DAVIS CUP FIRST ROUND, CROATIA vs. USA

March 5, 2005

Nicky Pilic

TIM CURRY: Croatia is 6-0 prior to this, whenever they've won the doubles point, when singles was 1-1. Questions, please.

CAPTAIN PILIC: Serving order?

CAPTAIN PILIC: Well, I didn't change it. I mean, players did between them. Sometimes depends how you feel, you know, are you want to serve, or maybe it's disturbing sun or something like that. If somebody is warming up, have a feeling he can start. So Mario was starting to serve. It's no difference anyhow.

IVAN LJUBICIC: We didn't change anything. He served from the same side all match.

MARIO ANCIC: Just keep the side.

IVAN LJUBICIC: He was serving from right of the chair, no matter who serves first. But actually it's good question because Bryans changed. They always had Bob serve first.

IVAN LJUBICIC: No, I don't think so. It's just that we both served well. It's not like one of us has to serve first. We just pick a side, and then one is serving from that side all the match.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Oh, yeah, I can lose (smiling). Obviously, it's beautiful feeling. I mean, to win five in a row, it's amazing. But still it's a long way. I mean, we need to win three sets, one of us, and it's not easy. Still Roddick and Agassi on the other side of the net, so we need to be very careful.

CAPTAIN PILIC: Actually, it's good question, but I don't think so anybody want to lose quick. I mean, you try to win. We know at least my two guys, we was already at least four times two sets to love down, and four times, once with Ivanisevic also, with Ljubicic twice, two sets to love down, and we won in five. It's very difficult to say, "Okay, if you don't have really chances, you see the guys are one class better than you, so you going to lose anyhow." But, you know, you never know in doubles. You win one set and everything could change rapidly.

IVAN LJUBICIC: We have to serve (laughter).

MARIO ANCIC: No, just trying really -- you know, we spoke like one point at a time because, okay, they broke me like second game. But really from there on, we were really solid on our serves. And we want to just, you know, keep it simple, you know, play tough, play solid. That was the same tactic as we were talking. Because, I mean, we have both of us big enough serve to take -- you know, to win the game.

IVAN LJUBICIC: To tell you the truth, I didn't know that -- I knew they never loss, but I didn't know that.

MARIO ANCIC: I think like the second set was really change because after that --

IVAN LJUBICIC: Momentum.

MARIO ANCIC: -- momentum change. I don't think they really play -- but we play really great. We put a lot of returns in, we served great. They didn't really have too many chances on our serve. We started to return really good. You know, two breaks, each set, you know, I think that was -- I think we played really good.

CAPTAIN PILIC: The tiebreak was very, very important. With that tiebreak, we got really our game up, and they knew that with these two guys, they have good forehand, backhand both side, and very big serves, both of them. It's not easy to play against. If we lost the tiebreak two sets to love, then it would definitely probably be another story. But that doesn't mean that even with two sets to love, we always think that we have a chance to win.

CAPTAIN PILIC: Not one second. I don't want to give a present to somebody.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Not only in doubles. I mean, that changed my career, I have to say. Since then I've really played great tennis and gained a lot of confidence and made great results. And obviously in doubles, I didn't play a lot of doubles this year, even after that Olympic medal. But after a set and a half, I started to play better, return better, volley better, and everything was coming up.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Gonzalez and Massu.

CAPTAIN PILIC: Winner. We have 5-2 first set. If we won the first set, I think we have a good chance because before that they have two and a half hours singles. They play tomorrow against the Americans. Unfortunately, we didn't win the first set.

IVAN LJUBICIC: It was 7-5, then we lost 6-3, then we lost 6-4.

CAPTAIN PILIC: What do you think, is not pressure on American? I would say that they have to win two matches and we have to win only one. I would say pressure is -- is always pressure in Davis Cup. I mean, only when it's 3-0 or 3-1 there is no pressure anymore. Pressure is for us, but I would say the Americans have more pressure than we do because they have to win both matches.

MARIO ANCIC: I think first time we played US Open, we played quarterfinal. We lost to Bryan brothers 6 in the third. Yeah, I mean --

IVAN LJUBICIC: We played well.

MARIO ANCIC: Straightaway, great results.

IVAN LJUBICIC: First match we beat Rikl and Kafelnikov. That was straightaway big result.

MARIO ANCIC: Okay, we're not playing too much on the tour, because mostly we're, you know, focused on the singles. But when we have chance, Davis Cup and Olympics, that's probably bigger tournaments, we're playing. But I don't think you don't have to play now each week, week to week, that we know like our games. Like now, I mean, we can play and take couple tournaments off and then we're still knowing each other's game. I think playing doubles and getting used to the feel because, you know, you have to get used to some more tactic than hitting-wise.

IVAN LJUBICIC: I mean, with Goran, I mean, he was a leader, so I was just backing up. I felt comfortable there. Now with Mario, we are pretty even. If he has any ideas or I have any ideas, we just talk and we decide together. But it's pretty much the same. They both serve well. They both return well. It's not big difference.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Of course, yeah.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Of course. It would be huge. Lot of good sportsmen in Croatia. It's going to be difficult to take that flag away from handball next time. And I'm not -- I mean, I think they deserved it even before maybe. But still I think they going to carry it no matter what in Beijing.

IVAN LJUBICIC: I think it doesn't matter what, no matter what.