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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 12, 2013Sam QuerreyINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA S. QUERREY/M. Matosevic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Can I ask you to talk about your reaction to the Los Angeles and San Jose tournaments leaving the States and why you think that is and what, if any, effect that has on American tennis? SAM QUERREY: I'm bummed to see them go. I don't know how that works for sponsorships and things, but I know that one is going to Colombia and ‑‑ one is going to South America, and I think, you know, tennis is big in those areas. I think they can just get bigger, bigger crowds, bigger sponsorships, more top players, then I think that's kind of what it comes down to. Q. To follow on that, how much at all does that hurt tennis in the U.S. if you don't have a Southern California men's event? SAM QUERREY: This is Southern California. Q. Well, Los Angeles, two Southern California events. SAM QUERREY: Yeah, it's a bummer, but we still do have, you know, 15 tournaments here. We have the bulk of the season in America, so I can't complain too much. To take one out of Southern California which is arguably the biggest U.S. tennis‑based population is a bummer and I hope they can bring one back, but I feel like to have one in Los Angeles, it needs to be at least a 500, maybe a Masters Series, because I feel like people there, they need the big names to draw in the people. Q. Do you think the LA Tennis Challenge could ever fill that niche? SAM QUERREY: Yeah, just that one night over 9,000 people came. That was huge. You know, I think that's going to definitely help to ‑‑ you know, even if they can't bring a tournament, you know, the exhibition helps, and maybe they could bring in, you know, a type of exhibition tournament where, you know, eight guys play or something like that. But I think it's definitely helping. Q. Do you remember the first professional event you attended as a fan? Was it the event at UCLA? SAM QUERREY: Davis Cup in LasVegas, if you count that, at Caesar's Palace when I was like eight. Q. Okay. SAM QUERREY: I don't remember much, though. Couldn't tell you who we played. I wasn't that into tennis. Q. Did that make you more into tennis when you saw it in person? SAM QUERREY: No, I mean, when I was eight and nine I played tennis, but, you know, I had more interest in baseball and soccer and things like that. It was fun to go watch, but I couldn't tell you who I watched or who we played or who won. Q. Why were you more interested in those sports as a youngster? SAM QUERREY: I think they're just easier to play when you're younger. Soccer, you've got the smaller court and baseball you can do T‑Ball and coach pitch. Tennis now has that soft‑‑ the soft balls and the smaller net, so if I had that maybe I would have been more into tennis because I would have been a little better. But I think back then I think it's fun to run around with your buddies and play on smaller fields. Q. That was a real battle out there, up and down, double faults. Talk about the battle and how you got how it. SAM QUERREY: Yeah, it was tough. Last couple of weeks those are the matches that I lost. It feels great to get through it. You know, there was four breaks to start the third set there, and, you know, I was glad I just battled through it. I didn't feel I played unbelievable, but I just stuck around, stuck around, got a break at 5‑All, and then closed it out with some good serves. So I was really happy, and I feel like I can only play better than that in my next round. Q. You're going to have to really step it up, obviously for Djokovic, but you're also the last guy that beat him, so you know how to do that. SAM QUERREY: Yeah, that was, you know, five months ago. But, yeah, I'm just going to hopefully play well, hopefully be aggressive, hopefully on those break points, deuce points, you know, have some balls go my way. I'm going to try and just enjoy it out there. Q. What makes it so tough to play him? SAM QUERREY: He does everything really well: Unbelievable forehand; unbelievable backhand; moves around the court great; returns great. It's tough to pick on something. I might have to go outside of my comfort zone a little bit and do things I don't like to do, and hopefully it will pay off for me. Q. What does it mean to be the top‑ranked American? SAM QUERREY: It means a lot. It's a great feeling. I feel like I have worked hard to earn it. Everyone seems like they've got their shot with Andy and Mardy and James and John, and so I feel like it's my turn now. But, you know, those guys are right on my heels and we will keep pushing each other. I know they want it, too. Hopefully we will just keep pushing each other and we can all keep moving up the rankings. Q. Have you spoken with Mardy or John about what it's like to kind of have that No. 1 American next to your name? SAM QUERREY: They congratulated me, but I don't think it means a whole lot, you know, where it's a worldwide sport. I think the most important thing is your world ranking. You know, I don't feel any different. I don't think they felt any different. It's another tournament next week, you know, No. 1 American, No. 2 American, No. 3 American. Mentally it doesn't feel like a huge change. Q. Do you feel like it doesn't make a difference unless you're No. 1 overall in terms of how you're seen here? In America, I mean. SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I think so. I mean, if you're top 10 I think you're seen a little differently. I don't think it makes a huge difference. Davis Cup is probably where it makes the smallest difference, if any, just with matchup, who plays first, second. And I think to the general tennis fan, they care more about the world rankings, not the rankings nationally. Q. You said you're pushing each other. Why do you think it's so completely difficult to get some guys outside the USA in the semis and in the final? You, Mardy, John, why so difficult for you? SAM QUERREY: Difficult to? Q. To go to the final, to go to the semis. SAM QUERREY: There is a lot of good players out there. If you just look at the top four guys, I mean, to get to a semi or final, you have to beat one of them. Not only do you have to beat them, but you're most likely to have to be the beat a guy 5 through 10, Berdych, Tsonga, Del Potro, so you've got to beat two guys in the top 10 to make it there, which is tough to do, but we're trying our best to do it. Q. Can you talk about the growth in popularity in doubles and what makes you do decide to do doubles and what it adds to your game as a singles player? SAM QUERREY: I think the format helps a lot, shortening the matches so singles guys know that even if it goes three sets you will be out there hour and a half, hour forty minutes, max. For me, the way I decide, I mean, it's always kind of a little different, you know. If it's a tournament like this I know that I've got a little time before Miami. If you happen to lose, it's fun to stick around and play doubles. When I was in Delray Beach two weeks ago, I didn't play there because I knew if I was out of singles I wanted to kind of prepare for these two big tournaments. So you kind of just weigh a bunch of variables. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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