DAVIS CUP FINALS

December 5, 2021

Vedran Martic

Marin Cilic

Borna Gojo

Mate Pavic

Nikola Mektic

Team Croatia

Press Conference

Russian Tennis Federation - 2

Croatia - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A real pity we couldn't see the doubles. This formula is okay. Marin nearly does it. Do you feel proud of your Davis Cup this year in general? Losing in final is not nice, but you played great.

VEDRAN MARTIC: Yeah, we played best what we could today. Match Borna against Rublev, Rublev is No. 5 in the world. Rublev played really well today match. Second set was very close tiebreak. Borna could win. Even if this shot was for him 6-4 in tiebreak, who knows what's happens. That was very good.

Marin first set was completely equal with Medvedev. Yeah, two tiebreak we lost, and that's it.

Q. Marin, last Wimbledon you gave a lot of trouble to Daniil Medvedev. Today I was wondering, did you feel that he played differently, tried something new that bother you more than during Wimbledon?

MARIN CILIC: I didn't feel that he did something different. I think today he was serving just little bit better overall in the whole match. I had the first set, 4-3 breakpoint, second serve, missed the return on the let. It was very close even there to get the break. Tiebreak very close again.

I even saw the statistics after the first set on the screen. I won more points on the rallies, I don't know, five and shots, he won the more points with five shots and less.

It was great match again. I think the level was definitely great for first set and a half. Definitely pity to lose the first set.

Looking from my own side, I had two great matches with Novak, with him, also last week with Sinner in Torino. I still can be proud with the effort.

As Vedran said, we are just sorry we couldn't get one point to get the doubles guys in the court.

Q. You had some Croatian fans coming at the last minute today. It would be more difficult to happen in Abu Dhabi or the Arab Emirates next year. What do you think about this choice that is going to be made I think? Is there any chance that Croatia would ever host a round-robin group next year since there will be four different groups in four different European cities? I don't know if Zagreb or Split could have one of those. Do you think there is any chance?

VEDRAN MARTIC: I don't know. We are straight in the final for next year. I don't know if Zagreb, Split will compete to organize Davis Cup group. I'm not sure. You need to see the tennis federation.

MARIN CILIC: The round-robin?

VEDRAN MARTIC: I don't know. We need to see with the federation. Maybe federation will organize that. I don't know.

Abu Dhabi? I don't know how it will be. We need to see what is decision. I don't know how will be there.

MARIN CILIC: Great part to it is going to be the World Cup in Doha. Might be a great invitation also for the football fans to watch tennis.

Q. Marin, could you speak generally about your opponent today, Daniil Medvedev. You've obviously played in an era with some of the best players of all time. What makes him so special, so difficult to play?

MARIN CILIC: I mean, you could see that he was serving amazing. That's his rock of his game. When he's serving great, he's going to play also good. He has more chances to attack, more chances on the return. I was expecting this.

I think I played smart. I played a good match. I had some chances. I didn't convert. Maybe if it was different time, different place, could be just different.

Overall definitely he's playing at the level where he's at, at the top of the men's tennis game, and winning the US Open now, so special. Definitely expecting from him great things.

Q. Borna, you made an incredible week with many victories over top-50 guys. What are the key learnings for you for the next season to build up the ranking, the confidence?

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, I mean, I just need to be more consistent. I need to have a better focus in every match, try my best. I hope my next season can be better than this one.

But, yeah, definitely have to be way more consistent than I am right now.

Q. Usually we don't care much about doubles. I'm joking. But when Davis Cup comes, is good to have a couple. Are you going on? Is okay to be a specialist in doubles?

NIKOLA MEKTIC: Yeah, that's what we do during the year (smiling). It's not like we only play the doubles for Davis Cup. It definitely helps, especially in this system. Doubles just brings one out of three points, so is very, very important.

I think Croatia is lucky that have a very, very great doubles players, not only the two of us, but many more. That's something that definitely going to help us in the future of Davis Cup.

Q. Marin, you got to experience the Davis Cup this year with three cities. Now it's going to be four cities and a fifth neutral venue. What do you make of that idea? How do you think it would work? What was the three-city venue like for you?

MARIN CILIC: I mean, it's definitely different than what it used to be. Before Davis Cup was going through the whole year. Lucky for us for the two finals we played, in the semifinals we were playing at home. The emotional part was so much bigger. After the win in the semifinals, was huge celebrations with the fans at home. Just different.

Over here in Torino we had nice group of fans that came to support us. Over here as well. It was amazing small group, but they gave us great support.

It definitely is different. But it's tough to say in the end what is better, what is not. For us worked, the whole system worked. This new system worked amazingly well. Three finals in five years, it's just incredible for our small team.