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DAVIS CUP FINALS: RUSSIA v U.S.A.November 30, 2007Shamil TarpischevMikhail YouzhnyPORTLAND, OREGON (All answers through translation unless otherwise noted.) THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Shamil, I would like to have you assess the play of your singles players. You chose them for tactical reasons you said yesterday. How did your tactics work out? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: Well, we were not counting on Tursunov so much as counting on Youzhny winning, and we were very close to working out that way. If that would have happened it would have been very different on the third day. And I think that the second match was played very well. They were very even. It's just that fortune went to Blake. I think if we'd have had a fifth set, we would have won. We had a good chance of winning. Q. Mikhail, if you could answer in English. You're the only Russian player who had a positive record against James Blake. You beat him last year in Moscow. Actually now it's 1-1. Despite your loss today, is he a comfortable player to play against for you and why? So why do you feel comfortable playing Blake? MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: (In English.) So you know last year we play on clay, but it was another situation. It was in Moscow clay. A big plus for us. We play home. The same situation here, but opposite: now James Blake home. It was very close match like last year, four sets also. But today maybe he play a little bit better. Maybe he be a little bit lucky than me. But, anyway, I think it was very good two matches I play against him. Q. Have you thought about doubles tomorrow, who is going to play? What do you expect? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: I haven't thought about it except that the ones that I have posted to play, that is Andreev and Davydenko. Q. You said that James played a little better than he did last year. MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: (In English.) Maybe. Q. Is he a better player than he was last year? MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: (In English.) No, I mean, it's big difference play Blake on clay in Moscow and Blake indoor in USA. Even if we play even on clay in USA it's big difference for Blake. Inside, outside USA. It's like home country. You feel crowd very well. So I can say he start to play better. You know him like very good player for all surfaces. That's why, yeah, last year in Davis Cup he play not like today, but because we make the surface and everything was for us. Q. How difficult is the crowd? Does it get into your head or are you able to shut it out? MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: (In English.) It's not difficult because it's nice crowd. They understand the tennis. They understand this game. They didn't disturb me a lot. You know, they try to help to James, to Andy, to the team, but not against Russia. This is very well. Q. Captain Tarpischev, Dmitry tried very hard, but obviously had some problems today. If you could do it all over again, would you have chosen Davydenko? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: Well, I think that our best chances to beat Blake today were with Youzhny out of all the players that we have today. I don't think that Davydenko would have beaten Blake today. Q. But against Andy? Are you going to put Davydenko for the fifth match, if there is one? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: The fourth match. Yes, that was possible, an option. Q. Shamil, what do you tell your team tonight to lift their spirits and give them some hope for tomorrow and the rest of the weekend? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: The thing is, we've got a good team. Basically we knew what our realistic chances were before the tournament, and now after. They're just going to try all out and show the best tennis that we have. Q. Mikhail, was it in your thinking that the longer the match went on, the better chance you would have against Blake? There sometimes have been questions about his endurance on the court. MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: (In English.) No, we don't think about chances when you go into court. We know USA is great team and very tough to beat James and Andy here because it's good surface for both, and, you know, good atmosphere for him. We know they have more chances. But when you go into court, you don't thinking. You just to try play every point. You just fight. You see it's today just a little bit bad luck for me. Some points maybe first, second set, we can change the match. Q. Captain Tarpischev, on a scale from 1 to 10, what are your chances tomorrow against Mike and Bob Bryan? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: I don't know about on any scale, but of course the American team has very good chances tomorrow of winning. But, as they say, the ball is round, so anything can happen. End of FastScripts |
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