DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 27, 2021

Andrey Rublev

Team Russia

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/R. Quiroz

6-3, 4-6, 6-1

Russia - 1

Ecuador - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Looked like a very frustrating night for you out there on court. Firstly, how is your hand? Secondly, what was causing you the frustration? Was it the way he was playing or the way you were playing?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Well, the hand, everything's fine. No, it's because I'm a bit stupid. It's not easy to play first match, especially here in Madrid, with the conditions here. For him, second match, so he was a little bit better feeling on the court.

Anyway, I'm really happy that I was able to win my match, and I think I was playing quite not bad for the first match here. Was just a bit unlucky in the second set when I had a good chance, and I was almost (indiscernible) the point every time he make some great rallies. I make one easy mistake and then he played amazing two points on my serve. When it was deuce, he hit two winners out of nowhere. So it was a good match for him.

But that's happens. Then third set I was able to just to come down, and I was not rushing and I was able to win third set quite confident.

Q. Can you explain a little about the process of you and Daniil playing tonight? Obviously you have lots of strong players. Ecuador, quite low-ranked team. How do you come to that decision as a team or do you put your hand up and say, I want to play?

ANDREY RUBLEV: As experience showed, everyone can beat everyone, especially at the Davis Cup when it's completely different feeling when you compare to your own career. It's different feeling.

We can see yesterday Carreno also was suffering and he was able to win 7-6 in the third. Then I think also the doubles was 7-6 in the third.

In these kind of matches when you play for your country, every player can beat everyone. Here we try to, need to try the best, doesn't matter which team we play, especially here in group when we are in every match and every win is very important. Because like two years ago happened that we won one match 3-0 but next one we lost 2-1 against Spain, but because we won the first match 3-0, we were able still qualifies second-best team. So that's why we're gonna play with our best players and best options as possible.

Q. In our previous conversations, you have mentioned how the team chemistry is just so strong in Team Russia. I wanted to ask if you could share one of your favorite moments so far from your experience at 2021 Davis Cup Finals.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, it's first match. Let me think. We had a great time, because we are not one week yet but like five days here, I think. We were able to go dinner with the guys all together. Yeah, we were yesterday we were playing cards for a long time, because we finish quite earlier. All the evening we were playing cards, watching TV.

So these kind of moments always special, because we don't have that much time during the year to spend that close to each other. Davis Cup really helps with this.

Yeah, we make fun to each other in the locker rooms. We play some football before every practice. Yeah, like I say, these moments make this event more special, because you do some things that normally you are not doing.