T. ETCHEVERRY/J. Struff
7-6, 7-6
Team Argentina - 1
Team Germany - 0
THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions for Jan-Lennard.
Q. Can you start by talking us a little bit through the match.
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Sure, yeah. I think it was a very intense match. Pretty high quality from both players. Yeah, I think I had a chance, I mean, a really good start to the match. I think I had the chance to get a second break. Didn't happen. He broke back very good, very good returns. Yeah, I tried to stay very calm in that moment because I had the feeling I was playing good tennis. I felt I had good chances.
But yeah, he managed to win the tiebreak in the first. Again, I was feeling it's a very intense-type match, but I have the chance to get the second again.
In the second, in his first service game, had break points. I think he saved them pretty well. Except the break, I felt I served pretty good. I didn't give him so many opportunities to break me. Yeah, but he started serving very well, as well. In the end he was serving pretty good.
It was very close match. I think, like, very just one, two points decided it. Yeah, in the end that's it. He deserved to win. I would have deserved I think, as well. Yeah, he made it. This is tennis sometimes, yeah.
Q. Not getting that second break in the first set, seemed like the momentum changed at that stage. Would you agree that was a crucial aspect?
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Yeah, for sure it would have been amazing to get the second break. I mean, I was playing very good at the beginning, coming out firing. Had short points, attacked him, put him to defense. I think he changed a little bit. He went a bit more for the return. He won a lot of points on my second serve, I believe.
The break points, I mean, the first one is just a little bit lucky for him with a net cord. I cannot do anything there. But this happens, again, like I said. Second one I decided a little bit to go cross-court instead of down the line, which I did before. I missed in the net. Yeah, I mean, I made so many good shots before, so I tried to refocus. I won the next game. It was 4-2. So still didn't happen that much, I would say. I was still in lead.
Of course, the second break would have changed a lot. For him, I think it was very important. He got into the match. 1-4 would be very tough for him, I would say. Yeah, he found a way in the match. He returned two, three times very good in the game he broke me. From that on, yeah, it was just close. Not many chances to break for both, I would say.
Q. 24 aces, 88% serve. Was a key?
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Sorry?
Q. 24 aces, 88%.
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: For him?
Q. Yes.
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: He served very well. I know he's serving well, very good. I think today he did a very high quality of serving performance. Yeah, that was very good from him, for sure.
Q. How would you describe Etcheverry as a player, at least from what you have experienced today in the match? Coming back to the serve, his aces, what were you thinking on some moments of the match when you were receiving his serve?
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Yeah, I answer the second one first.
Yeah, I didn't think that much, I would say. My team told me after he was serving like seven aces or something in a row in the end. That's just good. I tried to focus on the next point, tried to get it in, play the next point. I didn't complain because it's just good quality and you have to accept.
The other thing, yeah, I think he has very - how do you say it - I would say he's a very good player, for sure. I knew that before the match, as well. He's for me a player which is working very hard. A lot of people can look up to him because of his fighting spirit, the way he playing, never giving up. That is what I knew before.
What I learned from him the last couple of years when I saw him playing, I really enjoy seeing him fight the times before. Yeah, that's my opinion on him. Very, very good player, yeah.
Q. You've talked about the intensity and quality. Do you think in those situations you bring out the best in each other? How do you try to break through that?
JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Yeah, obviously we both I would say want to win a point for our country. Davis Cup is special. You want to perform for your country, give everything you have, and fight. I think we both did.
Yeah, in that match, if both players are playing like this, sometimes it goes this way, sometimes the other way. The important thing is to try next time again, discover it again. You will earn some wins in that moment then.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports