DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 22, 2022

Paul Haarhuis

Botic Van De Zandschulp

Team Netherlands

Press Conference

A. de MINAUR/B. van de Zandschulp

5-7, 6-3, 6-4

Team Australia - 2

Team Netherlands - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Paul, I know it must have been such a heartbreaker sitting courtside for both matches that could have gone the way of The Netherlands?

CAPTAIN HAARHUIS: Yeah, it's a tough loss. You know, you're coming out here to compete, and it went kind of the way I expected. I expected us to play well and to have chances in both matches. We played well enough to create chances.

Yeah, and it's a tough loss to not even play the doubles. You know, I felt like we at least deserved to play doubles for the win of the tie. That's how good we played.

I guess that's sports. You know, you've got to make them win the last point, and the Aussies did that. Yeah, that's basically one or two points' difference.

Q. Botic, there was a high-quality match throughout. The last few games in particular went to yet another level. But your thoughts on tonight?

BOTIC van de ZANDSCHULP: Yeah, I think from the beginning we both played a very good match, and we served well. Yeah, first set I won on a couple of points, and in the second set he started to play better. I started to play a little bit sloppy in the beginning.

Yeah, in the third set I think the level went even higher than the first two. Yeah, had some chances to break him. He played some good points there, and, yeah, in the last game I made one or two mistakes, and he made two good points. Yeah, you lose the match.

Q. Botic, that game at 4-All was full of some extraordinary rallies and you had chances. How were you feeling coming out for serving at 4-5? Were you a little bit deflated, or were you as confident as you had been earlier in the set?

BOTIC van de ZANDSCHULP: Yeah, of course I had some chances at 1-All, 3-All, I had 15-30 or Love-30 I think on his serve, 4-All some chances.

Yeah, you know, if I'm not taking the chances, I think he's going to take it. That's most of the time how it works.

Yeah, what I just said, I played two sloppy points, he played two good points, and, yeah, I had to win the match to stay in the tie, and, yeah, I think he was a little bit more free. He could have win the match or he didn't need to win the match to finish the tie.

CAPTAIN HAARHUIS: Just a comment on that, just one more from my side. I mean, I think the level was so high. I think Botic showed again, like he did in Glasgow, that it takes a special player to beat him in Davis Cup, and, well, against de Minaur, showed he's a special player. He came up with the goods.

Yeah, I was just enjoying, as a coach, I was enjoying the match. I mean, it was such high level. It was phenomenal, yeah.