ATP CUP

January 1, 2022

Ivan Sabanov

Dusan Lajovic

Filip Krajinovic

Nikola Cacic

Matej Sabanov

Team Serbia

Press Conference

CACIC-KRAJINOVIC/Durasovic-Ruud

7-6, 6-3

Team Serbia - 2

Team Norway - 1

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, exciting, winning with the doubles. If the captain can sum up the full day.

IVAN SABANOV: Yeah, very exciting day. First match was really, really good quality, I think, from Filip. He played really good. He serve well.

We had that one point. Then Dusey played really, really good match, I think. Maybe not from the beginning, but in the end it was like 50/50. So I think he fight well and I think his game was really, really high.

Then doubles obviously was very important for us to win that match, and Nikola is the most experienced, he has the most experience. He showed that on the court. He was the one who's leading. Filip also played very well. He served well. He covered the court well.

Yeah, in the end we won, and we are very happy.

Q. Nikola, could you just talk us through that crazy match point. What was going through your mind?

NIKOLA CACIC: "Please win this point" or "Don't lose this point" (smiling). I don't know.

Actually, we saved two match points before that last one? I struggled with the serve, I would say, all second set, you know. I was just thinking about my serve to make it good. When the point starts, I knew had to be good in the rally, and I stayed. He was trying to help me on the net. On the end, I just fight for the point, you know. Somehow we won the point after that match.

Q. Do you know how many times in your career you have won singles and doubles on the same day? Just generally how good does it feel that...

FILIP KRAJINOVIC: Yeah, I'd say it was my first time I won singles and doubles in same day. But it was a long day for me. I'm happy that we won. We beat Norway, they are very good team, they have Casper who is No. 8 in the world. So we are very happy that everything went well today.

Doubles, maybe we didn't play the best match in doubles, but good thing that we won. And, yeah, very excited about to play against Chile.

Q. Do you think if you have to play singles and doubles that the No. 2 singles player may have a little edge because he has a little more rest time than if you were No. 1 singles player?

FILIP KRAJINOVIC: Yeah, I had more rest today than him but those are the rules, and we cannot change anything. To be honest, I didn't know I'm gonna play also doubles. We decide last minute. As a team we decide we need to play, because Sabanov is also playing doubles, he's specialist in doubles, so I'm not playing doubles. Just when I'm needed, I play, but I'm not big fan of that.

Q. Dusan, I'm guessing that the enjoyment of having your team win overshadows the disappointment of your individual singles?

DUSAN LAJOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I mean, the good thing about the team competition is at the end of the day, we won as a team. Unfortunately I was not able to bring it home in the match, in the singles, but the boys did their job and everybody did their part.

At the end of the day, being disappointed with the singles, but at the end, the happiness overtook that feeling. We are back to zero and getting ready for the next match. I mean, doubles was a really good match. The boys were really fighting it through. They started with a break down, which is never easy in doubles. Everything moves quickly.

But they were able to get back on track, and I think that they played really good doubles even if they maybe didn't feel they played their best, but in the end, in these kind of pressure moments, they were there.

Q. Matej, what was it like for you to be part of that, being in the team zone?

MATEJ SABANOV: As Filip said already, we had very short time to decide about the doubles. Yeah, I was on the bench. I try my best to give them the energy, to be there for the team, and that was my role today. I'm very happy we got through.