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DAVIS CUP FINALS: ARGENTINA v RUSSIA

December 3, 2006

Nikolay Davydenko

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Nikolay Davydenko.

Q. What was the problem today for you? Was it a physical problem, a problem with your fitness, or a mental problem?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Actually, yesterday I was nervous. I played okay yesterday, but I was nervous.
Today I just went out on the court. Before I went onto the court, I was okay mentally. When I stepped on the court, I felt jittery. I was not relaxed. I felt like my muscles wouldn't obey me. I lost the sense of the ball. I was thinking, How can I play tennis possibly?

Q. I have the impression this surface suits best David Nalbandian. What do you think about the specific surface?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think it's pretty much the same surface. I won on it in Moscow and Paris. It was a similar surface. This one is a bit harder, the one we played on today. The one in the Kremlin Cup was a bit softer. There I was playing best-of-three sets. Here I had problems with this surface. Even actually in Moscow, the Kremlin Cup, I had some problems. I had to have a massage to my ankle.

Q. Nalbandian said he was pretty much in control of the match. Even if he lost the third set, he knew that he had the match under control. What do you think? Do you think should you have won the fourth set, you could possibly have won it in five sets?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Actually, I was thinking I'd be losing in three sets because I was down 2-6, 2-6. Then it so happened that I won the third because I got more relaxed and my forehand -- the forehand which I played lightly with high speed and topspin began to work for me. I broke him and I won the set.
I really didn't feel like I could be playing like that throughout the whole five sets. I wasn't ready for it morally.

Q. Did Shamil Tarpischev ask for your advice as to the candidacy to play today Nalbandian or you knew from the outset you would be playing that singles match today?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: There was no question that I'd be playing. It's just that this morning I asked who would be playing the decisive match. They told me it would be Safin for sure because Tursunov never had the experience of playing the fifth decider match in Davis Cup, he might be getting nervous should he be playing the fifth match.
Safin went out there and is playing now.

Q. Your brother was very supportive, gesturing, making signs to you. Weren't you a bit afraid he could be fined for coaching?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It's a team competition. Everyone is yelling really loud, trying to prompt something to the players. I tried to stay focused on the game. I tried to stay focused on my brother because he knows exactly what I need to do to improve. But I don't think anyone could have prompted me to do anything in the situation I was in. Nothing would have helped.

Q. You said you felt really jittery when you stepped out on the court. When was the last time you felt these jitters? What's the reason for it? Maybe it's because you're playing a team competition?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Truth to be said, I never felt anything like that. I was never so jittery, so insecure, so unconfident. I'm not nervous when I play individual matches. Even in Shanghai, I was playing well in the first set after a couple games. I would just get my confidence back.
It's the last match of the year and I really felt like I wasn't relaxed at all. I felt kind of frozen.

Q. The reaction of the crowd, the Argentines, was probably interfering with the game. What do you think about the crowd support when they were making noise, especially on the second serve?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It really didn't bother me. Of course, you hear this kind of noise, but you try to stay focused on the game. Luckily they were not making too much noise during the rallies.
In Argentina, it was much worse. They were yelling and making lots of noises even before the second serve. I had to make the pause longer in between points.

Q. To sum up the result of the match, what evaluation could you give to Nalbandian's game, what was surprising in his game to you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: He didn't surprise me at all because he could have no possible surprise for me. I know his tennis. He's playing clean tennis, trying to direct the ball and play fast tennis. That's how he beat me in Roland Garros, at the French Open. That's how he beat me today.
It's nothing new. You just have to play him the same kind of fast game.

End of FastScripts

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