Philipp Oswald came to the National Tennis Center in New York City a few days before double partner Max Mirnyi. In Dennis Novak’s match against Lorenzo Giustino, he loudly supported his Davis Cup colleague. And took time to talk to tennisnet afterwards.
tennisnet: Mr. Oswald, does an experienced player go to a Grand Slam tournament in a more relaxed way?
Philipp Oswald: No, no. A Grand Slam tournament is still something special. I’ve been around for a few years now, Max for 23 years, I think. But we play tennis for the big tournaments. Here is the greatest tradition, here you can become famous. The objectives are always based on the Grand Slams. Things didn’t go so well for us this year, but we still have a chance.
tennisnet: With Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya two Austrians will probably be at the ATP final in London. Is that another goal of you and Max Mirnyi?
Oswald: I think we’re a little too far away for that. Because to qualify, we’d have to win here. I do not want to rule that out, but realistically speaking, we no longer have too good a chance. Unfortunately, we lost in Wimbledon and Paris in the first round.
tennisnet: You have already played with various partners in your career. Which characteristics are important for you?
Oswald: Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was a single player and it actually went very well for this circumstance. Guillermo was very loyal. Of course, he didn’t always play the full calendar and didn’t always feel like he gave his all at the small tournaments, but I could always count on him for the big and important matches. Martin Klizan, on the other hand, could not be relied upon. Now with Max I have an experienced double partner with whom I can also train. It’s a different league when it comes to match preparation. The days of me competing with single players are over.
tennisnet: What exactly is being trained by you and Max?
Oswald: Different things where we both have the feeling that we can still get something out of there. In Winston Salem there were again two or three things where we thought that was not ideal. The return at Max, for example, or with me a few reflex situations at the net. So we always find something to work on. In English it is called “oiling”. We only start here on Wednesday, so we still have two or three days to train.
tennisnet: Are the conditions in doubles as important as in singles? Roger Federer noted that it would be much slower here than in Cincinnati.
Oswald: Absolutely. In Winston Salem we had the same balls as here. A little different than last year, but I thought it was not bad. But you have to take it the way you get it anyway.
tennisnet: The next big highlight for you after the US Open will be the Davis Cup against Australia. How much pressure will there be on the home team in Graz?
Oswald: Maximum pressure. Because it’s a chance we’ve worked a long time for. Of course it was sensational that we still pulled the match in Russia and worked our way through this chance. Australia is an experienced Davis Cup nation. They’ve got Lleyton Hewitt, a nasty Davis Cup hero, who’ll probably make it in doubles. At least that’s what we expect. I’ve never played in front of such a scenery at home before, I’m really looking forward to it.
tennisnet: Can you get anything positive out of the new Davis Cup format? Jürgen Melzer’s criticism was devastating.
Oswald: I have the feeling that whenever something is changed, everyone is against it first. It’s hard for me to know what it’s going to be like in the new format. The better players have all said that something has to change. The points Jürgen has raised are of course a pity, for example that there are no more home and away matches. And Thomas Muster’s Davis Cup matches, they moved all of us.
tennisnet: Good catchword. Thomas Muster is finally on the proposal list for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Is this Hall of Fame among the players a big topic?
Oswald: It’s not as popular here in Europe as in the States. And I think Thomas is relatively powidl whether he is in there or not. But it’s amazing that players like Michael Chang, who has never been number one, are already in the Hall of Fame and Thomas Muster is not. I’d like him to be accepted. Because he certainly deserved it.
tennisnet: There will be no doubt about that with the Bryan brothers. Did it come as a surprise to you as a doubles player on the tour that Mike Bryan is so successful without his brother Bob – and even Wimbledon wins with Jack Sock?
Oswald: That’s extraordinary. What makes the Bryans different is that they get along blindly. If you return against them, the one three seconds after the point is already ready again. They don’t even agree, they automatically know what they’re doing. That is why I have always had the feeling that once one stops, the other will not succeed. But Jack Sock is an extraordinary player. Probably the best single player for the doubles.
tennisnet: Why that?
Oswald: He is mega-talented. Very good big-point player. In the individual, you sometimes get the impression he has a mental weakness. That’s not necessary in doubles. He’s more relaxed by nature. It’s sensational that Sock has already won Wimbledon twice. It has to be said that it didn’t look like they could win the whole tournament. In round three, they fought off match points. But when it came to the sausage, they were there. Because they’re both champions.
The interview in New York was conducted by Jens Huiber