ATP CUP

January 3, 2022

Roberto Bautista Agut

Pablo Carreno Busta

Team Spain

Press Conference

R. BAUTISTA AGUT/C. Ruud

6-4, 7-6

Team Spain - 2

Team Norway - 0

THE MODERATOR: Another good day for you today. Just briefly sum up your two singles, especially you, Roberto, a great win against a top-10 player to give the 2-0 lead.

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Well, it's true that it was really important to be 2-0. We know that Casper is a really good player. Roberto makes a good job today.

And I think that for me it was a good experience today on court. Much better than the first day. It's normal also to be better than the first day. I get to read him. I get also the confidence with the victory two weeks ago and feeling more comfortable on court. It's important now to be improving my level, to be improving the confidence.

We know that we won the two matches, but now we need to be focused for the next against Serbia, because maybe we need to win also this next one.

ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT: I think it's very important, as Pablo said, that we are 2-0. Still we have to play the levels now. We know every point is very important.

And today I'm very happy. I think I show up really good level on the court. That's why I beat Casper, because he's a really good player. He was serving very well. He was playing aggressive and, well, it's a very important victory for me and we are very focused on today's doubles match and also in the next tie against Serbia.

Q. Roberto, you said on court how great Casper's been playing. Was there anything in particular you were focused on that you wanted to do in the match strategy-wise?

ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT: Well, I had to be very focused on the return and I had to try to play aggressive to don't give easy balls on the middle of the court to his forehand.

And I tried to play very aggressive to find his backhand as many times as possible and also try to put pressure going to the net sometimes and, well, today it was a great match and a very good win for me.

Q. Pablo, how important is it for you as the No. 2 singles player to always give the country such a good start right away and the 1-0 lead?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, I know that normally my opponents are easier than Roberto's opponents, but it's very important the first point to be up, to give the confidence to Roberto, to give the calm to Roberto, and it's important to the team that I play my best level because we know that every point counts here in this ATP Cup, so I'm happy because I'm doing the work today better than the other day.

Q. Roberto, how much are you enjoying, obviously Pablo and the rest of the guys you know very well, but spending so much time with the rest of your countrymen and especially some of the younger Spanish guys with Alex and Pedro?

ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT: I always like to play as a team, I like to play team competitions. Pablo and Albert and me we played many times together, we are really good team and we are also happy having Pedro and Alex on the team. I think they have a great future on the team competitions with Spain and I think we spend a good time on the court and off the court and it will be for sure a great week.