BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 19, 2024

Matej Liptak

Rebecca Sramkova

Tereza Mihalikova

Viktoria Hruncakova

Team Slovakia

Press Conference

HRUNCAKOVA-MIHALIKOVA/Nicholls-Watson

6-2, 6-2

Team Great Britain - 1

Team Slovakia - 2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations for the victory. You are in the final. We will start with questions in English.

Q. Many congratulations to you all. It was brilliant to watch. So very well done. Tereza, it was very emotional out there clearly for you. Could I ask you to sum up your emotions when that winning point was made?

TEREZA MIHALIKOVA: I think just realizing that we are into the finals. I mean, we were happy after each round, but today we played for the finals. It's obviously bigger.

After our first singles, you know, we were a little bit further from it, but then Rebecca gave us a chance. I was actually thinking about the emotions after we finish, how it would feel if we would be in the finals. It came true, so I was just very happy.

Q. The emotions that you thought about, did they live up to expectations when it actually happened?

TEREZA MIHALIKOVA: No, I actually do it quite often. I just visualize the emotions when I win, and I go with them into the match and it just makes me play more freely (smiling).

Q. Viktoria, same question for you. A wonderful moment. Can you sum up your emotions at that final moment?

VIKTORIA HRUNCAKOVA: Yeah, it was amazing, you know, to make that final point, to get to finals. It was absolutely amazing. We are all just so happy that it worked out in this deciding doubles.

Q. Matej, you stressed all week that Slovakia are a small nation. You have just beaten the third Grand Slam nation on the trot. This is a massive moment for Slovakia, isn't it?

CAPTAIN MATEJ LIPTAK: Absolutely special moment for our country, for our players, for tennis in Slovakia. It's so many years when we won it once only, and personally me, I was so close to be in the final in one match already.

But today it's really real, and we are just one step from the maybe biggest victory of our team or team members. We will try to enjoy it tomorrow, and it's unbelievable happy. The team is unbelievable happy, and we will try to enjoy also this moment now.

Q. Rebecca, magnificent victory for you in the singles. You are all young. It was 2002 when Slovakia last won. Have you been told about that victory and other people in that team, very influential people for the modern-day player?

REBECCA SRAMKOVA: Yeah, we have one member in the team which was the member in 2002, Husarova. She told us about it.

Q. How much are you looking forward to the final now? Italy are very good opponents. How much are you looking forward to testing yourselves against them?

REBECCA SRAMKOVA: We have nothing to lose, so we are going just to enjoy to the fullest.

Q. Congratulations. We wish you a lot of luck tomorrow.

REBECCA SRAMKOVA: Thank you.

Q. Hello. Congratulations. Well done. I'd like to know from all of you how much came as inspiration from the wins of Hantuchova, Cibulkova, Mecir? I mean, Slovak tennis is a great tradition. Congratulations. Then afterwards, I will ask you about the Paolini. But now, first, this question. Can you answer about how important has been for you, those names, those wins, and everything else?

VIKTORIA HRUNCAKOVA: Yeah, I think it was amazing to growing up when there was these amazing players. It was absolutely amazing to watch them on the TV when I was younger.

Then they were playing so good for so many years, and it was privilege for me to catch up and play a couple of tournaments same as they did, couple of them like Dominika, for example. So it was a pleasure. I'm just so happy that we had these type of idols in our country.

CAPTAIN MATEJ LIPTAK: For I think the names you said, it's legends of Slovak tennis. We know each other personally, but I think after this moment also all my girls will be legends now. Even if they don't finish tomorrow. Because this is really special moment for them, for the country, so everybody will know that who was in that team. And we will try to go for one more match.

Q. Can I ask Sramkova, you played six times against Paolini, I think. You won four. I mean, what do you expect? Because Paolini is getting better, no, in the last year? You met her before and afterwards. What do you remember of those matches? What do you expect? What do you know about Paolini?

REBECCA SRAMKOVA: I'm getting better too (smiling).

Q. Good.

REBECCA SRAMKOVA: I'm so happy that I can play against her again in her form. So we are looking for that. I didn't expect nothing like win or lose. I'm just going to enjoy it.

Q. What do you know about Bronzetti and Cocciaretto? Who has some experience with them? What do you remember, your match against them?

VIKTORIA HRUNCAKOVA: Yeah, we played against them at home, Billie Jean King Cup, and we lost the deciding doubles. I think it was 5-7 in the third. It was a very painful loss, so we have a lot to make up for.

I think we're gonna all enjoy every single match, every single point. As you can see, we support each other. We give all our hearts out there. So far it's working, so we're going to keep doing that.