	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

DAVIS CUP QUALIFYING: USA VS UZBEKISTAN

March 6, 2020

Reilly Opelka

Honolulu, Hawaii

R. OPELKA/D. Istomin

Team USA - 1

Team Uzbekistan - 0

6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Nice win. How did that feel to come out and get your first career Davis Cup win?
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, no, that was a great feeling. It was a great win for the team. I think it helped all of us out a lot to get up 1-0, pretty confident, and Fritz tonight and obviously the Bryan brothers tomorrow.

I think it's an important match. I think it's definitely one of the toughest matches of the tie.

Q. What did you feel like that first set? Felt like you were trying to find your range off the ground. How did you feel you settled into the match?
REILLY OPELKA: I mean, I came out firing right away. I thought I had a great first return game.

I had one shaky service game there, but after that it was smooth sailing for me on my serve. I put so much pressure on him I think the whole match. I was running him wide. I was defending well. I think from every angle of the court I was dictating play.

Q. Was there anything you took from the other times you played that you brought into this match?
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, I looked at -- the first time we played it was tough. I just remember it was crazy windy. It was a while ago. I looked at my match in New York with him. I actually watched some of his recent matches just to see some things, and, you know, like I normally do.

You know, there is not too many tendencies with him, but it just helps me get an idea of what to expect when I'm out there. That way nothing is a surprise, really.

Q. He's not really a flashy player, so what makes him tricky out there?
REILLY OPELKA: He serves well. His first serve is really, it's a good shot. He's got a great forehand. He likes to dictate play from that side of the court.

His backhand down the line can be pretty deadly, especially on big points. He's come up with some really good shots with his backhand down the line, I know. So just having those things in the back of my mind.

But like I said, with the conditions today and kind of how I was playing, even when he came up with some good shots, I was moving really well and playing well out of the corners. I didn't really have too much to be concerned about.

Q. I think you dropped two points off first serve in the whole match. Service percentage, the first serve was mid-50s.
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, it was low. I didn't have a great serving day on the first serve, which I expected because the conditions here are really tough for servers, to be honest. It's pretty dead, I'd say, the court.

You kind of have to force it a lot to get the ball to move. With that being said, I had to go for more on my serve. I had to force a little more, just because otherwise, you know, it just kind of sits.

So that's why I think I did a good job taking care of my serve. That's also why I had a lot of looks on return, because the ball sort of sits. It works, you know, for me and against me, just the same as it does to him. I just capitalized a little more on it.

Q. What were the emotions before you walked out? Never easy to play that first match, obviously.
REILLY OPELKA: No, you're right. It's not. Just especially given the circumstance. I know how important it is to get this done, to get the win, start out 1-0. Makes Fritz's life less stressful.

And then the Bryans are in their own class, you know. We are so lucky to have them here. They have been amazing. They don't really like preach or talk down to us at all. They just lead by example, which is I think the best way to have it.

You know, we just watch them practice, prepare, how professional they are, how much time they have been spending even with us. They have families. Their families are here. They have been with us all day, which is extremely valuable for us.

Q. How much confidence do you bring into this?
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, obviously I'm playing with a lot of confidence, but I try to set that aside. I think when you have a lot of confidence like that and you get on a roll, at least with me, I don't tend to handle adversity well when that's the case. I try to throw that behind me and take some things.

I made some good adjustments in my game in the offseason, and I think they are starting to show a lot now. Maybe not so much in the beginning of the year in Australia, but after that I have been really happy with seeing the things we have worked on come into play.

So I'm excited to, you know, keep progressing there, and I have a pretty clear idea of, like, how I want to keep continuing to improve throughout the year.

Q. (Question about the team.)
REILLY OPELKA: Super laid back, low stress, the way it normally is when we are on the road. It's great having, you know, Tommy, Taylor, and like I said, the Bryans. Mardy has been unbelievable. I mean, I really couldn't speak more highly of how he's handled us, knowing our personalities, not trying to force us into something that's not us, something that's just -- he's just kind of letting us be and sharing some of his two cents. It's great.

You know, he's been in my position as a young guy playing Davis Cup, you know, looking for his first win, first match. So obviously there is insight there that he can share with me.

Other than that, he has just been -- he's been one of the boys, part of the team. Nothing higher or nothing lower. He's just been part of the team, same as us. Mardy has been phenomenal, phenomenal to work with.

Q. I know it's a little work, but here you guys are handling your own towels. Indian Wells announced today they are going to have you guys do the same. Is that something you guys understand the circumstances? Does it bother you, or...
REILLY OPELKA: Doesn't bother me, no. I mean, doesn't bother me. Obviously they are going to have to be a little bit more lenient with time.

It's funny, it just goes against what the ITF or ATP has been trying to stress so much. Time, time, time, time, shot clock. And now, you know, it's kind of just going to have to go back to how it was as long as they are lenient with that.

At the same time, balls get sweaty. You're touching the balls. I mean, I don't mind going to get my towel, but it's not like -- I mean, I understand, I guess. The media has put so much stress and emphasis around everything.

We are still sweating and touching the balls and sharing balls and stuff. You know, if they want to be really cautious, they'd do something about that too, gloves or whatever.

I understand, but there is still plenty of contact, you know what I mean? If germs are the real reason, like, I mean, balls are being touched a lot.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297