Sam Querrey crowned king of Queen's

SAM Querrey was crowned king of Queen's after defeating fellow American Mardy Fish 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 in the final of the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event.

Querrey may never reach the heights scaled by compatriots Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, but his name will always be alongside that distinguished group on the list of Queen's Club champions thanks to this gutsy win.

The 22-year-old seventh seed collected a winners' cheque worth E79,260 ($A113,000) for his efforts this week, but the boost to his confidence heading into Wimbledon could be far more significant.

Querrey has risen to 23rd in the world rankings after an impressive year, with two ATP Tour titles won in Memphis and Belgrade, and is only the second player, after Rafael Nadal, to win three titles this year.

He has now won on clay, hard and grass courts in the last six months and could be a tough test for more established names at Wimbledon.

Although this was only the second meeting between two, there would be few surprises for either man in the first all-American final at Queen's since Todd Martin beat Sampras in 1994.

Few players on the ATP Tour are firmer friends than Fish and Querrey, who live close to each other in Santa Monica, often practice together and even share the same coach, South African David Nainkin.

Fish arrived in fine form after dropping just one set and defeating world number four Andy Murray on route to the final.

But the world number 90, who has now lost 11 of his 14 ATP Tour finals, wasted a golden opportunity to take control of the match early on.

He earned three break points on Querrey's serve, but allowed the 6ft 6in Californian to escape unscathed.

That was the only opportunity either player had to break in a first set dominated by impressive serving but lacking many moments of drama.

What tension there was came in the tie-break as Fish looked to have stolen the momentum when he fought back from 3-0 down, only for Querrey to respond superbly and win the next four points to take the set.

Despite that blow, Fish recovered in the second set to break Querrey at the end of a lengthy rally at 2-2.

That should have been enough for Fish to restore parity in the match, but his nerve cracked when he served for the set.

A pair of woeful forehands presented Querrey with a break back and he took that gift as the sign to go for the kill.

When Fish served to stay in the match at 5-6, Querrey's attacking intent rattled his opponent enough to induce a series of miscues and it wasn't long before Querrey was celebrating a famous triumph.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/us-bu … 5879071453

Wimbledon 2010 - wywiad po porażce w 4 rundzie

Q. Just talk about the match. What was the difference out there?

SAM QUERREY: Just you know, need to execute a little better. I thought I had a good game plan. I was trying to be aggressive and, you know, I didn't want to play cat and mouse with him from the baseline.

In the first set at 5‑All, 30‑40, I had a look at a short forehand that I just missed a little wide. You know, that third set he played a great game to break me at 4‑All. He hit some great shots.

So just a couple little things here and there, but I had a good game plan. I just need to execute it a little better. Maybe make one or two volleys, and I'm right there.

Q. How is his level? I mean, you've obviously played a lot of good matches on grass. He hasn't lost a set yet in the tournament. Is he playing that well?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, he's playing at a very high level. He's hitting his backhand well. He hits the passing shots as good as anyone. So he's a tough guy to play. Makes a lot of returns.

Q. What was it like out there, the atmosphere playing Murray, Centre Court, Wimbledon?

SAM QUERREY: I mean, it's great. It's fun. You got to ‑‑ you know, I had to hit a special shot to make a few people to clap for me. It's understandable. It was fun out there. You know, he played great.

You know, fans are excited, especially now that the soccer is done. Now they're kind of ‑‑ he's kind of their hope for the next few weeks, or the next week now.

So I had a good time out there.

Q. You've probably been asked this, but what did you learn from this match?

SAM QUERREY: Like I said earlier, execution needs to be a little sharper, especially when you're playing the guys who are top 5, top 10 in the world.

I had a couple chances in the first set where I missed a the forehand wide on breakpoint. Couple volleys up close to the net that I need to, you know, put away.

It's just tighten up those little things, and that's all the difference.

Q. Was there any fatigue issue given how much you've played on the grass?

SAM QUERREY: Um, no. I felt great. I've been taking care of my body and I've been hydrating well. I felt fine out there.

Q. What are the conditions like on the court? Is it pretty fast? It's been hot and dry the last week.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, feels pretty fast. You know, feels like is try grass court. You get rewarded for your wide serve. The slice stays low. If you pound the ball through the court, it really takes off.

You know, might be a little ‑‑ probably a little firmer than the last few years because of the dry heat. But, you know, I like that.

