Vilius Gaubas came to the press conference at the Cairo Arena disappointed after the second match between Lithuanian and Serbian tennis players in the first group encounter of the Davis Cup in Niš.
Earlier, Edas Butvilas (ATP-194) fought dramatically but eventually lost to Miomir Kecmanović (ATP-61) after more than two hours of battle 5:7, 6:1, 5:7, although he was leading 4:2 in the third set.
VIDEO: Edas Butvilas commented on the dramatic match in Serbia
Edas Butvilas commented on the dramatic match in Serbia
Kęstas Rimkus
Seeing his teammate’s disappointment, Vilius Gaubas himself tried to fight against Hamad Medjedović (ATP-77), but could not hold on – 4:6, 4:6.
“The opponent played very well, he made very good use of his serves, I couldn’t really do much against that. Especially playing in his home court was very difficult,” said V. Gaubas. “Maybe I could have hurt him sometimes, but too little.”
In the second set, the 22-year-old Lithuanian tried to disrupt the rhythm of his older opponent, falling and calling the doctor to his side, but even after the break for the simulated injury, the Serbian maintained his playing strength, based on unstoppable serves (H. Medjedović made 12).
The Lithuanian and Serbian tennis teams duel in Niš
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The score of the Lithuanian and Serbian encounters to three wins became 0:2, which means that the decisive match could be the doubles match on Sunday, for which our team coach Laurynas Grigelis registered 23-year-old Pijus Vaitiekūnas (ATP–1689) and 24-year-old Justas Trainauskas (1677), but he may still change the lineup and throw the team leaders into the fight.
We talked about the events of the first day with a look at the next day with our team’s number one racket V. Gaubas.
– Vilius, how would you evaluate the first day of the competition?
– Edas really showed an unreal level this time. Laurynas (Lithuanian team coach Laurynas Grigelis) and I talked that we haven’t seen such play from Edas before. Of course, it’s a pity he didn’t take his chance. But he played against a Top-100, former Top-50 opponent who has been in the elite for many years. So experience won.
From my side, I can say that I don’t think I was very close (to winning). The opponent dominated from the very first game with his serves, it was not easy to play against him. I couldn’t get him into my game. Of course, I tried to hang on, but his confidence in his serves made a big difference.
– Was it emotionally difficult to face your match after Edas’s dramatic loss?
– I think it wasn’t easy, but it’s not the first time. It has been harder before, now I’m more used to it. I tried to think about how to play myself. Of course, seeing Edas sad in the locker room after such a match was sad for me too. But on the court, I already focused on my own game.
– Can you explain what happened in the second set when you asked for the doctor’s help?
– Nothing serious. In tennis, it often happens that when the opponent catches a good wave, you want to change something somehow. I tried to play psychologically, but obviously it didn’t work.
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– How much did the passionate Serbian support get in the way?
– I don’t think it disturbed much. We prepared ourselves all week that there could be provocations, that the audience would strongly support their own. In the end, it wasn’t as we expected. There were no provocations, everything was respectful.
– Are you eager to play in the doubles match on Sunday?
– Definitely. We will try to give everything to win. That’s what the Davis Cup is about, when after the first day the score is 0:2, and then it becomes 3:2.
– Does that mean we might see you in the doubles match?
– It’s not for me to decide. There will be a conversation tonight and tomorrow morning. We will see how everyone feels. The captain (coach Laurynas Grigelis) will decide.
– What can be done overnight to recover?
– I think the most important thing is not to stay in a negative emotion. Especially it won’t be easy for Edas. But we have experience, in tennis losses happen almost every week. So you have to see at least some positivity so that it’s easier to play the next day.
– What is the longest you have stayed awake after a loss?
– This year at Wimbledon after the last match, when I played for four and a half hours and there was no air conditioning in the room, so I slept maybe three hours.
