CHINA OPEN

October 2, 2024

Simone Bolelli

Andrea Vavassori

Press Conference

BOLELLI-VAVASSORI/Heliovaara-Patten

4-6, 6-3, 10-5

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your win today. We see a very successful partnership in 2024: three ATP Tour titles, especially one here in Beijing, and two Grand Slam finals. How do you assess your performance today? Do you see it as a revenge against the other team considering what happened in Wimbledon this year?

ANDREA VAVASSORI: I think they are a very good team. We struggled a lot in Wimbledon. They won the title, so they prove they are one of the best team in the world right now. We knew also today would have been a very tight match.

I think they played amazing all the match. We were fighting really hard to stay close to them. Also the second set, they had a lot of opportunities to break on our serves.

I think the key of the match was just to fight, to stay there. I think we did very good. Also the first chance that we had, we took it on 4-3, then we play an amazing tiebreak.

Really happy. First time for me in Beijing, so also happy to be here, to discover a new city for me. We keep going next week in Shanghai.

SIMONE BOLELLI: Yeah, I mean, today was a really tough final. We knew from the beginning was tough. We play against them in Wimbledon already this year.

When you play against one lefty and one right hand, is not easy to find especially the return, the rhythm. So today especially by myself, I didn't start really good. Then to the second set, I start to feel better.

As Andrea said, we fight every game. We were a little bit lucky on the 4-3 on deuce point to break them. Then we play I think a really good super tiebreak.

So very good week for us. Honestly very good year. We try always to improve our game. Doubles is coming very tough every years. Every month there are a lot of player that are playing really good doubles. So is not easy also to win every week, to win matches, to stay there every week. But we are trying to doing. Now we are focused for the rest of the season. Happy to won here in China.

THE MODERATOR: I don't know if I saw it correctly, but I saw that Andrea said something to you in the trophy ceremony from the bottom of his heart. Can you speak to us a little bit about your story or about your partnership.

SIMONE BOLELLI: Yeah, we start last year. I was playing with Fabio. He was playing with another player. Somehow we split with our partner. We try to talk. We just say, Let's try. We are same nationality. Also this one is a good point for us.

We start on the grass season. We didn't play the end of the year together. I was a little bit injured, so I didn't play the indoor season. So we start this year really focused, really motivated. We start already with a big final in Melbourne. This is a really good power for us from the start of the year. We kept these results as energy, as confidence until now.

We have a really good relationship also outside the court. This is very important. We are friends. Our team is working always together with fun. We enjoy. Every week we travel a lot. Is not an easy life. But we try to do our best.

ANDREA VAVASSORI: Yeah, I always look at him as an example. I was growing up watching him and Fabio. They were one of the best team for Italy in the history of tennis. They won a slam in Australia.

I had to prove him I was very good also on the ad side because I was also playing on the deuce side, as him (smiling).

I think after the beginning of the season we already understand we could be a very good team last year. Is amazing that we are in the third position in the world as a team at our first season together.

We are really enjoying it. We will keep working as a team. At Simone said, it's also great to be friends outside of the court. We never said something bad also in the defeats this year. We are always working in the right way, enjoying the process.

It's really fun to be with him, with the team every week. I think we just keep going. I think he will play more years, so that's a nice thing (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. After a very impressive year, especially after China Open champions, you now have a very big chance into the ATP Finals for the first time. Are you feel excited about that because it will be held in Italy, in your country?

SIMONE BOLELLI: Yeah, we are really excited. First of all, they're in Italy, so we're going to have a lot of crowd, a lot of people that are going to support us.

Second actually is city of Andrea. Andrea is from Turin. I think we're going to have a lot of crowd by our side. So yeah, we are really, really happy to be there.

The season is not finish. We have still a lot of tournament, a lot of appointments. We also have Davis Cup. We have two Masters Series in front of us.

But yeah, for sure Turin is going to be exciting.

Q. In the China Open, in terms of player training and fitness, the gym, the lounge, the locker room, we have been upgrading the facilities. Do you have any comments on the upgrades, including practice courts? Do you have any plans in Beijing after this tournament?

ANDREA VAVASSORI: Yeah, for me is the first time here in Beijing, so I don't know how was before, but it was a very great week for me. I really enjoy the time here. I think the people were very welcoming to us, very nice hotel. The site is unbelievable, one of the best I think. We have so many courts also to practice, big stadium. The food also was good, a lot of variety. The locker rooms were nice.

Very nice week overall. For sure I will look forward in the next years to come back.

Q. In the past years we've seen good performances from Italian players, for example Sinner, Musetti, as well as women players. In general, we're seeing a higher capacity from Italy. What is your comment on that? Do you have special policies in Italy to encourage tennis improving?

SIMONE BOLELLI: Well, I mean, now, yeah, there are lot of Italian tennis players, girls and boys. We have a lot of players that are growing up respecting in the past.

I don't know, I think something change like the coach, like the way to work. There are a lot of people now in Italy start to following tennis. Before maybe there was only football, soccer. Now tennis is growing.

I mean, Sinner for sure is the No. 1 that start all this. But we have a lot of players: Berrettini, Musetti, Cobolli, then a lot of players also between 100 and 200. In the girls maybe less, but the same. Paolini, Errani, they are going great.

I don't know exactly what there is, but now is our moment. I know we try to do our best, try to enjoying. I don't know, that's it.