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DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP FINAL: SPAIN v CZECH REPUBLIC


November 17, 2012


Tomas Berdych

Jaroslav Navratil

Radek Stepanek


PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

BERDYCH‑STEPANEK/Granollers‑Lopez
3‑6, 7‑5, 7‑5, 6‑3


THE MODERATOR:  We welcome the Czech team.  We'll start with questions.

Q.  The Spanish team plays doubles in a very different way than the other ones.  How long did it take you to adapt to their game?  What was the solution?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  For me it took one set actually.  Yeah, as you said, they play very different style.
What was the solution?  The solution was that we just get used to it and we start to play our game, and it shows the result that we won the next three sets.
RADEK STEPANEK:  I think, you know, I gave with my first service game the guys a lot of juice into their game and they started the first set really playing incredible.
I felt like they came really on a high from the Masters with a lot of confidence.  We said to each other that we have to stay tough, stay with them, that if they keep playing like that, then we just shake their hands and we will leave the court.
But we got used to it.  We were raising our game, I think, slowly getting in control, winning much easier our service games.  We got to our game and were then in control.

Q.  From the moment you broke their serve in the second set, it looked like you were in control of the game.  Is that how you felt and saw the match?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yeah, as I said, we start to play our game since the second set.  We made our chances on their serve.  We break them.  We won the set.  A similar thing in the third.  Same in the fourth set.
We were always a bit ahead.  That's why we give them much more pressure than they give to us.  You know, that's it.

Q.  Tomas, can you say to us something which we cannot know about the feeling you have playing with someone like Stepanek in doubles, which is someone who knows so well the tactics, is able to play some wonderful shots like he does?  It's something unique.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Yes.  I mean, the only thing I can say is 2‑1.

Q.  What is the problem that doubles specialists presents to yourselves, top singles specialists?  Is there an advantage over you or not?
RADEK STEPANEK:  I think, first of all, you're seeing the Spanish team as a doubles team.  Marcel, I think he's top 30 in the world.  Don't underestimate his singles.  He's playing very good singles, what he proved this year.  They had an incredible doubles season as well.  He's one of the few who plays both.
Definitely I think when the top singles guys are playing doubles, you feel it.  You know that there is somebody with the highest quality of tennis you can have.  It's always something extra which gives the advantage to the guys compared to the doubles players.  That's what I think.
Also having Tomas by my side, he's such a great player, No.6 in the world.  That's what he proved today also, what he's proving on the doubles court, even he's not playing that much doubles.

Q.  How important is it to go into the final day, especially from a confidence point of view, 2‑1 ahead in this tie?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, this is the best possible solution that we can have from those circumstances that we went through the weekend.  We are leading 2‑1.
But it's still not over.  We still need one more point.  You know, it's still far to go.  I mean, we expecting two very hard matches tomorrow with very strong opponents.
We will go one by one.  But definitely we are in the better position than them.

Q.  Radek, with the possibility of Tomas losing against Ferrer high.
RADEK STEPANEK:  That's what you think.  I will stop you immediately.
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Can you start the question again, please.
RADEK STEPANEK:  Think better, okay, because you will not get the answer.

Q.  Sorry for my English.
RADEK STEPANEK:  I know what you mean.
We are not playing on 'ifs', what's going to happen.  We believe in ourselves.  I believe in Tomas, same as he does to me.  To be speculating about Tomas has no sense because there will be Tomas playing first and then what happens will happen.

Q.  How are you both feeling physically after today?
TOMAS BERDYCH:  Well, great.  I mean, we're leading 2‑1.  That's the best possible thing.  So, you know, this give us a lot of extra energy.  We are here to be tough for the whole three days and ready for it.
Yeah, I mean, we will do everything what we possibly can.  That's it.  That's our goal for tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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