Team USA - 2
Team Poland - 0
THE MODERATOR: We've got our runners-up here, Team Poland. A quick question to the captain. Obviously not the result you wanted as a team tonight, but just talk about your overall experience this week at United Cup.
CAPTAIN MATEUSZ TERCZYNSKI: No, definitely the whole week was such an amazing experience, especially with such a great group of individuals here. We had a great atmosphere.
I want to thank Jan, Maja, Hubi, Iga, Alicja, and Kamil for an amazing week. Yeah, hopefully we can make it next year and get the W.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Iga and Hubi, you guys had a really strong crowd support in the arena today. How important was it for you to have that support? Is that the biggest support that you have received for a national crowd outside of Poland?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Probably not for Iga.
IGA SWIATEK: It was pretty big.
HUBERT HURKACZ: No, it was amazing to see so many Polish people out here supporting us. So loud. The atmosphere was really, really phenomenal, especially that we're here in Sydney, quite far away from Poland. It was incredible.
And also the support from all the guys on the bench. That was really special, as well. That gave me a lot of energy to fight and a little bit compete.
Q. Iga and Maja, there has been a moment on social media that's gained a bit of traction from you can two on the bench. Can you speak a bit...
IGA SWIATEK: What happened? Which one? What?
MAJA CHWALINSKA: You don't want to know. That's true, actually. (Laughter.)
IGA SWIATEK: It's good that the mics didn't get it.
Q. I was going to ask how important it was to have that team support for the first week of the season and how you felt about that.
IGA SWIATEK: No, honestly the atmosphere has been amazing. Today it wasn't my day, for sure. I needed the energy and I needed also to get some distance to everything what was happening.
For sure Maja was able to give me that. It was pretty funny. There's a reason why we won all these junior tournaments and Junior Fed Cup and everything. She's pretending that she's not my friend but she is (smiling).
So for sure not only from Maja but the whole team, I think the support has been amazing. We respect each other so much that we really have been here together no matter, you know, who was playing. Yeah, just overall I think we stuck together through everything. It was amazing.
Q. Hubi, you had a really strong match against Taylor today. I was wondering if you could speak a bit about how you felt you played tonight and also how you feel Taylor has improved his game in the last couple of months?
HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, I think it was a decent match from my side. I mean, we got to the tiebreak in the third set, so it was very competitive.
Taylor had some chances; I had some small chances, as well. At the end, he won, so I definitely will learn from it and will take the positives and also improve certain things.
I mean, about Taylor, I mean, I haven't been playing the last couple of months, so I don't know (smiling). No, definitely his game has been very strong. He's serving big and hitting big forehands. He had really amazing results last couple of months, so definitely the finals of US Open gave him confidence, and since then he's raised his level.
Q. To Iga and to Hubi, you've had so many matches under your belts this week. How do you feel, going now after all these results, going into the Open? Hubi, to you also, now that you have played after a couple of months away, how are you feeling overall? And Iga, if you could indicate about the reason you left the court for treatment and how you are.
HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, so definitely great for me to get a couple of matches in. That was really important. So happy that the team was doing so well and we managed to get to the finals.
It's obviously disappointing result today. Nevertheless, I think I was also improving and getting better with each match. That was very important for me before the start of Australian Open.
IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure, you know, I wasn't fresh today, but I'll be good. So nothing happens.
Q. I was going to check on the nature of the treatment. Was it the same leg as Saturday, or is it something different today?
IGA SWIATEK: Well, taping wasn't a different leg, but nothing happened really. Like, I was just tired. You know, the volume at the beginning of the tournament especially has been pretty big, so yeah, but honestly, like, this really, it's all good.
Q. Just the workload, yeah?
IGA SWIATEK: Yeah.
Q. This is for Iga and Hubi. Obviously first event before you start playing your matches, there is always a little bit of curiosity as to kind of what this week is going to be like game-wise, questions about whether your preseason will translate, all that. I'm curious what is the biggest thing that you have learned about the state of your game coming out of this event going into Melbourne.
HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, it's very curious, because I haven't played for a while, so I didn't know how it's going to end up. Definitely just needed some time on the court to adapt certain things, as working with the new team, new racquet, as well. I'm really happy with that, things we are working towards. Still not everything is clicking yet, but I see some light at the end of the tunnel.
IGA SWIATEK: And I'm for sure happy, because, you know, I played some heavy hitters as well this week and also some girls that played tough. I was able to play against both really great tennis. For sure today I wasn't able to give 100%. Coco also played amazing, you know, and she's for sure improving. But overall I'm really happy with the week. I feel like things I worked on really improved.
But on the other hand, like, you know, this week, Australian Open is a different story, so still I'm gonna do everything step by step and continue the work that I have been doing.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports