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SONY OPEN TENNISMarch 26, 2013Sam QuerreyMIAMI, FLORIDA T. BERDYCH/S. Querrey THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Obviously a tough day at the office. What didn't happen out there for you? SAM QUERREY: Just one of those awful days. I missed routine forehand after routine forehand. My first‑serve percentage was at 40, I'm guessing. You know, like the more you miss the harder it gets to, you know, get the ball in. It just kept getting worse. I want to put it behind me and move on to Davis Cup. Q. These are the top 10 players you're playing. You can't do that against them, right, Sam? SAM QUERREY: No. I mean, I played him three times the end of last year; all three were tight. It was just bad out there. You know, I can't have an excuse. I can't do that against those guys if I want to keep moving up. Q. Seemed like you started off well but then your serve let you down. SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, came out the first few points, hit big forehands, and then 1‑All, 30‑Love and I missed four forehands in a row, forehands that I went for and should have gone for. They were sitting up for me to hit. It was windy. I maybe should have gone for some bigger targets. But I just missed those four in a row, and then it was just tough to pick it back up from there. Just kind of got worse. Q. Second set you were there, though. It was 1‑2, and I think you had game point and a backhand volley got away from you. SAM QUERREY: Yep. It was kind of the same thing. I was right there in the beginning of the set. Had a chance to kind of make it 2‑All or 2‑1, missed it, and the he just ran away with it and I went the other way. Those sets were both sets were pretty similar. Q. Any disappointment? Obviously you're the last American male. SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I'm disappointed how I played today. I mean, overall it's been a couple good weeks. Made round of 16, round of 16. But, yeah, certainly not happy how I played today. But, you know, I want to just put it behind me as quick as I can. You know, I have a big week next week. We have Davis Cup, and so I want to be going into that feeling good. Q. Is that a way to make the American players feel good about themselves, at Davis Cup right at this point, Sam? SAM QUERREY: I think so, yeah. You know, I know the U.S. We get ripped a lot for not having a lot of guys in the top 20 and the top 10. But, you know, we won our first‑round Davis Cup. Hopefully I think we're going to win in Boise. I think we have a good enough team. I think we're going to win that. You know, hopefully I think we're going to win the next one after that. I think we can go all the way. If we were to win a Davis Cup, I think that would silence some people even if we didn't have guys, you know, in the top 10 or even a few guys in the top 20. Q. You had a day off yesterday because of the walkover. Did that interrupt your momentum? SAM QUERREY: Not really. I have played a ton of matches this year. Um, you know, I was bummed for Milos, but it was nice to kind of get an extra day of rest because I played a lot and we have a long week ahead of us next week in Davis Cup. I don't think it ruined momentum or my game. I still felt good. I mean, I was hitting the ball clean. So I don't think it bothered me that much. Q. For there to be no Americans in the quarters, that's big news, especially at this tournament. Is this the new norm? Because there are just so many players from so many places. Should Americans just get used to it? Do you think the tide is beginning to turn at the junior level? What are your thoughts long‑term about it? SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, I guess you could say it's been somewhat of the norm the last couple of years. It's not like we had guys in the quarters week in, week out in Masters Series. But, you know, I think we're going to turn it around. I certainly feel like I'm playing well. I feel like I'm just going to get better. I think John, you know, probably a little bit of a rough patch right now. He can pull himself out of it. You know, if Mardy gets back in there I think we can get guys back in the quarters consistently. I just ‑‑ you know, I'm sure it's not going to come overnight, but I think we can. Q. There are two players now from the ATP in the quarterfinals against Melzer and Ferrer who are over 30 years old. I know ten years ago, more than that, that definitely wasn't the norm. There were very few players in the top 100; now there are a lot. Can you talk about that perception? What do you think about these guys winning, and how do you think about them? SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, now compared to 20 years ago, I think guys can hit the ball bigger now. They can‑‑ you know, a 27‑year‑old man can just overpower and blow away an 18 year old boy. I think 20 years ago with the racquets and the way people played, guys couldn't just blow through an 18 or 19 year old. Guys weren't big power guys. I feel you couldn't hit the ball through players as much so it allowed some of the younger players to feel their way into the game. Nowadays I feel that's tougher to do. There is a bigger difference between the way a 27 year old, a bigger, stronger man plays compared to an 18, 19 year old. Q. When you play against a Ferrer or Melzer, do you think in your head ‑‑ are you thinking at all about their age? SAM QUERREY: No. I mean, I think about it, you know, outside of the court, you know, with him and Haas, too, at 34, that, Hey, I'm 25. I really hope that I can go for nine good more years. It gives me more motivation and more hope that I can have a nice, long career like those guys. Q. Do you think that Berdych was playing exceptionally well today? Was he playing better than you had experienced him? SAM QUERREY: No. I thought he played solid, pretty much like the other times I played him. Nothing special. Q. You mentioned John's little rough patch. How do you find the momentum to turn it on a dime and do what you guys did recently and do what you do in Davis Cup? SAM QUERREY: You know, it's always different. Sometimes it can come from one match and not even playing well, but, you know, getting through maybe a 7‑6 in the third. For me, I got through it last year. I lost first round at the French Open, and I stayed in Paris and practiced on the clay with Jay Berger for eight straight days, which, I know, wasn't fun. We got up at 8:00 a.m. and hit on the clay, but then I went to Queen's and Wimbledon. So I played great since then, so for me that was it. I think it's different for everyone. John, maybe he edges out a long five‑setter at Davis Cup and it could flip a switch for some guys. So that's all it takes. Q. Talking about Davis Cup, John mentioned the same thing the other day. You guys talked amongst each other about the importance of maybe finding that rhythm again and taking on a long streak there at Davis Cup. SAM QUERREY: A little bit. I mean, you know, we don't talk too much about, you know, kind of finding our games and playing well. We talk more about team things and, you know, how excited we are for Davis Cup and the schedule and stuff like that. I don't feel like we talk too much individually about, you know, Hey, man, how are you going to turn things around? Q. It's pretty cool to be the best player in your country right now, really, but do you consider that a badge of honor at this point, or do you feel like you need to do better in the Masters and the slams to really earn that ranking? SAM QUERREY: No, I mean, I feel like I earned it. But, you know, I have said it a bunch: The goal is not to be the No. 1 American. I want to be one of the best players in the world. So, you know, I have earned it, you know, but those other guys are right behind me trying to ask for it back. But I do feel like‑‑ you know, for me I'd feel better, you know, kind of like you said, if I was ranked higher with this No. 1. You know, if you look at the previous No. 1 Americans, they have all, for the most part, hit the top 10. You know, but I feel like I'm just going to keep getting better and hopefully improving and hopefully I can hit the top 10 while being the No. 1 American. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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