DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 28, 2021

Frank Dancevic

Team Canada

Press Conference

GOLUBEV-NEDOVYESOV/Polansky-Schnur

6-4, 6-7, 6-1

Kazakhstan - 3

Canada - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously it was always going to be a tough ask this week without some of your best players. Just generally what are your reaction to the experience of the week in Madrid?

FRANK DANCEVIC: Yeah, you know, going in, we went from being the favorites in this group to, you know, having a tough task ahead of us.

But, look, definitely a tough week for us. I thought that we had a little bit of a shaky start in the first match against Sweden. Guys weren't really sharp going in the matches.

Today I thought the guys played great, starting with Brayden and his match. I thought he played an incredible match, had chances. Could have gone either way in my opinion, that match.

Same with Vasek. Bublik came up with incredible shots in the tiebreaker to finish that match, and I feel like if we could have pushed that to a third set anything could have happened, and then with the doubles we would have probably put Vasek and Brayden for the doubles.

But overall, I thought they gave their hearts out there this week, and they did everything they could to, you know, to try to get us through. We knew we had to win 3-0 today to have a chance through the qualifying, and it was a really, really tough task. But in the end we'll keep our heads up and regroup, assess a few things from this week and move forward from here.

Q. You mentioned that great performance from Brayden today, obviously coming so close. Just wondering how was he afterwards? What do you say to him to pick him up after that?

FRANK DANCEVIC: Yeah, you know, as a professional athlete, it's not his first time losing a close match like this. So, you know, I think he knows that he played really well. Kukushkin, he's a great player, he's experienced veteran on tour.

I thought it was a very high quality match from both guys. You know, just keep his head up. He's playing great tennis. I feel like he has a good future ahead of him if he can keep this level and keep playing like this through the season.

I think it's good for guys like Brayden to get the opportunity to play these matches, as well, because it gives him a little bit of a confidence boost in other tournaments, as well, other events coming up.

Q. Obviously you never want to lose, but is there a sort of silver lining that by not reaching the final this time you actually get a qualifying tie and possibility that it's in Canada and that you might have a chance to come together as a team again sooner?

FRANK DANCEVIC: For sure. I mean, we are a very strong team. Win or lose, we're going to go out there, we fight, and we regroup. We have lost in the past. We haven't won every time in the past four years. We have lost.

We have had to just go back to the drawing board and see where we can improve, where we can get better. We come back, we come back stronger the next time.

I know the guys, it's definitely tough. We're going to go over these losses and what happened, but we'll bounce back. We'll bounce back stronger in the future, I'm confident.

Q. What can you say about that crazy shot that Bublik hit I think on the second set point against Vasek, the angled dropshot, whatever, slice? Generally what can you say about the way he plays and some of his kooky shots and stuff?

FRANK DANCEVIC: Yeah, he's very tough player to play. I thought he played exceptionally well today. What did he serve, 100% first-serve percentage first set, between 215 and 225? I mean, it's pretty difficult to return when a guy is serving like that.

Second set, Vasek had a few looks, but, you know, if you can come up with shots like that in the tiebreaker at 6-5 in a tiebreaker, dropshot, crosscourt, clearing the net by 3 millimeters on the outside of the line to win the point, then too good. You've just got to say, Too good. I thought Vasek played really well, turned the match around in the second set.

His competitive spirit came out, his Davis Cup spirit shined in the second set, and he was in there. I really felt like if he got through that second set, Bublik was starting to think about it.

Anyway, we can always go back and wonder what would happen, but it was great performance from Vasek and from the guys this week. You know, it's unfortunate that we didn't get any wins, but it was so close, some of the matches, and I feel like it could have went either way. There was a couple points' difference that really changed the matches there.

Q. Do you know who exactly is playing on the ATP Cup team for Canada, which guys are going to play on that team?

FRANK DANCEVIC: I have no idea. I really don't. I have no idea. I haven't -- I'm not part of that. Wasn't -- I have no idea. Sorry, I can't answer that question.