Radek Stepanek, who is in the Capital for the Davis Cup World Group playoff tie this weekend, admits that he i... Read More

NEW DELHI: He dated tennis legend Martina Hingis , married and divorced Czech tennis player Nicole Vaidisova and then dated the current world No. 4 Petra Kvitova as well. Radek Stepanek , who is in the capital for the Davis Cup World Group playoff tie this weekend, admits that he is ‘done dating’ tennis stars. The Czech star spoke to TOI after his practice session at the DLTA here on Monday. Excerpts from an interview...

You have been known to date a lot of tennis stars. How easy or difficult is it to date someone from the same sport?

The easier thing is they understand what you are going through while practising, playing matches, winning or losing and travelling. The difficult part is since everyone is used to different things to calm down and relax. It's two people living different lives together... You can be sure that I am done dating tennis players.

Your opinion on Roger Federer's new move — sneak attack (SABR). Do you see more players picking it up?

It's something very interesting. He won a few points with that throughout the US Open. It changed the rhythm and surprised the opponent. It's something new. I am not sure about others picking it up because today guys play just big strokes from the baseline... given the technique, talent and skills, Federer is able to do it.

Does Federer have another Slam in him?

He played a great US Open final. He didn't lose a set in Cincinnati and until the final, which proves his game. I haven't seen him move that well for the last few years. I believe he still has it in him and his biggest chance will be at Wimbledon.

What do you think of Novak Djokovic's win this morning?

We had a bet in the team on the score of the final and I had predicted that Novak would win in four sets. I have trained with him few times during the US Open and I just felt he's playing tremendously well. He loves the big occasions and has ended up with better results than Serena. He won three Slams which is an incredible achievement. It shows how great he is.

What motivates you more, playing for your country or yourself?

A lot of people tell me that once I wear the Czech lion shirt I become a different player. It always brings out the best in me. Even during tough matches when I am injured or not feeling well, I have been able to pull out incredible performances and win important matches.

Can you relive the experience of defeating a full-strength Serbia in front of enthusiastic home crowd in 2013?

We had defeated Serbia in 2010 semis. So we knew what to expect and we were ready for it. We knew we had to concentrate on our half of the court. We knew the crowd would be loud, they would yell and scream between the first and second serves. But I think this great atmosphere belongs to Davis Cup.

The only thing that I think is unfair is when the crowd steps in between serves or are still shouting when players are serving. A similar thing happened in Serbia and Argentina, a very enthusiastic crowd. But at the end of the day you have to forget about the crowd and concentrate on the game.

How would do you rate team India and what is your team looking forward to in this Davis Cup tie?

We are looking at three points to stay in the World Group and that's why we came here. We know India can be strong at home. We have tough opponents and we are playing in different conditions. But the focus will be on our team and I believe we have quality on our side and would like to prove it through the weekend.

What are your team's strengths?

We are a compact team. Obviously not having Tomas (Berdych) in the team is a big loss for us. We have a great allround team that has been able to win ties even when I didn't play or Tomas didn't. We have many possibilities on how to play through the weekend. The most important thing is our team spirit.

How different will this tie be in the absence of Berdych?

Right now we are the top-ranked team in the world so we cannot say we are not the favourites. But rankings don't matter to us. For us it's important to play well and steal three points. Since Berdych is not with us, Indians will be the favourites in the doubles but our strength will be in the singles.

Your team has won the Davis Cup thrice in 1980, 2012 & 2013. You think experience will be on your side this weekend?

Yes, I believe so. We have been through a lot of tough matches. Have played home and away in tough conditions. We know how to get through it. And hopefully it's going to help us play here.

India recovered from a 1-2 deficit against New Zealand. They can be tricky...

Yes definitely. It's important for us to get used to the conditions. The Indian team will fight hard and will give everything they have. They will have their home support and that will definitely bring out the best in them.

You and Leander Paes have won the US Open doubles title together. How would it be playing against him?

It will be funny to see him on the other side of the court. I know how popular he is in India. I know he only plays in home ties so he would like to show his best. When we played together we had fun every day. We both come from similar backgrounds – didn't have much during the childhood and had to fight hard to get success.

Follow TOI Sports on Twitter >>> @TOISportsNews

