DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 27, 2021

Andre Goransson

Robert Lindstedt

Robin Soderling

Team Sweden

Press Conference

GOLUBEV-NEDOVYESOV/Goransson-Lindstedt

6-3, 6-3

Kazakhstan - 2

Sweden - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Robin, wondering if I could get your thoughts on the day overall. Obviously you had a couple of chances to clinch automatic qualification, but you're still in a strong position. How do you see it?

ROBIN SODERLING: I mean, we started off pretty well. Elias played a good match. It was a tough match, but I'm really impressed the way he kept it all together and played two really good sets.

In the second match, I think Mikhail, for two sets he was the better player. He had a lot of chances. In the second set, as well. Bublik saved some really important points with really good serves, but then after that, when he got broken for the second set, I think, you know, he just, he fell apart. There is nothing more to say. He lost the match. Bublik didn't win it. Mikhail lost it, unfortunately.

So it was close. With a little bit of luck we could have got up 2-0 and have won the match, but that wasn't the case today. Then of course tough doubles. They played really, really well.

I think Robert and Andre, they didn't come up to what I know they can. I think they played a better match two days ago. But again, you know, Kazakhstan, they had a good team and they played really well. On the day they were better than us in doubles.

Q. It's obviously not in your hands anymore, but you're still in a strong position to potentially qualify. Just wondering what it would mean to you to lead this Sweden team into the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup? The last time it happened, you were a player. You're now a captain.

ROBIN SODERLING: Of course, you know, I want the team to do well. I think, you know, since we qualified almost two years ago, I set a realistic goal, and the first goal was for me to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Of course it's not completely in our hands anymore, but as you said, it looks pretty good. You know, we hope for the best, and I think the way we have been playing, I think we deserve to be in the quarterfinals.

Q. Robert, you have obviously seen many generations of Swedish players come and go. Just wondering, for you, how much of an achievement would it be for this team to reach the quarterfinals?

ROBERT LINDSTEDT: No, I mean, it will be huge. I think we let ourselves down a little bit today. Like we said, Elias played an unbelievable match firstly. Andre didn't come up to the standard that we both want. I don't think we played a particularly good match today, which sucks a bit.

They played really good doubles. I can't take anything away from them. But for us to come through to the quarterfinals, I think that would be huge for us as a team and Swedish tennis and in general, and hopefully it can create some spark and some talent back home and have them start playing tennis. Hopefully we can really go through.

Q. Do you think the lack of amazing results in Davis Cup for Sweden has gone hand in hand with not having so many players in the top 100, for example? Sort of what causes the other, I suppose?

ROBERT LINDSTEDT: Well, yes, it's a pretty direct relation into how many top players you have, the result you have in Davis Cup. So if you would have more players in the top 100, we would have better result in Davis Cup.

It's a pretty given fact. That's not a problem Sweden has. It's a problem every country have.

So the more players we have that play on the highest level on the tour, the better results you will have in Davis Cup. It's a pretty normal relationship there.

Q. What is it that can help create more players in the top 100, for example?

ROBERT LINDSTEDT: The easy way to look at it is for players to win more, obviously, but then there is a lot of factors that goes into it, and then it's the struggle that pretty much the majority of federations have.

You need more players to have better results, but how do you get more players? It's not really been my question to answer. I have just looked after trying to do the best I can as a player. That is a very difficult question that I think is up to very few players to answer.