US OPEN

September 9, 2021

Jamie Murray

Bruno Soares

Press Conference

MURRAY-SOARES/Peers-Polasek

6-3, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Could both of you just give your thoughts on today's win as you go into the finals.

BRUNO SOARES: Well, I mean, tough match, of course. Tough team to play against. Both guys, they serve really hard and they play big. Difficult to have clean strategy, because they don't give you that many chances to do something. Basically reacting the whole time.

I think we played a very consistent match, given the ups and downs of the match, that you don't really have control on what you're doing, like hitting one, two balls really fast every point. We knew we had to take care of our serves well.

I think we did that in the first and the third. I mean, I played a really bad game on my serve in the beginning of the second to give them the chance to get into the match, because at that point we were playing better and were better than them. Then it became a very tough match.

Close games in the third. We raised the level. I think we raised the energy, and that was key. Just very happy with the performance. I think we have been improving every single match that we played here, and now it's the finals. One to go.

JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah, I think what Bruno said was right. I think for us it was important to, you know, sort of fight fire with fire. We knew they'd come with big serves, big returns. They close the net hard. We needed to go strong on our serves, not hold back.

I think we did, you know, overall we did a really good job of that. I think we had great energy in the third set. You know, I think once we lost the second set, you know, it was just going to be a battle after that, and, you know, we knew we'd have to fight hard for everything that we wanted. To get to a Grand Slam final I think is, you know, a really exciting opportunity for us.

It's been a difficult year, I think, after we got back from Australia. A lot of things going on and stuff, and never really had any sort of rhythm for whatever reason. You know, we didn't play a match together since Wimbledon. You know, for me was really happy to get through to the final again.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. When you heard that Bruno was on the plane in Tokyo and having all these problems, could you envisage you'd be in this position with everything he's been through?

BRUNO SOARES: (Indiscernible) doesn't play Olympics with me. (Laughter.)

JAMIE MURRAY: To be honest, I didn't really think about it that much. Was more just that he was going to be okay and get the treatment that he needed.

You know, I think after that, like, you know, was kind of just like, you know, Take your time, get better. You know, what happens happens.

In the end, we didn't play a match for however long through the summer. You know, my summer was a bit broken up as well. Not necessarily because of what Bruno was going through, but, yeah, like that's the thing. You know, like past is the past.

We came here. For us, if we fight hard and put on a good energy, bring a good energy to the court, you know, we're a great team. Like I don't have any problem saying that, because I know we are. Doesn't mean that we are going to necessarily win the tournament or lose in the first round or whatever, but, you know, we know how to compete, we know how to win matches.

Like Bruno said, we have been getting better as the tournament progresses, and, you know, find ourselves in the final tomorrow and really looking forward to it.

Q. Was this the first time your son's been able to travel with you since the pandemic started?

BRUNO SOARES: Since the pandemic, it is his first tournament, yeah. They traveled quite a lot before that, but after, didn't really have a chance after that with the situation. So it's the first trip with him, yeah.

Q. It has been difficult challenges for everyone throughout the last 18 months. Has it made a difference having...

BRUNO SOARES: Huge. Huge difference. Jamie's been dealing with me. I'm not a bubble guy. Been struggling a lot since last year with the bubble situation and being locked in quarantines and things.

I know the situation of the world, of course, and things that we've got to do, but it's not easy for me to play like this and not being able to have the freedom to go around with my family and travel and do things that you want to. Couldn't even bring family with me any time. That makes a huge difference.

I think the way we are playing here with fans, people vaccinated, having my son here with me, you know, some friends and the atmosphere and everything, it's a huge difference for me.

I mean, can't ask for more. To be in the finals on Noah's first, I think it's the first trip he really remembers, because I have been talking to him before pandemic, and then the people that he met, he doesn't really remember much. I think it's been quite special for him after everything to be with him, and for me it's just a completely different world to come here and play tennis. Even if I lose. Just, for me, the atmosphere and the energy is really important.

Q. Obviously a final is a final, but does it add anything to the fact that Joe is on the other side of the net, somebody you know well from the same country?

JAMIE MURRAY: I mean, I guess so. I mean, it's not like -- I mean, it's not like it happens very often that there is two Brits going into a Grand Slam final. So, yeah, I mean, I guess that adds a different dimension to the match, I guess, but I think for us, like, we're excited to be there, excited to have that opportunity again.

