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DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP FINAL: FRANCE v SERBIADecember 4, 2010Arnaud ClementGuy ForgetMichael LlordaBELGRADE, SERBIA CLEMENT-LLODRA/Zimonjic-Troicki THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. The incident at the end of the second set, do you think that was a turning point in the match? Did it galvanize your team in a way? CAPTAIN FORGET: I don't think it was the incident. They've played so many games. It was so long that, of course, it was an incident and it was unfortunate. I mean, you know, these four guys know each other so well. Actually they're good friends. They get along well together. There were other possibilities further in the match to turn the match around. I think it was very hard for them because they were far behind. But it was a typical Davis Cup match with that unbelievable atmosphere. I knew they could come back, but I knew it was going to be very, very difficult. At times we saw unbelievable tennis, but it was a good match, though. Q. If both the players could comment. ARNAUD CLEMENT: It's going to be the same answer. We think exactly the same. I don't think one point, one people screaming on one point, can make the difference for a match like we played more than 4 hours and 30 minutes. Q. Michael, you seemed a little flat today. Is there any reason for that? Could it have any impact on if you're asked to play singles tomorrow? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, I was a little bit nervous, you know, this morning. I knew today we have to win this point, not to win the Davis Cup, but to lead tonight. That's typical Davis Cup match. I was tight in the beginning of the match. With Arnaud, he helped me a lot. That's the difference when you play with one of your best friends. Sometimes when you play with someone else, you can find the good words at the good moment. Today he helped me a lot. With the captain also, with Guy, to the chair, he find also the good word. I mean, it was better at the end. I mean, my leg doesn't move so well today, but anyway we won the match. Q. There's nothing stopping you playing a singles tomorrow, if necessary? MICHAEL LLODRA: We'll see. We'll see. At the moment we enjoy the victory. We'll see tonight. Q. Can Guy comment on the singles if it's 2-2? CAPTAIN FORGET: I haven't thought about it. We just talk about the match with Arnaud and Mika. I have some ideas. But now I want to make sure, I want to speak to Michael later on tonight, see how he feels, and speak with Gilles, because he's been going out there and playing with Gael. They've been hitting balls together. We have one more point to win and two more matches to go. I'm going to try to put the best players possible. But Gael is ready for his first match against Novak. I think that is going to be an unbelievable match because both of them are playing really well. They're great competitors. Both of them are pretty fresh because they haven't played doubles. Then I'll decide a bit later on tonight or eventually tomorrow. I won't tell them before noon so they stay really nervous and focus. No, I don't want to speculate on that at the moment. Q. Guy, could you talk a little bit about Arnaud's leadership out there on the court. You mentioned it in your on-court interview, too. CAPTAIN FORGET: I've known Arnaud and Michael for a long, long time. Their relationship goes beyond the fact that they play doubles together. In the past, I've seen them play a lot of matches in Davis Cup and on the tour. At times Michael has been like the head guy, and Arnaud was like in the footsteps. Other times it's the other way around. That's why they've had so much success in the past. That's why they get along really well together. Had they not been friends, have this really strong relationship together, there was no way they could have come back and win that match. I think a doubles team is like a couple. You go through storms together, but eventually you're very proud that your relation goes for a long time and you're able to achieve wonderful things. I think today was wonderful doubles for both of them in a lot of different ways. Q. Guy, do you think the manner of this victory, not the fact that you won, but the way you won the doubles today, gives France a huge psychological advantage in the first singles tomorrow? Do you think it's your best chance to win the tie? CAPTAIN FORGET: I don't look at it that way. When you get to the finals and you've been playing so many matches since the beginning of the year... Our campaign started in Maastricht in Holland a long time ago. Since then we've been growing and getting better. When I made the team, I try to focus on who I want to play. I kept Michael on the side so he could be really fresh for doubles and I'm glad I did that. The match was really long today. Michael was playing better towards the end. He was fit and moving better in the end than he was in the beginning. Had he played against Novak in the first round, maybe he wouldn't have been that good in the end. You know, we're up 2-1, but it's far from over. I mean, you guys in the semis were down 2-1 and you won the match against the Czech Republic, right? I guess probably the captain is going to tell Novak and his boys tonight that the same thing could happen again, and it could very well do. Now my concern is get Gael fit and motivated for tomorrow, that he plays the match the right way, and get the second player, if he needs to play. That's our goal. Our goal was not to win the doubles, it's to win the tie. We didn't come to make a good fight and lose. At the moment we are on plan. Q. Arnaud, can you explain to us something about the feelings you had today. You were down, then up. Technically, what was the key returning better? ARNAUD CLEMENT: The key was the spirit we had on the court. It was not easy to start the third set because two sets down, mentally it's very, very difficult. You know, we have the chance to know each other very well. We have the chance to have this captain on the chair. We have a chance to have all this team and all this public for us. It's unbelievable feeling to have all the people. During one time this week, Guy told us, Think about something: In France, in front of the TV, millions of people are here watching, wanting you to win. I think about this during the match today. To win this match for all these people, for the team, it's a fantastic feeling. End of FastScripts |
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