ATP CUP

January 2, 2022

Gilles Cervara

Daniil Medvedev

Roman Safiullin

Russian Tennis Federation

Press Conference

MEDVEDEV-SAFIULLIN/Martin-RogerVasselin

6-4, 6-4

Team Russia - 2

Team France - 1

THE MODERATOR: Not an afternoon that you expected, but it ended the way you wanted. Sum up the three crazy matches.

GILLES CERVARA: Yeah, exactly, was amazing afternoon. Before the match I said to Daniil, Why did they put the second tie at 5:30? We start at 10:00. I don't realize those kind of match can be very long (smiling).

Exactly. Now I know it can be very, very long.

Q. Roman, is this how you dreamed of things going last night, that you would be the one to win two points for the team?

ROMAN SAFIULLIN: No, actually, it was great day for me. I just bring one point. So the second point we share with Daniil because we both won, of course. It's not like I brought two points and Daniil was sitting, like, Come on, Roman.

Q. In the doubles I saw at least one time when the ball was in the middle of your team, that you didn't take it on the forehand or Daniil on the backhand. Did you discuss this before the match what would happen?

ROMAN SAFIULLIN: We discuss a little bit, but not -- during the match we also said, like, Better that I take it, but sometimes if I'm far back, then it doesn't make sense to me to run for my forehand because Daniil can have really good backhand. It all depends on the situation. But of course if I can take it, like if I'm in the middle of the court, then I take it.

Q. Daniil, does Russia have yet another secret weapon?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: 100%. You know, I think today the emotions I experienced throughout all the day I don't think -- I mean, yeah, I definitely had some emotional moments in my career, but this one would be in the top three, top five, because, I mean, just look at Roman's match already, the way he fought back after tough first set where we can say he lost it quite easy, and then the way he fought back, the way he played was unreal.

My match was unreal. I'm disappointed that I lost, but it was another real match where I was cramping since end of the second set, but yet managed, you know, to almost win it.

And the doubles, because, yeah, maybe we are definitely not the best doubles players in the world, but the level we played today and the way actually Team Russia managed to win gave me so much emotions that I cannot even explain them, because definitely for the tournament is definitely better to win 2-0, 6-0, 6-0 two times, easy, but this will not give you these emotions.

Q. Going into the doubles match given you had both played three-set singles and they had a fresh doubles specialist team, what did you think your chances were, 50/50? Less? More?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: When I heard I had 25 minutes to get ready for doubles, I was not really happy. It's definitely not enough when you play a three-hour match and you're cramping. I was, like, Well, again, I'm not playing for myself here. I'm playing for Russia, for my country. If I have to die on the court, I will try to do it and try to win.

I don't know how my body's going to feel tomorrow, but I'm happy that today I managed to still help the team to win even if it was not the singles.

Q. You used to say that it was your celebration not to have a celebration when you won. Is that all out the window now? You looked pretty emotional when you jumped into the team zone at the end.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, definitely not out of the window. As I said, yeah, today was really emotional. Was doubles match, so I had a partner close to me and is different when you have somebody by your side.

Again, I mean, the emotions I felt during the match already in the doubles when we broke in the second set was unbelievable, and I think I could hold them, but I didn't want to.

Q. Daniil, with today's match up 7-6, 3-Love, what happened? The cramping obviously was noticeable. How were you actually feeling physically? When was the last time that you went through some of that sort of stress physically?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it happens when you play tough three-set matches on peak intensity.

I mean, I have to say I played, so in Sydney when I won, there was no roof yet. Then I played just two matches against Novak and Diego with the roof. And I don't like it. Like, it's just a torture. It's so hot and humid in there, is unbelievable. I think the last time, what you're saying, I felt like this in Tokyo during Olympic Games.

Today during the match, actually big congrats to Ugo, because he seemed fresh, I don't know if it's true or no, but I was like, as I say, I was feeling like torture in there; no air, nothing to breathe, super humid, sweating. I think I changed four or five T-shirts. I mean, it was really tough.

Q. When was the last time you gave one of your shirts to a doubles partner to also wear?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: That was the first time, I think. I mean, maybe in juniors something like this happen, but I think that was pretty cool, we looked like a really good team, and he had really good sponsor with him today.

ROMAN SAFIULLIN: Yeah, that's true. Like first sponsor is Daniil and like second I had it on the side, on the T-shirt.