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U.S. OPEN

September 10, 2016

New York, NY, USA

MURRAY-SOARES/Carreno Busta-Garcia Lopez

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. You won a second major. Can you talk about that? And talk about how you first got together as a team.
JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah. Yeah, I started talking to -- I was speaking about playing last year during -- actually after this tournament kind of during the Asian swing a bit.

Yeah, then obviously we started playing this year, which worked out great, in Australia, to kind of hit it off so well so quickly.

And for us to come here again and to win a Grand Slam, you know, is an awesome feeling. I think we are both super excited about the partnership and what we can do in the biggest tournaments.

You know, keep working hard to make sure that we have success in the future, as well.

Q. Do you feel like that was one of your best performances?
JAMIE MURRAY: I think we were clinical in what we did, yeah.

I think we didn't really let them play very much. You know, I think Bruno returned very well. When he was very aggressive on the return, you know, I could get right on top of the net and guys didn't have anywhere to play the ball, I think.

I think we did a good job on our serves. After the first game it was big for us to get the break back straightaway, I think, and kind of settle ourselves into the match.

Yeah, I think we just did a really solid job, I think.

Q. You had treatment on your neck and you were flexing it a bit again just then. In light of what's happening come next Saturday, how is it?
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, I think the physio said it's probably going to be sore for a couple of days. I did it like third, fourth point in the match serving. I don't really know quite what I did, but did something.

It's not that comfortable now, but thankfully it didn't really affect me playing. I imagine I'll be absolutely fine for next week.

Q. It's not a long-standing...
JAMIE MURRAY: No, I don't know. I obviously did something that it didn't like. Yeah, honestly, I don't really know. The physio didn't really know quite what I had done. Starts and stops of adrenaline, stepping up a bit, as well.

No, I will be fine for Davis Cup.

Q. Give me your thoughts on what it means to have that trophy in your joint possession.
BRUNO SOARES: It means a lot. Every title means a lot. I think Grand Slam is extra special. For me, New York has been amazing to me. I won the mixed here twice.

I had a very tough run in 2013 when Alex, we won the semis, but he got injured so we weren't able to compete in the final. So for me to be able to come back here and win the whole thing is just amazing feeling. I mean, the year has been incredible, our first year as a team.

I mean, to win two slams, it's tough to explain how good the feeling is.

Q. Jamie?
JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I mean, I couldn't ask for anything more, really. You know, I lost two Grand Slam finals last year. You know, I felt like I was ready to win. I felt good about my game, where it was at.

I felt like Bruno was a partner that could get me over the line. I think we were validated under our decision obviously to come together.

Yeah, I mean, it means so much. For us, these are the biggest tournaments and these are the ones we want to win at the start of the year.

To have two in the bag, yeah, it's a huge achievement for us both, and we should be really proud of ourselves, I think.

Q. A pretty tough early round, but it has been obviously a two-week project winning a slam. Has this been sort of the best two weeks, the most comfortable?
JAMIE MURRAY: I mean, me personally, it's a weird thing to say. I don't feel like I played my best tennis these two weeks. I honestly don't. I feel like I have been grinding a bit with my serve. I didn't feel so comfortable on my return.

But, you know, we found a way to get through the first match. We could easily have lost the first match. We were fighting really hard in the third set.

You know, after that, we kept going one match at a time, starting to play better. I think in the semis we played a great match. In the final I think we came in with a clear game plan of what we needed to do and what was going to work well against those guys.

Yeah, we did a great job.

Q. From a strategy standpoint, both of you guys like to get to the net in traditional doubles. A lot of teams, like Spaniards, have done well staying back. What do you focus on to take out the strengths from the back of the court and bring the battle more to the front of the court like you did today? You did so well today.
BRUNO SOARES: Yeah, it's not easy. It goes a lot with how you return. Like Jamie said, we had a clear plan in that Jamie is very fast on returning and coming in, especially with the forehand. He chips. I feel guys that serve and stay back, they are not really used to the shot, so we can really take advantage of that.

On my side, it's a bit different. I don't really return and come in, but I can be aggressive on the return. I mean, today I had a special day. I was hitting the ball big on the return. I almost didn't miss a return. Then when I'm able to return like this, Jamie puts so much pressure on the guys.

So it's what we had to do, like to not let them hit one shot from the back, being comfortable. Just getting in their head. I think we did that extremely well. If you let these guys rally and hit comfortable shots, they're just going to kill you.

They are so consistent and so aggressive from the back. But once you get in their head, it's where we can take advantage of them. I think we managed to do that very well today.

Q. When Andy won Wimbledon the second time he kind of said he enjoyed it much more than the first time because he could sort of see a more relaxed kind of way and the satisfaction was maybe more instant euphoria. Compare it to how you were in Australia.
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, I think it's a different situation. For him, Wimbledon is a huge pressure. The spotlight is all on him. For me it's not like that here at all.

I think for me it's both equally special. I mean, I was obviously super happy to win in Australia, win a first Grand Slam, especially, you know, the previous year doing two finals back to back and losing both.

You know, here, I mean, I think like we know what it takes to do well in these events. You know, for me, the final, like I felt good. We had a great chance to win. I felt our game style was going to match up well today.

You know, as Bruno said, it did. Yeah, we're really excited to obviously lift this trophy, albeit for a small time. (Smiling.)

Q. We all know doubles partnerships can change a lot. Would you say that this is the best-ever partnership you have had? Is it one that you would envisage staying together for a long time?
BRUNO MURRAY: I hope so. (Smiling.)

JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, of course.

BRUNO SOARES: Can't do much more. Keep him with me.

JAMIE MURRAY: Look, we had the best year of our career, whatever way you look at it. Neither of us had won a Grand Slam before and we come together and we have won two.

So, yeah. Of course I could never disagree with that, yeah.

Q. You beat the No. 1 partnership in the world in the semifinals. Is that a new goal? Is that a goal to become the No. 1 partnership in the world?
BRUNO SOARES: I think so, yeah. Right now, yeah. Before this tournament we were pretty far behind, even though we are No. 3. They had an amazing year. Now I think we are pretty close in the race again. It's definitely a goal.

From the beginning of the year, No. 1 goal is to qualify to London, and we did that pretty early. I mean, officially it was before this week, but, I mean, unofficially we know we had a very good chance to be there.

Now we are in a chance to win it. I think we put ourselves in a very good spot right now. Gotta keep performing well and keep performing well in the big tournaments. We've got two Masters 1000 to come and then London. Big points. We've got to play our best there again.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about how often during a Grand Slam two weeks like this do you speak to your brother? Do you guys talk tennis at all? Just that interesting dynamic of even though you've got your own thing going on, keeping an eye on what he's doing.
JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah, often we don't spend that much time with each other because you're on your own schedules. But we were actually next to each other in the lockers this year. I probably saw him quite a bit more than normal.

But, I mean, you know, we didn't go to dinners. We were staying in different parts of the city. I mean, it is what it is. Everyone's got their own schedules. You're kind of focused on what yourself is doing.

I mean, I watched pretty much all his matches on TV either in the hotel or when I was just in the physio room getting treatment after my matches or whatever.

Yeah, I don't really -- I mean, normally I don't tend to spend that much time.

Q. After your message to Andy on court he respond at all?
JAMIE MURRAY: Haven't looked at my phone actually since we came off court, so see what he says. (Smiling.)

Q. Reached two Grand Slam finals. Thought you were going to get to the next step eventually. (Indiscernible) When you split up, did you feel it was a gamble at all? Was it a dilemma deciding whether to take this forward with Bruno now?
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, I think there is always -- well, there is always that risk, because you never know what's going to happen. Of course, last year I had my best year on the tour. But I decided that I wanted to -- I wanted to try to play with Bruno, basically.

I felt like he was the guy that was going to help me achieve what I wanted to achieve on the doubles court. Yeah, it was still a big decision to, you know, commit to not playing with John because we had a lot of success.

Yeah, I feel like I've vindicated my -- vindicated? Is that the right word? My decision. Yeah, sitting here four Grand Slam later and we have won two of them, so, yeah, it's good news for me, I guess. (Smiling.)

Q. Totally lighthearted comment on court. Emerging from Andy's shadow. He's done well this summer. Has his status sort of driven you on a bit?
JAMIE MURRAY: I wouldn't say necessarily this summer, but I guess over the last few years, seeing him do so well all the time. You know, wanting to have some of that success, as well. You know, I think the last kind of 18 months have started to really kind of show what I can do on the tennis court.

Yeah, I hope that it will continue. Yeah.

Q. Is it easier to play with Bruno than it is with Andy?
JAMIE MURRAY: Um, yeah. Probably, yeah. (Smiling.)

Q. Can you expand?
JAMIE MURRAY: I think we -- I mean, like we talk more. I mean, they are doing similar stuff on the court, like the way -- their strengths and stuff. So for me it's not like a difficult switch to go and play with Andy. I mean, he's a great player.

But I think, you know, we are with each other every day. We are working on our games and communicating all the time. You know, I find it easy to do that with Bruno. I mean, obviously sometimes, you know, with Andy it's not always so easy because great players, you know, they do things the way they do.

You know, if I kind of come in and start saying, you know, I think you need to serve there or, you know, hit your return there, you know, they are not used to hearing that. That can be a bit problematic sometimes. (Laughter.)

I think for me and Bruno we are kind of on an even keel and both have the same goal. We're both trying to do the best for each other and for the team.

Q. On the same issue, how much of it becomes a friendship and how much is a business and how much of it is achieving your goals in sport? Do you become better friends over a period of time, for instance?
JAMIE MURRAY: When you win.

BRUNO SOARES: Exactly. When you lose, you just hate each other. (Smiling.) No, we have been good friends for a long time, me and Jamie. We have been on the tour. We get along super well.

For me, it's very important to get along off court. I can't do this well with someone that like I don't get along well, I just don't like. For me it's important.

We have had an amazing year, but we lost so many times so many tough ones and with match points. You got to be able to, you know, go to dinner with the guy after a tough loss and talk like friends. You know, have the same mentality, hard work, and enjoy the ride.

It's a very tough one. We get special moments like this, but we have brutal moments, as well. We have to be able to share that and just take it easy, you know. Like for me, it's impossible to do that without a friend.

Q. Talk about the experience of this tournament. Was this match the hardest one out of the duration of the tournament, or was it another standout where you thought you guys had to battle harder or were in a difficult position?
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, I think the first round for us was a really hard match. You know, for me, I don't know what Bruno was feeling that day, but some moments I was just thinking, you know, just doesn't seem like it's going to be our day. Then I would kind of be walking to the net when he's serving, and just, Come on. Find a way. Find a way.

Eventually we did. We were in the tournament after that. That was huge win and could have easily been gone in the first round and would not have had a chance to sit here.

Then obviously for us to get through -- again, quarterfinals was a big match. Tough for Bruno to play Andre, best friends. You know, it's not easy. You know, also lost to him a couple times this year already. Mentally it was not an easy match to play.

I think for us the semis was obviously a big win. To beat the French guys was huge. I think I played my best match of the tournament there, I think. Yeah, I think for us the final, you know, I think we were favorites going into the match.

I mean, I was confident going in. I really felt like we had a good game to be there. I didn't feel so stressed about it because I knew what I was going to come up against. I quite like playing against that style of play.

But, yeah, I mean, that's the thing. Two weeks is a lot of time. A lot of tennis gets played. A lot of tough moments. You have to find a way to get through them if you want to get to the finals and have a chance to lift the trophy.

Q. If you look at your achievements alongside Andy, I think you both, between you, have what now, six Grand Slam titles, two Olympics golds, and a Davis Cup? That's not bad for two kids from Dunblane, is it? What's your thought on that body of work?
JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, look, yeah, I think we have been able to do a lot of amazing things in our lives on a tennis court. Yeah, I guess when you're kind of living in a moment you don't always think about all that stuff.

But, I mean, yeah, I mean, you kind of take a moment and look at -- yeah, it is amazing what we have been able to do from a country of no history of tennis at all.

Yeah, it's just -- yeah, it's quite amazing thing about it. I get quite emotional kind of talking about it. And, you know, I think, you know, my mum especially has done some amazing things, and I hope that for everything that she's done for us and for tennis in Scotland, you know, that she's able to get the tennis club built. You know, I think if we want to kind of leave a legacy of what we're doing, you know, it's the best way to do it.

I really hope that, you know, the Scottish government back her plans. You know, I guess we'll probably find out in a few days, I think.

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U.S. OPEN

September 10, 2016

Jamie Murray

Bruno Soares