DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 24, 2023

Otto Virtanen

Team Finland

Press Conference

A. POPYRIN/O. Virtanen

7-6, 6-2

Team Australia - 1

Team Finland - 0

THE MODERATOR: We will start with English questions.

Q. Otto, the crucial aspect really was that first set and the tiebreak. Can you just talk about that? And how important was that, you know, for you? If you had won that, things could have been different.

OTTO VIRTANEN: Yeah, obviously the first set, if I manage to win the first set, the story would most likely be another story, most likely.

But yeah, I was strong in the first set. I felt it's my set. I had one set point. But he played also really good tiebreak. He kept me till the very last moment with his serve. He was serving great. I could not get a hold on his serve.

Yeah, he managed to get one more point in the end in the tiebreak on my serve. That decided the set and he was 1-0 up, which is a big advantage after such a set.

Q. Just wondering if you felt any differences in your game compared to the first match you played here against Diallo. Did you feel you were playing worse, same level, or was it just the difference maker in that first set, that very set point that you had that, as you said, could have changed everything?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Personally, I didn't feel as good as I felt in the first match on Tuesday. I felt I'm not playing as good. But, I mean, I think it's also when the other guy plays really good you feel that way. So I've got to give him that he played really good.

But that's what I think. I didn't serve as good as I served on Tuesday, which makes it always a little bit more difficult for me.

Q. Certainly Alexei lifted in that second set, but did you suffer also a little bit of a letdown, you got a bit demoralized after not converting the set point and losing the first set? Did you drop off a bit, as well?

OTTO VIRTANEN: I tried to just take a fresh start and start the match again, like, let's win two more sets. But it's not as easy when the other guy started playing also better on the second set. He was serving also better.

So I was really ready to break him, but I had no chances to break him on the second set. Just two double faults on the crucial moment on 30-All, and yeah, my serve was not great on the second set, which made it extremely hard to me.

He put a lot of pressure on my side, which I think I did well on the first set, and I could not get the same pressure on his side on the second set.

Q. We'll probably ask Jarkko this later on, but the whole experience for you as an individual player, being at this level of Davis Cup, what has that done for you? What do you think it will do for you with your tennis for 2024?

OTTO VIRTANEN: For the whole year, I think all the Davis Cup matches I played this year has been very good for my career, for the year. I always got a boost from Davis Cup. I played good on Davis Cup, and most of the time I can keep up for the next weeks after Davis Cup.

I think for the next year, I mean, depends if it's my last match of the year or if we still keep going, depends on Emil and some doubles, but it was a good end. I played here two sets especially very good today. I mean, other guy played really well. I lost, but that's how tennis is. I'm going to keep a smile on and keep moving forward.