US OPEN

September 5, 2021

Diego Schwartzman

Press Conference

B. VAN DE ZANDSCHULP/D. Schwartzman

6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on the match.

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, it was a difficult match. He was playing very good tennis. His tactic today was working perfectly. Maybe I had lucky in the third and fourth to continue playing the match today because he was in the score up, he was playing better than me.

Then at the end I think he have lucky in a few lets, volleys. When you are in the fifth you cannot fail. If you fail, you're out.

I think he deserves the win. He played much better all the match. At the end I was fighting but it was not enough today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you describe the tactic that he tried today? Did you know anything about him two weeks ago?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Yeah, yeah, I knew because he played in many different matches this year, last year, against Argentinians. I didn't know much how he played, but I knew that he was playing better and better from the last year to this one.

I saw a few videos before the match. But he played a little bit different. I was thinking he was trying to play aggressive, trying to do winners. It was a little bit different. He was doing the slices, passing shots. The mix that he did, it was working.

I think the second set I was trying and I was playing a little bit better. I was improving in the match. But in the 4-5, he won two, three points unbelievable. That set I think at the end help him because he was too many occasions to close the match.

In the fifth he was serving very good. I think he didn't have the chance.

Q. What happened at the beginning of the fifth set?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: It was weird, the fifth. I think the first two or three times he served I didn't have any chance. He was serving first, first, aces, 127 miles every time, T, wide. He was changing.

I think I did not very good game the first game I served in the fifth. He have the break, but the long break. It was 4-1. He break me again in the 4-1 one more time.

I think I was not hitting clean in the fifth. I was a little bit behind of the line. He was playing more aggressive and more intelligent than me in the fifth. I was trying to put the ball, every ball, one more time on court because I was thinking, Okay, he came from the quallies, three rounds already.

But he played a good match. I think today he deserved to win.

Q. What is the plan now? In a month there's a tournament in the U.S. Are you going back to Argentina?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Yes, we have Davis Cup in 10 days, two weeks, almost two weeks. So, yeah, I go back. I go back to Argentina, rest a little bit. I was at home just 20 days I think this year, 25 days. Not much (smiling).

I miss home. We have a good Davis Cup weekend in our home in a good club. So trying to rest, forgot this match, and be ready for the next ones.

Q. You're playing Laver Cup, too?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Yes. After Davis Cup.