M. BERRETTINI/R. Collignon
6-3, 6-4
Team Italy - 1
Team Belgium - 0
THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions.
Q. Towards the middle part of the second set, the TV on change of ends came in very close on your face. I looked like you were getting quite emotional. Would that be fair? How are you feeling?
RAPHAEL COLLIGNON: Yeah, it was very tough today. I had so much stress. I wanted to do well for the team. Since the beginning of this year in Davis Cup, I'm playing very good. I wanted to do the same today. I wasn't able to play my game, to find my rhythm.
Yeah, it was quite impressing, the stadium with all the Italian fans for him. He is an icon here. It was tough for me to handle the pressure. I wasn't enjoying myself as I should do in the semifinal of a Davis Cup. It was very tough.
I feel I continued to fight. Towards the second I had few chances to break at 3-2. I think if I can get that break, it can really get me in the match. But wasn't the case. He was better today.
Q. You've had a great Davis Cup season. What are you going to take into next year from what you've gained from this year?
RAPHAEL COLLIGNON: Yeah, it was great. First victories in this competition. We did so well. I've beaten so much good players this year.
Yeah, I'm going to try to take all this experience, even like today with the defeat. It was the first time in a stadium packed like this. Australia also. This, I feel it was a bit more with the Italian energy, the Italian crowd. It was tough to handle.
I will try to take all the positive I can take from this match also and from this year to be better next year.
Q. I'm wondering if in the second set you had this impression of Matteo being a bit less brilliant moving on the court. Also when he was attacking to the net. Did you feel not only on this court but game-wise that you had this chance?
RAPHAEL COLLIGNON: Also at the beginning, it's just me, like, I didn't put one first serve. I was pushing all the balls in the middle. He had easy shots to get in the match.
I feel like if I would enter a bit better the match, it was going to be competitive for him. I was feeling he was missing also, even if he was leading me a lot of balls. He wasn't comfortable on the court.
When I get a little bit into the match, I had directly few chances. Yeah, I'm very frustrated about myself today, the way I played. I'm very sad.
But let's see what can Zizou do.
Q. On the stress you were feeling, did you talk to Steve at all about it? He's obviously had a lot of experience playing Davis Cup away from home. Did he have any advice?
RAPHAEL COLLIGNON: Yeah, I feel the stress all the time. It's not new. I think it's normal. A bit more in Davis Cup because you're playing not only for yourself, you play for a team, you play for your country. The pressure is a bit higher.
Yeah, he tried to relax like he does all the time. Today was a bit too much. I think Matteo was feeling it a bit more than the other opponents. He put, like, a bit more pressure on myself with his serve. Also tried to make me play under the net with his slice. He was playing very intelligently today. He felt that I was, yeah, feeling a bit the pressure.
Yeah, I'm very, very sad today.
Q. Considering what you've just been saying about how you felt, did you feel also overwhelmed in the match? If that was the case, have you felt like that in any other match before?
RAPHAEL COLLIGNON: Yeah, I felt like that before. Even against Moutet at the beginning also was tough to handle the pressure. Today was a bit more because of the crowd. It was packed all for him, so it was tough.
Yeah, I didn't manage to get in the match. In the other matches my serve helped me a little bit to get into the match and get a little bit of rhythm. Today my serve wasn't so good so I didn't have so much free points to get me in the match. I think that's change a lot.
I didn't quite enjoy myself today, so it's sad.
Q. You obviously have a great camaraderie within the team. Can you give us a sense of that support.
RAPHAEL COLLIGNON: Yeah, we are not only a team, we are friends. We feel like we are a family. So that helps. We understand what each other is feeling on the court. We try to support each other, try to raise the energy when we feel it's a bit tough for the guys on the court.
Yeah, we will be all behind Zizou for this one and let's see what can happen.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports