T. FRITZ/A. Zverev
6-4, 7-5
Team Europe - 4
Team World - 6
THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Taylor. That was a tough fight and an important win for Team World. Please give us your thoughts on the match against Alexander Zverev.
TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, it was a really good match. I played pretty well for the most part, a lot of really good games, a lot of really good points where I dug out a lot of balls, played good defense.
Yeah, I'm super happy, super happy with how I played.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. You said you improved a lot with your movement. Where exactly you see yourself faster? After finishing the shot, after all together connecting the shots?
TAYLOR FRITZ: I'm not sure. I don't think I necessarily think recently I'm moving a lot better. I think, you know, over the past, you know, two years or so I have improved a lot my movement.
You know, I mean, maybe, you know, some people are saying they think I'm moving better now. I'm not sure. But definitely I think it's more that first step, getting going and getting to the balls, sliding into them. I think it's a lot better. I'm definitely maybe feeling a bit more explosive.
Q. It seems like you have also brought a lot more variety into your game in the last months or years. Is that also a key to success, especially Alexander who likes to play rallies from the baseline?
TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, I love to play rallies from the baseline, too. I think a lot of times that we have played it is very just linear, like, ball striking. I think there was a lot of that at Wimbledon.
I think that's fine when it's on conditions like Wimbledon. I think when we are playing on a court like this where it's very slow and you can't just finish points by just hitting through people all the time, I think that's when, you know, I get a chance to really show what I have been working on for years, finishing some points with dropshots, finishing some points at net.
I think, you know, I really get to, I guess, use those parts of my game a bit more when I am playing on a court like this where, yeah, you can't just hit through people.
Q. You were guest in Nothing Major. You told a tough ten days after US Open you had really bad habits. What's it mean for a professional athlete to have bad habits? What kind of video game you play for 12 hours?
TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, 12 hours may be a bit of an exaggeration. Yeah, it's easy when I'm talking on the podcast with those guys to forget that it's actually an interview. I'm just talking very casually.
Yeah, I thought it was funny. I think maybe people took it the wrong way that I was doing that because I was sad or something. I'm doing it because that's what I do when I get time off. You know, when I'm at tournaments for a couple of weeks, I'm so focused and locked in. I'm very, like, just focused on everything. I'm like a different person.
So when I am finally back home for a bit, I need that mental, like -- it's more of a mental thing to, like, refresh myself. Yeah, I like to maybe not eat so healthy for two or three days, and my sleep schedule is just whenever. I just sleep when I feel like it and wake up when I feel like it. Just, yeah, play video games, relax, and that's kind of what makes me feel ready and motivated to get back out and start working really hard again and start getting into my processes and doing what I do.
Yeah, maybe it sounds bad, but it's part of what works for me.
Q. Taylor, you and Sascha pretty much alternated, win, win, but now three in a row for you. Can you pinpoint any reason why you have gone three in a row on him now?
TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, I have played well. You know, I think at the Open he didn't play his best. I mean, today I played a good match. At the Open I played a good match.
I don't see why, like, it wouldn't go back to potentially us going one, one, one, one. I don't think there is any specific reason other than I have played a couple of good matches.
I think, you know, over the years we have always had close matches. I think the games match up well. You know, I can serve and hang in there with my serve, because he's very tough to break. You have to have a good serve to stay in the match with him or else he's just going to serve you out of the match.
His backhand is incredibly good. I think my backhand is my stronger side, too, so I feel like maybe I can neutralize and hang with him on that side where maybe some people wouldn't be able to stay in a pattern. But, yeah, I mean, the biggest thing is I have just been playing well.
Q. I know we don't know the lineup yet, but can you talk about how pumped you'll be tomorrow if you compete for three points and what it will mean for the threepeat?
TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I'm excited for tomorrow. Especially Frances and I, especially after the way both of us played today, we were talking about we played, both of us played some really good tennis today. We are excited because Day 3 is really what it's all about. You can literally lose every single match but win all your Day 3 matches and win. So it really comes down to tomorrow.
Q. You talked about the US Open final a few minutes ago. Which feeling does prevail right now? Happiness that you made it to the final or still the disappointment?
TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, I'm still -- I mean, I'm happy I made it to the final. You take a step back and look at, for my year, puts me in a great spot for the race, puts me in a great spot for the rankings. Yeah, I can't sit on it for too long. It's important that I build off of it.
That's why I'm really happy that I came out today and played a great match. You know, I'm always going to look back at it and be disappointed. Not disappointed necessarily because I lost. Just disappointed because I think that I could have played a lot better at times.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports