DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 27, 2021

Emilio Gomez

Team Ecuador

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/E. Gomez

6-0, 6-2

Russia - 2

Ecuador - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Obviously not the result you would have wanted today, but I just wanted to get your thoughts on how happy you are that you have shown the world essentially how close Ecuador tennis is to some of these giants like Russia and Spain this week.

EMILIO GOMEZ: Yeah, for me it wasn't close today, not even. But, yeah, I mean, for us, it's been quite a year for us, beating Japan in Japan to be here. Coming to two close three-set, 7-6 yesterday in the third set. It was pretty brutal, I'll say, emotionally for me, emotional for the team, as well.

You know, I think we did our job on that. You know, we came a little close. We were a little bit -- I was a little bit down on myself a little bit yesterday, because I thought we could have had a chance to beat Spain even here in Madrid.

We knew it was going to be tougher for us today. I mean, for me, for everyone, really, is that, you know, after such a long match and finishing the doubles yesterday late at night, and going to bed like at 3:00 in the morning and then waking up again, I couldn't even sleep. I woke up like at 8:00. Coming back here and try to be our best as team, it's tough. We played two days in a row the two biggest teams I think they are in the world now.

You know, in my match I think it just showed that he kind of got on top of me, but of course I'm playing the No. 2 in the world. There's not much I can do.

Q. Roberto spoke about how your family, how united you are as a team in Ecuador. What next? How do you pick yourself up from here and presumably you focus on the qualifiers next year and getting back to the finals again?

EMILIO GOMEZ: Yeah, of course. I think we will be a really tough team to beat after these two ties, you know. Some of the times we were so close going back, even before the new format, we were close to going back and losing close matches, close matches. But the real thing that we have won the last couple years is that we actually have a really strong doubles team.

I think that makes us even more dangerous, because before that, we didn't have one. One of the singles guys had to go play doubles or even both singles guys have to go play doubles. I'm saying, with the new format, it's better to, you know, have me and Roberto play singles and then have Diego and Gonzalo play doubles and give us a rest. Have the time to rest, have the time to focus in our matches, they focus on their matches.

I think we are capable of winning all five rubbers if they are -- not talking about here in Madrid, but like in the qualifiers. So that's going to make us dangerous. I think if we play at home, it's even better for us, because we will choose the conditions. If we play away, well, everyone knows that we play indoors, it's going to be tough. If we play clay, it's going to be tough.

If you bring me Medvedev -- of course, that's different, but there is a only couple few guys that play at that level. Sometimes it's not normal (smiling).

But I'm pretty happy with everyone. We still have one more doubles to go, but the performance from everyone, it's been great. I think Roberto back up a little bit today with how he played, and I think that will give him extra belief. I think everything is going to come together. Everyone is going to come to together. We will be ready for next year and try to come back.