NITTO ATP FINALS

November 17, 2020

Joe Salisbury

Press Conference

KOOLHOF-MEKTIC/Ram-Salisbury

7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think went wrong this evening?

JOE SALISBURY: I think mainly it was more what they did right. I mean, they played really well. Yeah, I think we played quite well in the first set, and then our level dropped off. I mean, it was, yeah, it was tough. It was a tough match.

I mean, they served well. We had a couple of maybe half chances in the first set to break, and then, yeah, we had to serve well. We hung on to a few service games. I think we did well to get to a tiebreak. I felt like it was quite even, both teams playing quite well.

And then, yeah, second set just, yeah, was a bad start. I mean, we lost -- I think all three service games we lost to deuce points.

Yeah, they were just returning really well. Yeah, then we didn't get any chance from there on their service games either. Yeah, I mean, I don't think we did that much wrong, but, yeah, how they were playing, we just needed to play better.

Q. You talked the other day about maybe feeling like the sharpness on the sort of reaction volleys was the thing that might take a while to come back. Did you feel the same again today? How did you feel out there generally?

JOE SALISBURY: I just felt a bit better. I think that, yeah, came back a bit. I felt a little bit sharper at the net.

But, yeah, these guys were, yeah, playing high level. Yeah, we couldn't afford to make any mistakes, and we did make some. So, yeah, that was it really.

Yeah, we'd have had to play really well throughout the match to have won that.

Q. On Thursday it's going to be winner take all when you play the German players Mies and Krawietz. How are you going to prepare for that match and of course overcome tonight's disappointment?

JOE SALISBURY: Yeah, I mean, same way we prepared for this one really. We've got a day off tomorrow. We'll practice, practice a few things. We'll chat about this match, a few things we can do better.

But, yeah, a bit more of the same really. Not too -- yeah, I don't think there is too much to kind of dwell on from that. Just got to, yeah, look forward to the next one. Yeah, hope we can perform a bit better.

Q. This tournament can get pretty confusing with maths and everything. Does it make it easier when it's just sort of a straight knockout and you know if you win the match you go through?

JOE SALISBURY: Yeah, I think, a bit. Yes, you don't have to worry about the sets or the games or anything like that. Obviously it's pretty unique that you can lose a match and still be in the tournament.

So yeah. It's good that we're still in. We win the next match and we're in the semifinal. I guess like a normal tournament now it's like quarterfinal match.

Yeah, we just got to treat it like that and, yeah, give it all for the next one.