Filip Polášek: Our opponents have forgotten about us, it can be an advantage – ŠPORT.sk

The tennis tournament of the ATP champions with the Slovak deblist FILIP POLÁŠK will start today in Turin

Slovak Filip Polášek and Ivan Dodig from Croatia will also perform in the doubles for the second time in their careers. They won the Australian Open in February and, although they broke up in the summer, they will join forces once again. “The main goal is to advance from the group,” says a native of Zvolen in an interview.

In August, you started playing with Australian John Peers, and since the US Open you have played at least a semifinal in every tournament. How do you evaluate the end of the season?

“We have been really successful since New York, which was confirmed by the results. I am glad that John and I found peace and we were able to maintain a very high quality throughout the period. The Indian Wells title was icing. ”

When did it break and did you bring the comfort of training to the matches?

“Round 2 of the US Open was important. Until then, it took me almost five months that we always lost narrowly in the 2nd round. We broke it, then we managed a tough match in the 3rd round and since then it went well. We ranked among the top teams, the results were great and we were able to build on them. It wasn’t a one-shot shot. We have defeated quality opponents several times in a row, which is the most important thing if we want to be among them. ”

You celebrated your title at Indian Wells. Did it help that you had your family with you after a long summer separation?

“John and I were glad to be with loved ones. It was a change, but I must emphasize that we did a lot of work in preparation for and during the US Open. Then I also had the Davis Cup, where I had quality training with the guys on the team for a few days, and in California we took advantage of it together with the family well-being. ”

Have you already agreed to cooperate for next year?

“Of course we plan to play together. It came smoothly with the results and also with how we feel together. I think we both enjoy working together. We are comfortable on and off the court, our families understand. We both have two daughters at about the same age, so we have a lot in common and I’m looking forward to the next season. ”

You recently played in Vienna. Didn’t you show Peers Bratislava?

“We were really close and I turned it around with my family a few times. Unfortunately, John stayed in Vienna. However, I believe that next year, at the earliest in the spring during the clay part of the season, the situation will be suitable and it will come to Slovakia. We will train and show him some golf courses, as we are both passionate golfers. ”

Last week in Paris, you played against the Serbian duo Novak Djokovic, Filip Krajinovich. How was the current best tennis player in the world played?

“It was interesting to play against Novak. The Serbian team is already thinking about the Davis Cup final, where they will want to succeed. Novak is, in my view, the best tennis player in history. Especially at the tour is excellent, which is a huge advantage in doubles. It also serves very well and has been seen to improve with increasing matches. After a break in the game, he did not feel good in singles or doubles in the first round, but the doubles against us was already at a high level and if he plays for his country, they will be able to torment any team in the world. ”

You returned from America with an injured member. Doesn’t he limit you anymore?

“My foot is fine. It was already good in Vienna and I believe that my health will last until the end of the season. ”

The champions tournament and Peers missed you by one place. Are you even more sorry that you were in great shape?

“It was really tight, but just being in the game until the last minute is amazing. We made it in three and a half months, when we started at 90 points, finished at 2,500 and were two games away from the promotion! On the one hand, it is a pity, on the other hand, a huge success and it gives us great promise in the future that the results can be interesting. ”

Did you make a deal with your former “partner” Ivan Dodig right away?

“We talked in the summer that if we do not qualify for Turin with new partners, we will go together. That’s what happened, we were both in favor of playing together. I’m looking forward to having great tournaments with more success. I believe that we will be able to follow up on them and Turin will be another successful tournament for us. We arrived here on Wednesday and have been training since Thursday. ”

Among the eight best pairs, you will perform for the second time. What does this mean for you?

“Getting to the champions tournament is a big thing, one of the hardest in tennis. It reflects the whole season, which you must have great. For me, it’s an honor, and the fact that I managed to be in the TOP 9 with two different ‘partners’ means something extra. It is proof that the season was fantastic … ”

Will it not be a handicap for you to compete with a former partner with whom you have not played for several months compared to the competition?

“It simply came to our notice then. The opponents have forgotten a bit how we played, the new partners also gave us a new impetus. When it mixes well with what we’ve been able to do together before, it can be a little better and it can be a very good result … ”

You didn’t move out of the group two years ago in London. How do you remember that?

“It was my prime minister and I admit I was a little ‘blown away.’ The whole 2019 season was fabulous for me, they were new positions. Unfortunately, it was during the Champions Tournament that I was injured and I spent a lot of time with physiotherapists instead of tennis or relaxation during my free time. From that point of view, I didn’t enjoy it that much. I believe I will make up for it now. ”

What kind of team do you have with you?

“We are in full force – tennis coach Leoš Friedl, fitness Pavel Šmela, I also have a girlfriend with both children, so the support team is really good. Ivan has a brother Miš here, we didn’t underestimate anything in that. ”

With Dodig and now with Peers, you’ve entered every tournament to win it. What did you travel to the north of Italy?

“Anything can happen here, there are the best teams in the world. If we manage to advance from the group, which is our main goal, it will be a completely open tournament from the semifinals. ”

In front of you is the final event of the season in which you won your first grand slam trophy, played at the Olympics and returned to the Davis Cup. How do you rate it?

“As clearly the most successful. I confirmed in it that I belong to the top of the world. I’m looking forward to it and John and I will try to follow up on her. The Olympics were also an honor and an experience. One of the desires I still have is to play for three years in Paris. ”

ATP 2021 CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: