October 28, 2002
ESCUDE‑SANTORO/Coetzee‑Haggard 6‑1, 6‑0
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. It's your third match together.
FABRICE SANTORO: Yes.
Q. Is it the best of all of them? How can you explain this improvement already after three matches?
FABRICE SANTORO: Well, since the first match, there's been great improvement. The second was better. It's difficult to compare the second and the third, but compared with the difficulties of the first double, we found our marks.
Q. I suppose you don't spend your whole day practicing together in doubles, so how can you explain this improvement?
NICOLAS ESCUDE: I believe Fabrice is a very good doubles player. He has good qualities for that.
Me, myself, many people have been telling me that my technique would allow me to be a good player if I practiced. The only question about our team was the fact that Fabrice has started playing on the left side in the beginning of the year, now he has to play on the right side.
The worst match was the first one because of that. But after, he got used to it and now we get along very well together.
Q. Are you surprised that you feel so good playing on the right‑hand side, Fabrice?
FABRICE SANTORO: Yes. In fact, I was saying to Escude that I was at ease on the right‑hand side. In the beginning I was a bit worried, but now I got used to it, and I'm more efficient.
I would like to change over to the other side, he plays on his best side anyway. Myself, I'm going to try to be as best as possible and find my reference points on the right‑hand side, like at the time when I was playing Olivier, a long time ago.
So I know on the right‑hand side I'm able to play well. Today it was not bad at all.
Q. Nicolas, what is going to happen soon, does it motivate you for playing doubles?
NICOLAS ESCUDE: I always play doubles anyway, it has nothing to do ‑‑ every time I was able to play doubles, I did, except for certain tournaments like Wimbledon because it's five‑setters. So I wanted to do well in singles, and I didn't have time to do doubles.
But every time I had the possibility, I played doubles. And every time, I tried to win, of course, otherwise it's no use being on the court. It's a waste of time.
Q. Since the beginning of forming a team together, what improvements can you make from now on? What parts of your game can you improve?
NICOLAS ESCUDE: I think our strong point is the consistency in our returns. We are able to return well every time almost. We are not perfect on monster servers, but we have a good quality of return. Our serving games, we are very good, so these are our strong points.
It's just our third doubles, as we've been saying.
Q. How did it happen that you played this tournament together, and why didn't you ever play this kind of tournament before although you knew each other well?
FABRICE SANTORO: Just because the opportunity didn't come up. I played with Arnaud, after I played with Michael, tournament after tournament; things went on. Nico was winning matches on his side, I was winning my matches. We had different paths. Now we're going to play the finals (laughing).
No, anyway, what I mean is that Guy Forget asked us to try something different, and the only possibility that had not been tried since the beginning of the season was Michael and Arnaud and Nico and myself. This is what we're trying to do here, to have a third element for the selection of Davis Cup.
Q. What mark would you give to your partner for those three matches?
FABRICE SANTORO: Difficult to say...
I think our strength, after three doubles only, we are not very well ranked for the time being. But I feel good playing with him because we play serve and volley naturally. We play well at the net. When we are at the net, we are really above the other team. We are dominating.
If we want to play long, we play long. If we want to play a dropshot, we play a dropshot. But we are very much at ease at the net.
Today, Nico had very good returns and myself, on the right‑hand side, I was okay. So if I can improve my returns there, it will be a plus.
Q. The French championships are starting on Saturday. We'll see, Fabrice, you are with Michael Llodra and Sebastien Grosjean. Will this be the opportunity of trying new combinations?
FABRICE SANTORO: What is he talking about?
Q. I'm talking about the French Championships (laughter).
FABRICE SANTORO: Oh, my God. Oh, well, you know, the championships among clubs, yes. It's true it's Saturday, but I hope the way is very long and we'll be a long time here in Bercy first ‑ the next Saturday.
Well, the next Saturday, I'll be on holidays. I need a break after a very heavy season if I want to be at the best of my shape in the future.
Q. So was it difficult to go on the right‑hand side? Guy forced you? What happened? Nico, are you incapable of playing on the right‑hand side?
NICOLAS ESCUDE: Well, before I used to adapt to my colleague, but it's true that on the left‑hand side I feel a lot more at ease, and I thought it was better. I asked Guy to play on the left‑hand side.
Q. How did you present your argument?
NICOLAS ESCUDE: I just said, "I want to play on the left‑hand side." That's all (smiling).
Q. How was the atmosphere today? There was a lot of public, a lot of crowd, many children.
FABRICE SANTORO: It's true that you are not used to this kind of atmosphere on the first round in this kind of tournament, but it was ‑‑ there was electricity in the air. There were many people. People were enjoying this doubles match. It was a pleasant feeling to go on to the court seeing that it was full. After, during the match, we enjoyed it a lot.
Q. Fabrice, what do you prefer, which partner do you prefer for Davis Cup? Secondly, how did you talk with Michael about it? Did this decision come naturally?
FABRICE SANTORO: Well, we decided to try all the combinations and we decided there were absolutely no problems and we decided to try this new combination. Guy decided about the combinations for this tournament. There are really absolutely no problems with Michael. In fact, Michael wanted to play on the left‑hand side for a long time. Now he has the opportunity.
Now, as far as my partners are concerned, Escude or Michael for me, what I try to do is my best, whoever is with me. I feel at ease with both of them. I try to give my best, and to play as many matches as possible.
Anyway, I'm not the decision‑maker.
Although nothing is done yet, I feel the probabilities are good that this will be the Davis Cup doubles team for the final, and that would be only justice for Nicolas.
Nothing against Micka Llodra but he's younger, he can wait! (and improve in the meantime)
yes Tryphon-i really hope Guy will pick these 2 to play double!nothing against Llodra,but after the way he played semi against Usa,i guess Guy's seriously thinking about a new partner for Seb and Nico would be the best!
I hope they do play well this week in Bercy,they need to practise together!
ALLEZ LA FRANCE!!!!
Nico/Fab r playing great and i'm very happy!
also Pioline is playing good though.he's in the final with Guga!
lots of possibilities for DC final but i still hope Guy'll choose Nico and Fab.u cannot imagine a DC finale without Nico,he's the hero!
Exactly what I meant. Besides last year he did his Australian heroics in the middle of the night so most people missed it so he would really deserve to play in the final in Paris, especially after not being in the team for the semi.
ohhhhhhhhh i gotta disagree with u guys
i really started really liking escude after the DC final last year coz he was just playign so bravely against the australian crowd that were all cheering against him BUT i dont think it's fair on the other guys esp after that sunday when all the media was really saying how ESCUDE was the hero of the whole tournament and everyone tended to forget about ARNAUD...and i'm not being biased but u understand me? i dunno if it was like that in other places but yeah. i think it'd be great if santoro and horse played doubles together but if he gets picked just for the sake of it i'd be pissed coz no one has a bigger heart than arnaud.
newayz yeah
sure esther, Nico still has to play well, no matter he's the hero or not, to be picked. I think that's why Nico fought so crazily after he came back--it's his last chance to prove himself to Guy. Just my opinion And hopefully Arnaud will be there too :sad: I haven't seen him play for a long time
girls,u are talking about 2 different things!!we are all glad that Nico and Fab r playing so great in double cos we wanna see Nico in double and only in double cos u know Nico isnt competitive at all on clay in single!so Arnaud's place in single is almost sure,at least Mathieu doesnt recover before.so the real dualism isnt between Nico and Arnaud for this year DC but between Nico and Llodra (for double) on the one hand,and between Arnaud and Paulo (for singles) on an the other hand.
Esther: Nico was the hero of last year final,but it was Arnaud to lead France until the final last year and we didnt forget it!
Nico: "me and Fab played 7 matches since madrid until today and we never lost.after we lost first set in madrid,we won 14 sets in a row.my ambition is that France wins again DC.I can play in single or in double.but it's Guy Forget to make choice,not me.clay isnt my fave surface but i've learnt how to play there and how win to there"
Fab: "we have started to play together in Madrid and everything worked.we took double very seriously.Nico is a good double player cos he serves well,returns well and volleys well too.
DC final will be very tough cos Safin is playing great and Kafelnikov will be in form for this.but i think the public will play a great role and they wont support Safin as they did today" lol
Guy: "i havent decided yet who'll be named in the team.I dont hide that i was impressed by Nico and Fab's performance together and also by Pioline.during this week i've seen good things for singles and for double.
today it was Safin's third final in Bercy and it proves that he's very dangerous on taraflex,so our choice to play on red clay is right"
Boy oh boy, do I miss Santoro on the tour. He wasn't the best, but he certainly entertained the crowd like no other. What's your best memory of him?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvWmVnC10Lk
Here's a video of the French players at the Australian Open. There is an interview of Fabrice at the beginning of the video: http://sport.france2.fr/stade2/?date=2006/01/22&id_article=221
(I think there's an other video on the same page, about the Davis Cup)
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