.

GO SOEDA: Yeah, I'm really exciting and, of course, I'm really nervous, but most is to enjoy play. And, especially, I like to play representing Japan so, yeah, I'm really exciting.

Q. Yoshihito, your thoughts going into a match up against Rafael Nadal. You must be excited about that potential challenge.
YOSHIHITO NISHIOKA: Yes, we play one time, I think in 2017, I think, two years ago. At the time I lost 6-7 and 3-6. And well, for sure it's different situation. Now he's No. 1 and but still, I mean, but also I also past the top-100s. And last season I play very well. I could have made my best rankings but still I think I played the best tennis in all season. So for sure that's the most tough player to play against. But I'll try to do my best tennis. And then I played Novak Djokovic in the Davis Cup in Madrid, so I played a couple times for top, top players, so I know how good they are. So just try my best and then how much I can do against the best player.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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