Q. What about the footing? Is it grippy or slicker?

SAM QUERREY: Footing, I mean, I can't notice a difference between the last few years with the footing. Feels fine out there. On the baseline it's mostly just running around on dirt. The grass court shoes help a lot.

My footing feels fine.

Q. How does it compare with Queen's.

SAM QUERREY: I think I they're very similar. I can't notice too much of a difference.

Q. What's next?

SAM QUERREY: Going home tomorrow, and then I'll be playing in Newport. Grass court season is not over for me.

Q. Are you feeling any sympathy for Murray given what the expectations are around him here? And how do you feel about the way he seems to actually step up and do well here even though he hasn't won yet?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, I think he's got a lot of pressure on himself. I'm sure he expects a lot from himself. The fans and the crowd expect him to win every tournament he plays in, so, I mean, probably feels a lot of the pressure from them.

But kudos to him for stepping up and winning Queen's last year; making a semifinal here; he's now back in a quarterfinal. So he steps up to the pressure.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/int … 36426.html

#6) Los Angeles 2010



R32 bye
R16 Kevin Anderson 7-6 4-6 6-0
Q Rainer Schuettler 6-2 3-6 7-6
S Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 7-6 6-4
W Andy Murray 5-7 7-6 6-3

DUN I LOVE napisał:

W tym przypadku "dycha" będzie jak nic.

Będzie "15" jak nic.

Kubecki napisał:

Ale turniej zagrał same trzysetówki i w każdej TB

Sam zapisał się w historii, jako jeden z nielicznych graczy, którzy wygrali turniej ATP, broniąc w finale i półfinale piłek meczowych (1 w finale, 3 w semi). Nie lada wyczyn. Brawo.

Sam zrobił ogromny postęp przez ostatni rok. Jeszcze niedawno brakowało mu techniki czy dobrych wykończeń akcji, teraz już można powiedzieć, że jest dojrzałym graczem i liczy się w dużych imprezach. Liczę na jego dobry start podczas USO.

US Open 2010 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 1 rundzie

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you explain the shot to the privates of your opponent there?

SAM QUERREY: That was an accident. I mean, he hit a dropshot, and I ran up there and it was kind of better than I thought. So I kind of got a little confused where I was going to hit it. I kind of went at him. I didn't mean to hit it there. I felt bad because he's my buddy.

Q. He said before the draw came out you guys have been practicing together. Were you surprised to see his name next to yours when the draw came out?

SAM QUERREY: A little bit. You never know who you're going to get, so it's kind of bummer to play him. We practiced together pretty much the last two months, the whole summer. He's one of the few guys I didn't really want to play. That seems to happen a lot.

Q. Did he surprise you at all today? Obviously you say you've been practicing with him so you know his level. He came out pretty strong against you for a kid who's stepping into a pretty big spotlight.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I think he was a little nervous at the beginning. That's normal. I was a little nervous, too. He played well. He's got a good lefty serve, big forehand. I was impressed with how he played.

Q. How's the heat out there today?

SAM QUERREY: It's so hot out there. I was struggling. I was like my legs were cramping, and his were, too. Fortunately his were just a little worse than mine. But, I mean, it was hot.

Q. Have you had it worse this summer?

SAM QUERREY: D.C. was bad. It might have been a little more humid there. But this one, I mean, like, one of the top couple hottest matches I've played in all summer. So, I mean, I have been hydrating well and doing everything right, but it's just hot.

Q. Would you be in favor of a heat rule for the men?

SAM QUERREY: No.

Q. Why not?

SAM QUERREY: Ah, I mean, tennis is -- we talked about that in the council meeting the other day, whether or not they should close the roof if it gets to be, you know, over a certain temperature. I think, you know, tennis is a physical sport. You should be rewarded with the hard work you put in. If the heat is too much for some guys, you know, if you're the more fit player, you shouldn't get penalized for that. I don't think so.

Q. They wouldn't be closing the roof here, though.

SAM QUERREY: No. (Smiling.)

Q. They won't be building one, either.

SAM QUERREY: It's pretty rare when it gets rained out.

Q. Your experience is obviously different, turning pro coming out of high school and turning pro. Seeing his level of play, would you ever tell him you think it's time to go pro, or do you think it's a smart move for him to go back to Stanford?

SAM QUERREY: Um, it's tough, he can definitely play with the pros. I've been practicing with him all summer. He's playing well. He takes sets off guys in practice all the time. I think either decision is a good one. He can improve at Stanford and he can improve playing the tour. So either way I think it is, you know, the right decision.

Q. What was the difference today? I know you were playing at a higher level than him generally, but were there a couple of things that really helped you push through and take it?

SAM QUERREY: Just a little bit of experience, you know. In that third set at 5 All just making the extra ball, and, you know, drew a couple errors. But that was pretty much it.

Q. You got a winner on a volley, and then hit two aces. Then I think you hit, if I've got this right, third set right then, that was pretty key for you when you went up 6 5.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, and then at 6 5 I just told myself, Just make every ball and make him win if he's going to win this game and send it to a tiebreaker, make him earn it.

Q. Did it help you to play an extra set? More conditioning for the rest of the tournament?

SAM QUERREY: No, I would have rather been in and out of there in an hour. My legs were tightening up. I could have done without it. I guess it lets me know I have to drink more.

Q. I understand it's supposed to remain brutal out there. So feeling how you feel today, do you change preparation knowing it's going to be that bad next time around?

SAM QUERREY: Somebody told me it's going to rain Friday when I walked in here. Yeah, I mean, I think I have been drinking a lot. Talking to trainers and coaches, I'm going to keep more than I have. I fell like I've been having six bottles of water a day, six Cytomaxes, six Gatorades, coconut waters. You know, I'm going to up that to 10 of each a day.

Q. Aside from hydrating, there is really nothing to be done?

SAM QUERREY: I could probably do a little better job of maybe like my match today I didn't have like the biggest breakfast. I didn't hydrate especially well before the match. I could maybe a little better with that. But overall, I think I drank a lot. But I guess I've got to drink more.

Q. Did you really feel it at the end of the fourth set, the dehydration and cramping?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, if he would have won that set, that have been an entertaining fifth set. I mean, he was cramping worse than I was. I don't know what that would have been in the fifth set. Just serve and one shot.

Q. Did he say anything after you targeted his nether regions?

SAM QUERREY: I went up and said, Sorry. You know, we kind of laughed it off a little bit because we're buddies. But, yeah. It happens.

Q. Were you ever on the receiving end of one of those?

SAM QUERREY: No, we talked about that. I can't remember ever getting hit there.

Q. Where are you mentally right now compared to where you were in Paris? A lot has happened since then. You beat Murray in LA, but you seem to be in a different place.

SAM QUERREY: Much better. I'm feeling good out there. I'm just trying to stay positive and keep my mind off things. A lot of it, I think, is this Power Balance that I have been wearing. Kind of after every point I have to adjust it and pull it back up on my arm. So it almost gives me something to do after every point. I can't, you know, spend time getting mad at myself, because every point I have to like adjust this. So it's just a little bit of a habit and I think a tendency. I think that's really been helping me.

Q. Coming out of Paris, if I remember correctly, you were, I'm done, I'm done traveling. Seemed a little burnt out.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I was.

Q. Mentally, where are you? Do you feel fresher coming in here? It's been a long, hot summer? How did you recover from that?

SAM QUERREY: I recovered well, because I went home for six days and then came back and had a great Queen's and great Wimbledon. You know, I had some time off before LA. Had a good like two weeks. In Cincinnati I lost to Ferrer like on Wednesday, so I almost had another two full weeks to kind relax and prepare myself, which was really nice. I'm coming into here feeling really fresh.

Q. What do you know about Ryan Harrison, and what are your expectations for John later on?

SAM QUERREY: Ryan, I mean, I've known Ryan for four or five years. I have hit with him since he was like 15. I was thrilled for him. When I walked back into the locker room, it was like 4 2 or something in the fourth set. So I'm really excited for him. He works really hard, and he did a great job qualifying. I'm ecstatic for him. Hopefully he plays Stakhovsky next round, I think. I mean, if he plays well he can win that one and he could be I think he's 18 he could make the third, fourth round here.

Q. What do you think of his potential?

SAM QUERREY: It's good. I mean, I think the best thing about his game is that he really wants to be a good tennis player. You know, he goes out there and tries really hard and wants to be good. That's a big part of it. He's also a great player, too.

Q. What about John Isner?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, he's got a couple more hours to go, and hopefully his ankle is feeling well. It's still a little swollen. He's not known for just grinding side to side, anyway. You know, I'm assuming he's gonna, you know, serve big as always and probably take a few more chances on the return games than he normally does so he can kind of shorten the points. I hit with him the other day. He seems to be all right.

Q. Do you think it could be a problem because he hasn't had as much preparation as he would have liked?

SAM QUERREY: Possibly. I'm not sure.

Q. How much difference mentally do you think there is between, say, top 8, 10, 12 players and the next group or maybe the top 4? In other words, when people play matches, do you think that it's in the head, Hey, I'm playing Federer. This guy is great. Or, Hey, I can go out there and just play with him. Do you have to sort of learn how to play with the top players?

SAM QUERREY: You definitely have to learn. I remember the first time I played Roger when I was 18. I went out there knowing I was gonna lose.

Q. Why?

SAM QUERREY: I was 18. He was like amazing. It was in Miami. It was a night match. I didn't know I was going to lose, but I assumed I was gonna lose. First time, I don't want to embarrass myself out there.But the more that I played, you know, Roger and Rafa and Andy and practiced with them, you know, you take the occasional set off them in practice and take a set here or two in the match and you beat a top 10 guy, then you kind of start to get the belief. You know, even if you know, I beat Roddick next last year who was ranked 7. When you see him beat these guys, it kind of gives you the belief that you could beat these guys too. It definitely takes a couple of years to get used to, you know, practicing with them, playing with them, and, you know, then you can beat them.

Q. Ryan, I believe, said that this is the first time he's beaten a top 20 player. I could be wrong, but I believe that's what he said. Do you remember when you did that, who it was, and what did that do for you?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, first time I beat a top 20 player...

Q. Or however you remember it.

SAM QUERREY: I remember the first time at Indianapolis I beat James Blake and he was top 10. That was awesome. I remember the feeling. That was the match I had 10 aces in a row, and I think I had 30 in the match.It was kind of a steppingstone of your career. It's really exciting. I'm sure obviously he's pumped up, and I'm sure he'll have a lot more wins like that.

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interv … 31077.html

Querrey looking for major breakthrough

John Isner became a tennis folks hero after his marathon victory over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. James Blake has always been a wildly popular player at the US Open due to his New York and southern Connecticut roots. Andy Roddick has been the most successful American player since 2003 and is well known to the international public. The veteran Mardy Fish has become a poster boy for the positive effects of weight loss on high-level players.

Sam Querrey, ranked No. 22, is hoping to sneak his way into the second week and make some serious noise.

Laid back off the court with a seemingly easygoing posture on court, Querrey says that he burns inside, and given that he's won four titles on three different surfaces in 2010, he's shown a good amount of grit. He realizes that it's time that he stepped up at a major and display his full arsenal.

He's good enough to make a quarterfinal run or better. The question is whether he can find a way to impose his style when the big matches come. With Roddick out of the tournament, he, Isner, Blake and Fish are the last Americans standing. None of them have reached the semis of a major, but all are capable if they produce their best.

"I'm not feeling any pressure or anything," said Querrey, who will play Spain's Nicolas Almagro in the third round on Sunday. "To have four guys in the Round of 32, it's pretty good. Hopefully we can have four in the Round of 16. I think we've got a great shot to do that."

While Querrey has been brilliant at times this year, he has not performed at his best at the majors or the Masters Series, failing to advance beyond the fourth round in any of them. At the majors, he took first round losses to Rainier Schuettler and Robby Ginepri in Melbourne and Paris, and went down to Andy Murray at Wimbledon in the fourth round after winning the grasscourt title in Queens the week before.

He got a measure of revenge on Murray by coming from match points down to defeat him in the final of LA, but then went 2-3 in his next three tournaments. Querrey is tough to figure out, but he's been trying to save energy for the US Open, so maybe getting a slight breather in August will pay off.

" I'm feeling good out there," he said. "I almost had another two full weeks to kind relax and prepare myself, which was really nice. I'm coming into here feeling really fresh. "

Querrey will be a slight favorite going into his match with clay court expert Almagro, whom he beat 6-3, 6-2 the only time they faced off on an outdoor hard court at 2009 Auckland. The No. 14 seeded Almagro has a huge first serve for his height, heavy groundstrokes off both wings and can finish points off at the net, but he'll have trouble adjusting to Querrey's raw, flat power.

The American can ace and service winner himself through numerous games, has a forehand that can blow holes in the back walls, a decent but not overwhelming backhand and a reasonable volley that's improved quite a bit since he took up playing nearly full time doubles with Isner.

