US OPEN

September 10, 2022

Sam Schroeder

Niels Vink

Press Conference

SCHROEDER-VINK/Shaw-Wagner

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Straight sets, an hour and nine minutes. Would you give us an assessment of your performance.

SAM SCHROEDER: Yeah, I think today was quite an improvement on our first match, our first doubles match two days ago. It was very close double tiebreaks.

Today we just came out I think very confident in our level and in our ability to win. I think we were just able to play the way we wanted to play. We had a good plan and we were able to execute it very well.

NIELS VINK: Yeah, like Sam already said, we played very well, way better than the first doubles match here.

So, yeah, really happy with this win for the second time in a row. So that feels amazing (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you think your games complement each other on the court? Why do you play well together?

SAM SCHROEDER: Well, I think, first of all, we're both very solid from the baseline. We're both probably the best players just playing from the baseline already.

Then just getting Niels into the court, trying to poach, trying to get some volleys, really forces the opponent to have to play to me. If they don't, Niels is able to finish the point off.

I think that way we're building up the points very well.

NIELS VINK: Yeah, like Sam already said, our game strategy fits really good, and our play style, I mean, yeah, I like to go to the net, Sam likes to be on the baseline, playing long rally. For him it doesn't care six or seven. He likes it (smiling).

If it's too short, I can poach and play a volley.

Q. You mentioned how it was a step on from your semifinal. I've noticed this match compared to your other Grand Slam finals match, it seems you are starting to feel comfortable out there at this stage in finals. Back to Wimbledon, a very different final there to what we saw you achieve today.

SAM SCHROEDER: Yeah, it's definitely different, different surface, different kind of playing. But I think for me, at least personally, it's just being here for the third time and playing on Armstrong a couple times already, it just feels like a great court. It feels like I really know the court, how it works, how to play on it.

I think that's for me at least personally why I feel very comfortable, very - how do you say - I have a lot of confidence in playing the way I want to play, playing the way that we have to play to win.

So, yeah, again, it's just great confidence on that court I think.

Q. There was a bit of a moment on court, but you seemed really calm, just chilling out, going to let it happen. How do you do that when there's heated moments on court?

NIELS VINK: Yeah, we are talking a lot to each other, yeah, trying to keep ourself by our game plan. If someone is going a little bit out, we say it to each other, then we go back to the game plan, stay with ourselves.

We are not busy with our opponents. Yeah, just doing our own thing.

Q. Niels, you said yesterday you want to try and achieve as many Grand Slam titles as David Wagner.

NIELS VINK: Yeah.

Q. You just beat him.

NIELS VINK: I know, I know. He still has 20 or something. We have together now four.

SAM SCHROEDER: I think I so.

NIELS VINK: We have four together now. That's 16 more (laughter).

Q. That's a long career, though.

NIELS VINK: Yeah.