For me, just looking forward to it. You know, like Bruno said, it's been a difficult time this year for us, and we've got the opportunity to get back in a final and just go and enjoy it and put our tennis on the line and see what happens.

But for me, like, you know, I feel blessed to be there, and I don't feel extra pressure myself because I'm playing another British guy, just knowing everything I have gone through and we have gone through this year.

Q. Britain is guaranteed one winner at this US Open. What do you think the chances are of having two with Emma going in the singles?

JAMIE MURRAY: Well, it's difficult to say something, because you feel like you're putting pressure on her if you say that she's got a great chance to win. Has she got a great chance to win? Yeah, why not? She's beaten everyone she's played so far pretty convincingly.

I think it was probably good for her that Pliskova lost last night, because I think just less firepower to deal with Sakkari, not that I don't think she's a top player, because she is and she's been kind of on this trajectory, as well. But I think it's a better matchup for Emma personally.

You know, it's been amazing to watch her, like, you know, at Wimbledon and then, you know, fast-forward seven, eight weeks, she's doing the same thing here. You know, I believe that she will be a top player for a long time. You know, British tennis I think has got someone to follow for another 15 years, I think. (Laughter.) I think they are quite fortunate for that.

Q. Casting your mind back to the Battle of the Brits which you were helping organize or whatever, this is not about tonight, but wondering, when you saw her last summer in that, did you kind of, the way she carried herself and the way she played, did you think, well, this is quite an interesting prospect?

JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah, I think for me the biggest thing -- I hadn't really seen her play before. I had seen her practice and stuff at the NTC, but that's not the same thing as playing a match. But I think to go into an event like that where Andy is competing and Jo Konta and Heather and Dan and Cam, you know, competing with them either in the singles court or mixed doubles, and the way that she sort of carried herself and her sort of self-assurance, not in an arrogant way or anything, just very self-assured, for somebody that young I thought was really impressive.

You know, there was a lot of chat getting talked in that event, as well. It wasn't like easy to, you know, step on court and compete there, because, you know, you're getting it from all sides. But she was brilliant the whole week.

You know, I think she herself really enjoyed it, as well. I think that event, you know, not just Emma but for a lot of them, it was a great event to be a part of and, you know, to experience being at an event with these top players like Andy and Jo and stuff, that they would look up to and stuff, and to be part of that I think really helped quite a lot of them in terms of getting back out on tour and competing, and I think quite a lot of them have had quite good results from being a part of that event, I think.

Q. Bruno, I know you told me that you didn't really get to practice all that long before the US Open, two weeks and change. How can you go from, first, getting back on the court in the form you are, and now that you and Jamie are on the doorstep of a major title?

BRUNO SOARES: Yeah, I mean, I knew that for me it was a little bit of a survival mode. I knew first round, probably second, it wasn't going to be pretty tennis, but I just had to find a way to win and play and, you know, find a solution.

You know, Jamie knows that. I think experience helps a lot. We spoke we could have played the week before to prepare, and I spoke with him. I thought it was very smart from us and from my doctor, he said, It's not a good idea. It's too early. I spoke to Jamie, and Jamie also gave me the support.

I think it's a lot of teamwork on that, staying calm and knowing that it wasn't going to be pretty tennis. And we knew also that every tournament you tend to play better as the tournament goes on. You get matches, rhythm, confidence, you start feeling the ball better.

That's what happened. And I knew that, you know, we have played a lot of these tournaments, and we know it's long, how it feels, you know, and after we won the first two rounds, like I knew we could raise our level. I think that's what we did.

But I think also the key is just mentally, being there every single point from the first match, not really, you know, putting our heads down when something wrong happened, because we knew it wasn't going to be amazing. I think that's what we did the best, and the level improved a lot throughout the tournament.

Q. Could you just look ahead to the matchup against Raj and Joe? You have only played them once as a team, but you both have played them individually also. Curious what you think of what the match will be like.

BRUNO SOARES: Well, a tough match. They are one of the best teams the last couple years. We played them in January, very close match in Australia. I played them a couple times last year. In Paris also very tough match.

Great players, coming strong. They are in the finals. You know, I think we've got to focus on our side. We know it's going to be a tough match. Gotta do our things right. Important to serve well, because they have both got a big serve.

There is enough pressure being in a Grand Slam final, so that's stuff that we don't really worry about about the other side and, you know, go out there and compete well. I think that's the key in those big matches. You know, fight hard.