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DAVIS CUP - AUSTRIA Vs. USA


February 6, 2004


Robby Ginepri


UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT

RANDY WALKER: Robby is the first American Davis Cup rookie to come back from a two sets Love deficit since Davis Cup began in 1900.

Q. What was going through your head when you were down two sets to Love; how did you turn it around?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I wasn't playing, you know, on top of my game and Jurgen was hitting a lot of unbelievable shots and Pat just told me "Stay calm out there and good things will happen." I was just trying to hold serve and get a sniff at his -- to get the break.

Q. When you served for the first set did you get tight or did he ---

ROBBY GINEPRI: I got a little nervous. I threw in a lot of doublefaults where I normally don't. My second serve is usually pretty clutch at some big times, but today it wasn't. But, you know, I am happy to get through the match.

Q. You looked like you picked up the first serve percentage big time in the last set. Second half. What happened, did you make ---

ROBBY GINEPRI: The adrenaline was going, fans were getting me into it, and I was just pumped out there.

Q. How many times have you come back from two sets to Love?

ROBBY GINEPRI: First time. That was only my second fifth-set match.

Q. Seemed like you were quite poised today, start of the match, you won 12 of the first 13 points.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I didn't know that. Would have liked to have closed out the first set, but he hung in there, hit some good shots, made me play on some big points and I didn't come up with the goods in the first two sets but I hung in there and took it.

Q. How did you find the Davis Cup atmosphere, much different than normal tournaments?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Definitely. I loved it. Fired me up from the get-go, and to have the crowd behind me when I was down two sets meant a lot. It definitely helped me get through the match.

Q. Do you remember that break to start the fifth set?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yes.

Q. Looked like he had been beating you with that forehand down-the-line but you came in. Looked --

ROBBY GINEPRI: He was up 40-Love the first service game of the fifth and I hung in there, hit some good returns, and got the break and I didn't look back from there.

Q. How important was it for you to break him right off the bat in your last three games, sets?

ROBBY GINEPRI: You are trying to break every single game, but for me it is good because I like to get on top and play ahead. He broke me back a couple of times and so if I didn't get the break I would have been down a break. It was excellent.

Q. How different of a player did you think that he was now than when you faced him a year ago?

ROBBY GINEPRI: We were both more experienced, all of our shots are definitely, you know, a lot better. We have been working hard on our games, and we each have more experience. I knew it was going to be a tough match going into it, and I didn't, you know, when we played on grass, it was a whole different story, so -- but today, I got the job done.

Q. Why do you think you had those nerves beginning of the first set?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Playing for the country for the first time, and, you know, there's no other experience out there that teaches you how to deal with that. It's a whole different aspect of my tennis career and I love the atmosphere out there. I was just ready to go from the first ball.

Q. Had some pretty big wins the last year. How does this compare with what you accomplished?

ROBBY GINEPRI: There's big ones that you win, but there's matches like these that mean a lot more than the big wins because some days you don't play as good as you can. To squeak out the matches that you have to figure out how to win is more important to me.

Q. You seemed pretty mellow on the court. What does the crowd do for you in terms of energy or motivation, excitement?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Usually I am pretty relaxed out on the court, but the crowd definitely changed the way I was, you know, motivating out there and the teammates on the sidelines cheering for me an getting me pumped up, it meant a lot. I couldn't have done it without them.

Q. Where does this match rank?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Definitely top three, four matches. Having Pat there by me for the first time, giving me pointers here and there, all the changeovers meant a lot, kept me into the match. I don't know if I could have done it without him .

Q. Specifically which pointers did he give you that were the most helpful?

ROBBY GINEPRI: "Stay relaxed. He's not going to keep it up." He was very positive throughout the whole match which meant a lot.

Q. Looked like at one point you were sort of hitting off the back foot towards the end of the second set. Did you feel that? Did coach say anything about that?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I wasn't attacking the ball like I normally do. I played a little tentative throughout the first couple of sets, even in the third set, hopefully on Sunday that I can be more aggressive and play my game better before I came here.

Q. When you won, was it more a sense of relief, joy?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I was definitely still fired up from the adrenaline pretty much throughout the whole fifth set. I was relaxed and a lot of the emotions were running through my head.

Q. Nerves the same today as they were when you were in the finals in Newport?

ROBBY GINEPRI: A little nervous at the beginning of the match compared -- I mean, I had warmed up about 12:30 and sitting out on the court I was kind of getting nervous. I had to get away from the court. Actually I watched the Elf, so that made me laugh a little bit. Got my mind off the match. I knew once the first ball hit, it would go away and it did. Same with Newport, you are always nervous for the new experience that you haven't experienced before, so, I was happy to get the job done.

Q. Was it different knowing that your teammates and the entire crowd really wanted you to win this not just for you, but for something else; is that more pressure?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, there's more pressure because normally I am just playing for myself and my coach. But playing for the whole country and your teammates looking over there, and there's not many chances that you get to play in big situations like this, and it is tough to capitalize on them.

Q. If you could redo the first two sets what would you have done differently?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Win them (laughter) I would have came out -- I came out pretty hot, but I would have liked to have served at 5-3 and won that game, but he made me play and he won the first two sets and nothing I can do about it.

Q. You are at the start of a career that should be long and have a lot of great wins. Will this match today be one you will always remember?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Of course. First Davis Cup match, I could never forget no matter which way it went today but the way I won it and I don't think I am going to ever forget it. Hopefully I will get a lot more opportunities to play.

Q. You are probably aware of Patrick had a lot of choices here for this team. One of them was James Blake who lives in Connecticut. Did anything run through your head that you were sort of redeeming your coach in a way by winning the match?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Not really. I mean, Pat has his mindset no matter what happens, and would have been a little bummed I think but he told me when I was down two sets he asked me if I have came back from two sets down, I said no. Well, he said, "today is going to be the day." He had a lot of confidence in me which meant a lot.

Q. How do you like Connecticut now?

ROBBY GINEPRI: It is so far so good. Last time I was here I had to have wrist surgery so it's a lot better than that.

Q. Talk about the coaching, there's always a lot of talk about coaching during the Tour, and having and on-court coach during a match. How do you feel about that, do you think it would help the game or take something away from the game?

ROBBY GINEPRI: There's perks to both of that. With me I like having somebody there and motivating me and keeping me positive. I won the Portland exhibition where I could have my coach on-court, and I did well there. And today with Pat out there, it was just the same.

End of FastScripts….

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