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DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND:GREAT BRITAIN v U.S.A.January 30, 2014Colin FlemingAndy MurrayLeon SmithJames WardSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: Questions for the British team. Q. Leon, talk us through the difficult decision over the second singles player. CAPTAIN SMITH: Yeah, sure. It was a difficult choice. Kyle is sitting over there. It would being quite awkward. I think he's got really, really bright future ahead of him. For sure he'll play a big part of Davis Cup team in ties to come. So, yeah, it was a tough one. At the end of the day, we've got to do what we feel is right for the team in this particular tie. I think James has played really well on this court the last few days. I think the court suits him. Also, the matchups we're looking at, it's a good one. That's why he got the nod. Q. Andy, talk about your reaction when you found out this tie was going to be played on clay. CAPTAIN SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I think a little bit surprised initially. I don't think it does their team particular favors, but obviously if you look at their team makeup, including obviously John who is unfortunately unable to play, they have a good record on clay and good matches on clay. Obviously the Bryans have had success on it as well, compared to our team who haven't had as much on clay. So I can see why he's done it, but I don't think it gives that much of an advantage. Q. Jim Courier just said that they had to choose between having a pock‑marked court or a slippery one because of the short time involved in installation. How happy are you with the surface that's out there? CAPTAIN SMITH: The venue looks absolutely incredible. They have down a really good job to get the court laid down. It's not easy obviously at all to put a temporary clay court down. I think it's forward thinking from everyone at the USTA to do this. And really well done to them. But obviously the gamble is when you put down a court like this it's not going to be perfect. You're putting down a temporary surface at the end of the day, and it's very difficult for the clay to embed itself the way it would over years and years. So it is a bit slippy. Conditions are changing a little bit. It's not as warm. There is more moisture, so obviously that is going to change a little bit. Probably going become a little bit less slippy over the weekend, which might help. Q. James, obviously playing Sam who you played a couple years ago. Totally different circumstances. What do you think of the matchup and the fact that you've got the nod for this tie? JAMES WARD: Yeah, it's a good match. Looking forward to it. Obviously it was on grass last time, so completely different. As Leon said, I've been practicing more this week. Grew up playing on the clay back in Spain when I was younger, so it's a surface I'm used to. It's a good matchup on this surface against him. Q. Andy, talk about your match against Donald. Do you recollect anything from the match you played against him at Indian Wells a couple years ago? ANDY MURRAY: I played him a few times on the tour. Obviously Indian Wells, yeah, I don't have best memories from that match. Yeah, never played him on clay before so it's different. Different surface. I think the three or four times we played were all on hard courts. Yeah, he's obviously a tricky player. He's got very good hands, talented. Obviously lefty. He's pretty quick. He's not an easy player to play against. I'll need to play well to beat him. Q. Follow up for Andy and Leon. How much is it a change of pace because they picked Donald? Initially you probably thought it would be John and Sam. Now it's Donald. How much of a change up is that for you guys? ANDY MURRAY: I mean, it's different, yeah. One of them is like 6'10"; the other one is like 5'9". That's pretty different. Obviously one being lefty, one righty, it's different. But I played against Lopez at the Aussie Open, so it's good if I play against a lefty. Also played against Millot in the second round. So I played against a couple lefties in the last couple weeks. That won't be a problem. Q. A gold medal at Wimbledon and the US Open and then the historic win at Wimbledon. You've only been asked this question probably two million times, but how has your life changed since Wimbledon? ANDY MURRAY: Hasn't changed too much. Obviously the media aftermath to Wimbledon was pretty hectic and busy and very different to what I'm used to. But then once I started playing on the tour again, there are a few more commitments than I had before, but it hasn't changed too much. Still have the same group of people around me and the same friends and family. Yeah, still do all same things I used to do. Just a little bit more busy than before. Q. You're noted as someone who takes your game very seriously and work very hard. Do you like the attention that has come with all of that? ANDY MURRAY: I mean, in some ways it's nice. It's recognition for, you know, like you say, you put in all the hard work and stuff, so getting that recognition for winning at a sport that you love and you have dedicated a lot of time to, that's nice. But, yeah, when you're away from the court sometimes you obviously like it when it's a little bit quieter as well. But this is something you deal with as an athlete. It becomes part of your job. It's no really issue. Q. Just watching on TV when you won Wimbledon, looked like there was a relief. When did it sink in, what you accomplished and the historical sense of what you did by winning Wimbledon? ANDY MURRAY: I don't really know, to be honest. It certainly wasn't in the first few days. Everything that happened after was a bit surreal and strange. But then I went away on holiday, and for a week or ten days I had a chance to sort of think about it and relax and I didn't have any other commitments and stuff. That was obviously going to help as well. After the US Open I had a time. After Davis Cup I had the surgery on my back as well. So I was at home a lot, too. Yeah, that was probably a time to sort of take everything in. The last 18 months has gone very, very quickly. A lot has happened and changed. Yeah, probably that period there after the US Open where I spent a bit of time at home. And then the back surgery was something that gave me a bit of a period to look back and reflect on things and look forward to the future. Q. Where did choose to take your holiday? ANDY MURRAY: Excuse me? I went to the Bahamas. Q. Colin, one last question about Andy: Have you noticed any change in him at all, personality, after Wimbledon? COLIN FLEMING: A change in Andy's personality? Q. How has he reacted to the fame? COLIN FLEMING: He was unbelievably famous before he won Wimbledon. I don't think anything has changed in his personality. Yeah, I don't think he's changed as a person personally. ANDY MURRAY: Be honest. Thanks. Q. Andy, for you playing all three days here, how much do you enjoy that and what can the fans expect to see from you on all three days? ANDY MURRAY: I've done it before, played three matches in Davis Cup. It's a tough three days. It's not easy because Davis Cup is a different sort of pressure. Physically you may be okay; mentally it's quite tiring. Because also when you finish your match you're not going off and doing your own thing. You support the team and stuff. When your match finishes the day isn't over. So the days are long and tough, but I've played three days before and dealt with it okay. Yeah, like I say, we have options here as well depending on how the first day goes, if the body holds up fine and stuff. Just have to wait and see. Q. Flembo, how long does to take you in the morning to get ready and do your hair? COLIN FLEMING: Not long, not long. CAPTAIN SMITH: That's funny, because I think the reverb on the mic is coming from James' head. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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