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DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP QUARTERFINALS: SERBIA v U.S.A.April 4, 2013Novak DjokovicBogdan ObradovicViktor TroickiNenad ZimonjicBOISE, IDAHO TIM CURRY: Okay, we'll start without the captain. Again, questions on the mic for any of the players of the team. Q. Novak, talk about when you arrived in Boise and how you think the court is playing. You're obviously the favorites, but you're playing in the U.S.'s backyard. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, well, you know, I think there is no clear favorites in this competition, especially in later stages of quarterfinals. USA is always going to be a difficult opponent, especially if they're choosing the conditions and location of play. They have chosen Boise, that has over 800 meters altitude that can help the service. We all know that John and Sam possess great serves, as well as Mike and Bob. On the other hand, we have tall guys as well. It's going to be an interesting tie. Hopefully we can get a win. Q. You come off a little bit of a disappointing Miami, I would say. So is this kind of important going in the last hard court and then going into the clay? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, you know, I mean, I lost to a better player that day. I mean, I definitely didn't want to lose that early in the tournament. Still, he played a better match. I played I think the worst match that I had last three years. But I had more time to prepare here. I arrived Saturday night actually, so I been practicing for five days. The conditions are quite different, as I told you. I never played on such an altitude now for three consecutive days. It's going to be definitely tough for all of us. It's a big challenge for both U.S. and Serbian team. Q. The loss to Haas, was that more physical or mental to you? You said it was your worst loss. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I mean, it was not physical. Physically I felt fit. It was just, I mean, he was just the better player that day. Q. But now coming off a few days of practice you feel pretty good and you'll be where you want to be? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: This is sport. You got to be ready to win and lose.  I been very consistent in last few years of my career. I understand that people are always expecting me to play semifinals or finals of ever event I play on. If a loss before that stage of the tournament happens, everybody starts questioning. I'm feeling good. I'm practicing. I'm moving on. I'm trying to play well here, and hopefully we can bring the win to Serbia. Q. Viktor, talk about where you feel your level is and if you're up to possibly three matches this weekend. VIKTOR TROICKI: Personally I feel fit and ready to play all three days if I have to. Yeah, we'll go day by day and see how it goes. First I'll focus definitely on tomorrow's match against Sam. Yeah, it's going to be a tough, tough match for me. But I feel ready. As Novak said, we've been here for already four days, five days, so, yeah, I got adjusted to altitude and the courts. So I feel fresh and ready. If needed, I would play three days. Q. Also for Viktor, if you look at the rankings, your matches in singles look like they might be the key. Can you talk about the pressure you're bringing into this tie. VIKTOR TROICKI: I don't feel pressure. I had much tougher jobs in Davis Cup before. I felt the real pressure few years ago. Yeah, now I feel good and feel ready for the matches. I know that, yeah, every match is important. Not just mine. Every match is important. As a team we will try to win those three points and try to go to the semifinals, as Novak said. Q. Novak, does it feel like this is the thinnest air you've ever played in? You come from the mountains as well. You must have played as a kid in these kind of conditions. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no, I played in high altitude before in my life, but not matches. I think in the tour we have Madrid that's maybe 600, 700 meters, but this is the highest that I'm going to play ever in my life. And it makes a difference, you know. It makes a difference. You have to put I think an extra effort in the adjustment on the court. You have to try to serve well.  It's tough to control. You can't expect maybe too many long points because the ball travels through the air much faster than in normal conditions. Q. Forces you to go for bigger serves and maybe shots a little bit earlier in the rally? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I can't serve bigger than John, so I will try to concentrate on the efficiency of my serve and the second shot also, and of course try to get as many returns back in the court as I can. He relies on his serve. That's his biggest weapon. Q.  Nenad, they often say the doubles is critical for the U.S. with Bob and Mike Bryan. Of course they lost their last match, but they have a really great record in doubles. Talk about facing them and the criticalness of the doubles point in this particular tie. NENAD ZIMONJIC: In every tie the doubles is very critical since it's played second day. Playing Bob and Mike, it's definitely the biggest challenge that I will have in my Davis Cup career. It's going to be difficult. Even though they are favorites, I think we still have a chance in that match. You know, even though it could be advantage for John or maybe Sam, it could be also advantage for us in the doubles since it's altitude, since we both‑ whoever I'm going to play with‑ we have big serves as well. Could be challenge for them as well. So we'll definitely try to bring our best there and put them under as much pressure as we can. It helps definitely that I played them many matches in my career and won quite a lot as well. So I think that can be our big thing in this tie. Q. Novak, talk about going first on both singles days. Does that make a difference to you or kind of the same? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You can't really effect it. It's the draw. I was getting ready to play John. That's important thing. I knew that I'm going to play him since I arrived here, so that's all I been focused on. Q. Novak, what was your impression before you got here? I know everybody was joking about Idaho potatoes with you and stuff. What have you found about the town? Did it surprise you? Is it what you expected? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: To be honest, I never heard of Boise before we were selected to play her Davis Cup. It's nice to experience some new areas of the world, of the country where you never been. We have more or less set our schedule throughout the year, so we are all first time here. We didn't see much because mostly we are in the hotel and Taco Bell Arena, which I have to say is really top class arena and really good facilities, locker rooms. We have everything we need there. We are surrounded with the athletes from the University of Boise, which is also nice to see. We get to meet them on a daily basis. That's mostly our interest. Q. Is that sort of the fun of Davis Cup, that you get to go to some places you never would imagine you would go to, or do you find that frustrating? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, we all know that the rules are so that the host can select and choose whatever location he wants for tie to be played. You can't really effect it. That's why Davis Cup is a team competition, you know. That's why the home advantage, because of this fact, can serve you well. But I don't find it frustrating. For me, it's important to be with these guys. We are not staying here more than seven, eight, nine days, so it's fine. Q. Captain, what do you think is the biggest challenge that your team is facing? CAPTAIN OBRADOVIC: Potato. (Laughter.) Q. Of course. CAPTAIN OBRADOVIC: Well, you know, this is going to be very special match for my team and also for the American team. We are playing in the conditions which are not normal for the tennis, altitude and that stuff what they just talk about. So we will see. Still, we practice for five days, a lot practice, and also doing some fitness. So my players are ready. Tomorrow we will see. Hopefully we going to win that match, yeah. Thank you. TIM CURRY: Any other questions for the captain or players? All right. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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