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DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP QUARTERFINALS: SPAIN v U.S.A.


July 9, 2011


Albert Costa

Marcel Granollers

Fernando Verdasco


AUSTIN, TEXAS

BRYAN-BRYAN/Verdasco-Granollers
6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Fernando, after what happened yesterday, you win the first set in a tiebreaker, what is going through your mind?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Well, of course, since the first moment, since the first point of the match I thought that we were able to win the match. When we won the first set, even more, because we were one set closer.
Even when we lost the second and the third set, you know, I was still thinking in my mind that it was hard, of course, but still possible, no?
In tennis you need to fight all the time until the end. And today I think we played great and we had chances. We lost every set with two little mistakes, and that's why they break our serve like one time in each set. But I think we play all the match very consistent and very great.

Q. Albert, before Friday you said you're not the favorite. The U.S. only once in history has come back from a 0-2 deficit. I think going into tomorrow you are the favorite. What is the key for your team tomorrow?
CAPTAIN COSTA: Well, I'm not feeling that we are the favorites now. I feel like tomorrow we'll have two very difficult matches. We hope that David is going to win the first one. If not, Feli or Fernando can play. Also Marcel can play. I don't know, just to refocus on each point.
But I don't feel like we are favorites. Still they have the crowd, they have their court and everything. We are only one point away.

Q. You're pretty sure David is going to play, but it's possible you might bring someone in for the final match?
CAPTAIN COSTA: Why not. They are all ready.

Q. Albert, they had the court and crowd yesterday and still lost 0-2. I'm curious on your thinking of why you're not the favorite. Do you think the momentum of the win today carries over for tomorrow?
CAPTAIN COSTA: No, because every match is different. Yesterday we were like 2-0. We won both matches. It was because I think they really played good matches, very good level.
But all the matches are very complicated. We know every match is going to be so close. Tomorrow everything can happen. So we'll see.
But what I'm sure is that tomorrow they're going to give 100%. If they play the same level as yesterday, we will have a lot of chances.

Q. Fernando, your forehand was amazing today. I was wondering how you're going to approach the US Open Series and the US Open after being so successful last year.
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Well, the same, no? I think they are all the tournaments very nice for me. I enjoy a lot playing in the U.S. After playing in Spain, is like the best place for me to play. I really spend a lot of time in the U.S.
So, you know, is great that I will play again another year this US Open Series. Hopefully I will play even better than I did last year. I did the quarterfinals of the US Open, but not really good the other tournaments like Montréal and Cincinnati. Hopefully this year I will play better.

Q. You and Marcel played excellent doubles together. Will you consider playing doubles at the US Open?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: At the US Open, no, because I can't. But maybe some tournaments before. We need to talk about it. He usually play with Tommy Robredo, and I usually play with Feliciano.
Like I said, we will play in Hamburg next week on clay that we like a little bit more clay. I'm joking (laughter).
Yeah, well, we'll see. Maybe we'll try to play more weeks together.

Q. I'm wondering, before you came into this tie, did you feel a sense of something to prove because you don't have Rafa here, you're playing on a fast court, you're playing away in Roddick's hometown. Is there a sense of, We're Spain and we have something to show the Americans here?
CAPTAIN COSTA: No, no, no. We felt like it's going to be a very difficult tie for us. Spain never won here on American soil. We just believe that every match, they are close, we have good level, and if we take our chances, we have a few chances to win.
Yesterday it happened. Not today. But let's hope that tomorrow we can win one more point. But we don't have to show anything to the people. We have just to play tennis and try to win.

Q. Even though there's been a massive amount of American support here, you have a pretty serious contingent of Spanish support behind you. I wonder how much you hear and how much energy you draw from that.
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Well, when you are on court, of course you feel the crowd supporting you. But you are pretty focused also in the match, in the things, how they are going and everything. You really hear the people that is like in the team, the captain and the people that is also in the bench behind the captain. The players, we're talking to each other all the time, talking about what is better for the next point.
But, of course, sometimes you heard what is off of these things, no? You see the people supporting you, like the people from Spain that they came here and they're supporting us, it's always really nice. In the tough moments, they help you, no, to come up again, put the chest out and the face up, try to keep fighting, keep trying even if things are not going good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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