UNITED CUP

January 5, 2023

Vincenzo Santopadre

Matteo Berrettini

Team Italy

Press Conference

Team Poland - 3

Team Italy - 2

THE MODERATOR: Great match today. A lot of still very competitive, a lot of positives from this match today. How proud are you of your team and the results they have done today?

CAPTAIN SANTOPADRE: I think it's easy to be proud when you win, but I really am really, really proud also today. Maybe more today than the other days, because we gave everything we could give.

I think we are not happy of course with the result, but we must be happy and satisfied about the way we were fighting every single second.

So I like it a lot.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Matteo, I would just ask the same question: How did you feel with the tie games against Poland?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, we knew that it would have been a tough match, and it was like that, but like Vincenzo said and like I said to my teammates, I'm super proud of the team. We fought every single point.

Personally, I'm really happy for my performance after, you know, a long time with no playing I got three wins, so it feels nice. But again, it's not about me; it's about the team. I'm really happy, and I think that mixed doubles, they were clearly better than us, but we expected that. Iga and Hubi are a great team and probably the best of the competition.

We did everything we could do, and, yeah, we just take the loss.

Q. Matteo, you opened tonight's session. This was the first time I think this week in Brisbane a tie has gone down to a deciding mixed doubles rubber, and I think it's the most full the stadium has been as well. Even though the result didn't go your way, what was the atmosphere like playing in that? Because this is a new competition too so I'm not sure what you expected.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, honestly it was really nice from the very first point against Brazil. Like, we felt the atmosphere was great. A lot of support. A lot of people coming.

I can see how Brisbane loves tennis, loves to see these kind of matches. I think it's really nice for the fans to kind of switch from WTA to ATP, you know, like obviously the best level possible.

I think it's cool how the mixed doubles decides everything, you know. It's something unique, something that probably we needed in a way.

Yeah, personally I'm having a lot of fun with these guys, with these girls. It's something that, you know, it doesn't happen too often. We go out for dinners and stuff in the other tournaments, but not like this. I'm personally really liking it.

Q. Vincenzo, I might ask you, it's not confirmed yet but there is a potential that Italy could still go through to the semifinals in Sydney. What would that mean? What is the plan now? What do you do as a team? Do you watch what's happening in Perth and what would it mean if you were able to get through in the fourth position?

CAPTAIN SANTOPADRE: Of course now it's not depending on us, so we just have to wait. We are taking what is coming. Just wait.

Again, I say what I said before, we have to be happy and continue -- if there is the chance to continue, it would be really nice because I'm sure that if it happens, we will enjoy again.