But the Southern Californian has had trouble staying focused at the majors. He has to be careful about getting down on himself and make sure not to hit himself out of matches. If he engages the crowd and also allows them to pump him up, they could carry him through some rough spots.

Two years ago at the US Open, Querrey knocked off Tomas Berdych and Ivo Karlovic and reached the fourth round before going down to Rafa Nadal in four sets. Last year, Robin Soderling stung him in four sets in the third round.

This year, the 22-year-old comes in with his highest ranking and should be ready to rumble. If he manages to knock off Almagro, he will likely face Murray in the fourth round, the same guy he took down in late July. In the quarters, he could fave Isner, whom he's beaten twice this year. He's not a boastful guy, but Querrey has serious semifinal possibilities.

"I'm just trying to stay positive and keep my mind off things," he said. " A lot of it, I think, is this Power Balance that I have been wearing. Kind of after every point I have to adjust it and pull it back up on my arm. So it almost gives me something to do after every point. I can't, spend time getting mad at myself, because every point I have to adjust it. So it's just a little bit of a habit and I think a tendency. I think that's really been helping me."

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articl … 31503.html

US Open 2010 - wywiad po porażce w 4 rundzie

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think was the difference in the fifth set?

SAM QUERREY: Just a couple points here and there. It was like every set was like that, just really just a couple of points in every set that made the difference.

Q. It was such an incredible match to watch, but at the same time it's gotta to be emotionally, you know, so difficult. You played your heart out. What was it like coming off the court? How do you feel, basically, after that?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, it was tough. You know, four and a half hours. I was pretty sad in the locker room for a little while. I mean, I don't feel that great right now. You know, pretty tired. My body is tired. But, I mean, it was an unbelievable match. Stan played great.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about, was it disappointing at all for the American men that you guys have all been eliminated before the quarterfinals in the second straight year?

SAM QUERREY: Um, yeah, I mean, we want to make the quarterfinals. It doesn't we're trying our best. I was very close, but hopefully next year is another year, and hopefully have a few guys in the quarters.

Q. Did you feel any pressure at all?

SAM QUERREY: No, not at all.

Q. When you win the fourth set, do you feel like you have all the momentum going into the fifth, or does the fifth become its own entity?

SAM QUERREY: I feel like it becomes its own entity a little bit. I felt like at the beginning I think I had break points the beginning of the fifth. I can't really remember.

Q. You did.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, maybe a little bit ofd momentum, but not much. It's kind of that fifth set just kind of that last decider.

Q. Were you trying to channel your inner John Isner on that, a fifth set with how long it was going?

SAM QUERREY: No, I mean, you know, it can only last about an hour, which is nice, because my leg was starting to tighten up.

Q. He said that he thought you were getting a little bit tired and that you changed up I guess after the first three games or the first four games of the fifth set. Was that how it changed to you?

SAM QUERREY: That I changed up?

Q. That you changed up your game a little bit trying to compensate a little bit for some maybe some fatigue?

SAM QUERREY: Maybe a little bit, but not that much. My leg was starting to cramp a little, but not to the point I had to like alter anything, I didn't feel like.

Q. Which leg?

SAM QUERREY: Right leg.

Q. Is this the kind of match, because it was so close, that you'll replay a lot of the points in your head, or do you tend to just kind of let it go and move on?

SAM QUERREY: No, I'll let it go. I didn't even know I had a breakpoint in the fifth set. Those volleys in the third were a little disappointing, but other than that, you know, I'll let it go.

Q. Late in the, I think it was maybe the last game in the match, at 30 All I think you tried to serve and volley. First time you did it all match, I think. Was that out of tiredness or trying to change it up?

SAM QUERREY: Just trying to change it up, you know, catch him off guard. He was slicing the forehand return, so, you know, I wanted to, you know, serve and volley, and, you know, not let him get away with that again.

Q. How would you describe just the atmosphere and how you felt about playing in there?

SAM QUERREY: It was great. The crowd was unbelievable. It's fun to play in there. It was so windy in there, which makes it tough, but I thought the crowd was great. You know, tried my best.

Q. Does it help you go about your business to have that all going on around you, or does it help you start to fight to stay in the match?

SAM QUERREY: No, they get me energized. They do that with all the Americans, and I'd much rather play on a court like that with everyone cheering for me than in Switzerland. (Laughter.)

Q. You know, the first couple of sets they seemed like they still had the Labor Day blahs, the crowd. Only when you made a great shot or something did they sort of awaken. Just wondered if you sort of felt that.

SAM QUERREY: It's tough. We both have big serves, so, you know, it's not it's not Nadal Ferrer where you're going side to side all day. But, um, yeah, you know, I kind of had to break him in the second set to kind of get him energized. Had to give him something to get fired up about, and, you know, luckily I did.

Q. There were a lot of unforced errors out there, and I was wondering how much you would say that was attributable to the windy conditions?

SAM QUERREY: A lot. It was really tough to play out there. It was really, really windy. The one side is like downwind the entire time; the other side is into the wind. I mean, that has everything to do with the unforced errors.

Q. End of the third set, do you remember you made a couple of pretty bad volleys?

SAM QUERREY: Thanks.

Q. Do you recall those at all?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah. I said earlier those are kind of the two shots I can look back and that I remember and I'm a little bummed about. The first one was kind of tough. The wind kind of got it behind my head a little bit. The other one was inexcusable.

Q. You said you didn't feel any pressure at all in terms of being the last American, but was that in any way something you had thought about, cared about?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, you think about it. I mean, you guys tell me that every day I'm in here. (Laughter.) I didn't feel any extra pressure or anything. I definitely wanted to win and keep the American men, keep the hope going. You know, I was close.

Q. Is it personally frustrating to have to answer questions about the state of American men's tennis every time you lose a tennis match?

SAM QUERREY: A little bit, yeah. I get asked the same question all summer.

Q. Four titles this year; some decent runs; a good runs here, but not quite able to get it to the final stages. Do you think you're ready to build on this? Is this a building block for you? Or what will you take from this?

SAM QUERREY: Definitely, yeah. I mean, the last two Slams, Wimbledon and here, made the round of 16, and have been close to getting into the quarterfinals. Hopefully I can keep that up in the slams. You know, I think I can win that round of 16 match, and, you know, keep winning matches after that.

Q. I believe you were quoted as saying you want more Americans to be playing Ashe even earlier in the tournament, that that would give an advantage. I was wondering if that was quoted regardless of ranking, I was just curious what your thoughts are on that.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I said that.

Q. Should be like affirmative action for Americans on Ashe?

SAM QUERREY: It's not a big deal. I just casually mentioned it. I mean...

Q. Did you expect to reach a quarterfinal this year, and what's your frustration level with not doing it in 2010?

SAM QUERREY: No, you know, I'm not really -- I don't set my goals on what round do I want to make it to. It's more just how I play and attitude out there, and, you know, doing the right things. This has been a great week, and, you know, I left it all out there today and I didn't get to the quarters. I'm bummed, but I did everything I could.

Q. Andy is the only guy to reach a slam quarter this year, American guy. What would you attribute that to? Is that satisfying for the U.S. guys to know that Europeans are basically taking over the slams?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, Andy is good. He's been in the top 10 for like last seven or eight years. He had a good year, especially more so the first six months. But, I mean, it's annoying, that the Europeans are in the quarters every slam. We're trying. (Smiling.)

Q. Getting back to your serve, you mentioned before that was a big serving match. In some of those crucial moments you missed a bunch of first serves and you had crucial moments in second serves. Do you feel like it let you down a little bit today?

SAM QUERREY: A little bit. But, you know, not much. Those crucial moments you're gonna be a little more nervous, and, you know, it's a little tougher to make the serve in. Sometimes I made it; sometimes I didn't. You always want to make it, so I was a little bummed when I didn't make it on those match points or, you know, late in the third. But it's tough to put a serve in when it gets close like that. You know, nerves creep in for anyone.

Q. You seem to play very calm on the exterior in a big match like this. Is that a true reading, or is there stuff going on in there?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah. The only time I was really, you know, pissed at myself was after I missed that volley in the third set. Kind of threw the racquet down a little bit. Other than that, I was trying to stay calm and relaxed and not waste any unnecessary energy on emotions.

Q. Davis Cup captain is a pretty important role in American tennis. If they came to you and said, Hey, give us an indication of who you prefer, who would you say?

SAM QUERREY: Who I prefer?

Q. Uh huh.

SAM QUERREY: You know, I haven't even thought about it. I know I know Jim I just heard that Jim Courier wants it and I think Todd Martin. I'm not really sure how it works, if they put their name if they have to announce their name to the USTA, but I heard Jim and Todd are the front runners.

Q. Do you have a preference yourself?

SAM QUERREY: No. I mean, I don't know who's wanted to longer. Probably I've heard Jim's wanted it for a long time, but, you know, I'd be fine with Jim or Todd.

Q. Also, finally, if you could just assess Pat's role as Davis Cup captain.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I've played three ties for him, and then I've been the practice partner playing four or five times. How long has he been the captain?

Q. Ten years.

SAM QUERREY: It's been a great ten years. He won a Davis Cup, which every coach wants to do, and, you know, he's a great captain. He's fun to have around. I'm bummed to see him go, but, you know, I know he's got a lot on his plate with USTA and ESPN and everything. We've kind of got a new wave coming up now, so maybe it's time for a new coach, as well.

Q. You've been talking a lot this year about peaking at the slams. Is this the closest you've come to bringing your best game ever at a major?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, here and Wimbledon, I thought I played great both of them. If I can keep playing that, I think I can go further than the round of 16 at the slams.

Q. You had an incredible match with him at Indian Wells. What is it about your styles that create this kind of tennis? And the second question, have you hit with the kid Collarini? What do you think of him?

SAM QUERREY: I think it's that coincidence both times we've played they've been great matches. I wouldn't necessarily think it's anything with our game styles matching up. Maybe a little bit. Maybe we both have big serves. You know, big servers usually win close sets. And Collarini, I've hit with him all summer. Did he win today?

Q. Yeah.

SAM QUERREY: He's a great kid; always has a smile on his face. He's our practice partner in Colombia, and I've been practicing with him. He's very good. He's learning to play on hard courts. He's gonna be good.

Q. Speaking of Colombia, given the state of American tennis, is it really more than imperative to win this Davis Cup now more than ever, try to bring back some glory to the red, white, and blue to create some fan interest?

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, you know, we're gonna try. Hopefully we can get a win. We have a good team going down. If you match everyone up on paper we have the better team, but it's gonna be the four of us have never really played on the altitude like that, so we don't really know what it's gonna be like. Falla and her Giraldo are two tough players in singles.

Q. I guess what I'm getting at is the Ryder Cup, the golf equivalent, it was shown on NBC where the Davis Cup is on the minor league Tennis Channel. So that's what I'm saying, the importance of winning gets you to that next level for media exposure.

SAM QUERREY: Yeah, it's huge. The U.S. is a World Group country, so we need to win this to get back in the World Group next year. We don't want to be in the Group B.

Q. You mentioned a few moments ago Nadal and Ferrer scampering around versus your bigger serve. You haven't played Nadal for a couple years. When you last played, did you feel like it was attackable or even a liability?

SAM QUERREY: No, just because a lefty is a lefty. If he was a righty, maybe a little bit. But because he's lefty, I personally struggle with lefty serves, so I don't think it's attackable.

Q. But back then you didn't think it was attackable?

SAM QUERREY: I didn't think it was back then, either. He has a better return, maybe.

Q. You have some relatively quick turn around time between here and Davis Cup. In general, how does your body bounce back? It's a physical match. How do you think you'll bounce back?

SAM QUERREY: I think it will be all right. We don't actually play till Friday, so we've got ten days to recover. I'll take three, four days off here, and then go down there and you know, I'm kind of curious to see how my body and Mardy's and John's and Ryan's will kind of react to the altitude. I think there's enough -- there's like ten days, so we should be fine.

Q. Obviously Roger has far more slams than Rafa, but right now, here now, who do you think is a better player?

SAM QUERREY: I mean, that's tough to not say Rafa, because he won French and Wimbledon. But I think on the hard court I would say Federer.

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Aces & Faults: Gone...And Back Again

Press conferences with tennis players don’t usually get as honest as the one Sam Querrey conducted after his first-round loss at the French Open. "I got tired,” Querrey admitted. Not unusual, perhaps, but then Querrey kept going. “Mentally not there.” And going. “Just did not enjoy myself out there. It’s been like that on and off for awhile. So I’m going home tomorrow.” Querrey, true to his word, dropped out of the doubles with partner John Isner and hightailed it back to California. He and Isner had played an ambitious schedule during the spring, and it caught up with him in Paris. At 22, Querrey is young enough to bounce back quickly, but it was still a surprise to see just how quickly his competitive juices started to flow again. Two weeks after fleeing France, Querrey flew back to Europe, won at Queens, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, and, a few weeks later, beat Andy Murray for the title back in L.A.

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