“I want to go for more; I’ve got more to give in tennis.”
From an article by Fernando Tetes on Uruguayan site Ovación Digital.
Pablo Cuevas appeared happy and calm in the press room after his title in São Paulo.
“When Vanni served for the match, I tried to remember how I dealt with that same situation in the first round, when I also faced match point against me. I tried to be as quiet as possible, knowing that in any way I could, I had to make him play the point. Though I started 15-0 down, after that I was able to put all returns in, and I could benefit from some of his mistakes,” said the Uruguayan.
Cuevas declared, “At the end of the match there wasn’t great tennis being played, because we were both nervous. On the one hand, it was his first final and on the other hand, I was the favourite; at most times, these kind of situations are the most complicated.”
About the meaning of this title, the current number 32 (23 from tomorrow) stated: “I started this clay tour in the best possible way. In other years I had come to this tournament and not gotten the best results [Cuevas reached the QF here in 2010].”
He also said that the courts in São Paulo this year were slower than on other occasions, and that he expects Rio de Janeiro will be more hot and humid than Ibirapuera.
About his rival Vanni, Cuevas said he has a great serve, and that “In the tour, no one gives you anything. He made the final for a reason. I never believed that this was going to be an easy match because of his ranking, or because I felt I was the favourite. I never imagined this would be an easy match.”
Cuevas reaffirmed that he is “Happy and enjoying the title, but I’m not satisfied just with this achievement. I want to go for more, because I am physically fit and I think I have more to give in tennis. When I was off the courts rehabilitating injury, I believed I had more to give in this sport, and that’s why I am not yet satisfied with what I’ve achieved.”
About his new position in the rankings and becoming the best ranked [Uruguayan] player of all time, he said: “I didn’t think too much about that. I didn’t know that I would reach that ranking because I already had too much to worry about with the final. I’m happy for myself, for having surpassed the ranking of Diego Perez, but mostly because I’m surpassing my own expectations. I think I have more to grow, and I keep working hard because of that.”
He’ll face Almagro again, this time in Rio.
For the third time this season, and the second time in consecutive weeks, Pablo Cuevas will face Nicolás Almagro as determined by the main draw of the Rio Open, the ATP 500 that will be played this week as a joint tournament. The Uruguayan and the Spaniard played in Sydney, with a victory for the Salto-born player 7-6(5), 6-4, in his first match of the year, and also this week in the quarterfinals of São Paulo, again with a victory for Cuevas: 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-2. In doubles, he will debut with David Marrero against Vesely/Cermak.
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