WEBVTT - Ignacio Buse: new heights, deep roots and Peruvian pride

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<v Speaker 1>Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of The Sit Down.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Matt Trollope, a writer and editor for ozopen.com.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm Viv Christie, managing editor for Australian Tennis Magazine.

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<v Speaker 2>And Matt, it's great to have you back from China.

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<v Speaker 3>Good to be back.

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<v Speaker 2>And why are we sitting down this week with Ignacio Buzet?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, yeah, I got to meet him in Beijing when

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<v Speaker 1>I was at the China Open recently. So yeah, a

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<v Speaker 1>great opportunity to sit down with one of the most

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<v Speaker 1>exciting rising stars in the game. He's just 22 years

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<v Speaker 1>old and has already won two ATP titles and cracked

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<v Speaker 1>the top 30 and he hails from Peru and one

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<v Speaker 1>of the parts of his story this year has been

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<v Speaker 1>the crowds he's attracted to his matches he said to

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<v Speaker 1>us that he couldn't believe how many Peruvian fans are

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<v Speaker 1>everywhere and that's a yeah a really big part of

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<v Speaker 1>his story being an ambassador for that country.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah I got to actually experience that crowd excitement for

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<v Speaker 2>Ignacio at the US Open where lots of Peruvians came

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<v Speaker 2>out to support him And it was great to hear

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<v Speaker 2>your interview and I guess the deeper meaning behind what

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<v Speaker 2>he's achieving for his nation.

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<v Speaker 1>Ignacio Abuse, thank you very much for joining us on

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<v Speaker 1>the Sit Down podcast.

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<v Speaker 3>It's good to see you here in Beijing.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, yeah. I'm really happy to be here first time

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<v Speaker 4>in China. And I'm just thrilled. This is an amazing

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<v Speaker 4>tournament and I'm just happy, happy, really happy to be here.

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<v Speaker 1>First time in China. This time last year, you had

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<v Speaker 1>just competed in the Lisbon Challenger. I think you were

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<v Speaker 1>outside the top 100. Can you believe how far you've

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<v Speaker 1>come in 12 months?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's incredible. It's incredible.

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<v Speaker 4>And there are... Basically this year I played almost, I

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<v Speaker 4>think 90% of the tournaments are new for me. So

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<v Speaker 4>it's really incredible and I'm just thrilled to get to

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<v Speaker 4>know also more cultures around the world and yeah to

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<v Speaker 4>experience this with my team is also unbelievable and well

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<v Speaker 4>and tennis tennis wise I'm really happy also of course

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<v Speaker 4>because of of what I did and I see back

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<v Speaker 4>in Lisbon you know and everything and it's it's it's

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<v Speaker 4>all been very.

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<v Speaker 1>Fast yes well as you said all the tennis has

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<v Speaker 1>been two ATP titles, top 30 debut. Can you believe

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<v Speaker 1>like how quickly the success has come given this is

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<v Speaker 1>all new?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's happened really fast.

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<v Speaker 4>So yeah, I think things have to settle down. I

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<v Speaker 4>think a little bit when I finished the year, but

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<v Speaker 4>I'm just thrilled that I'm living this moment.

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<v Speaker 3>I want, I want to keep improving.

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<v Speaker 4>So yeah, Maybe not ranking-wise, I think that every day

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<v Speaker 4>on court, off court, watching matches, you get to learn things. So...

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<v Speaker 4>I think it's important that not maybe see too much

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<v Speaker 4>the ranking and just keep focused on your process and

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<v Speaker 4>keep improving.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think that's the most important thing.

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<v Speaker 4>And yeah, of course, I'm really, really happy for these

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<v Speaker 4>four tournaments that I have that are Beijing, Shanghai and

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<v Speaker 4>Vienna and the Paris Masters.

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<v Speaker 3>So yeah, and they're all new tournaments.

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<v Speaker 4>So I'm just happy, happy to play this.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, that's so cool.

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<v Speaker 1>We always like to ask our guests where it all started.

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<v Speaker 1>How did you, I'm assuming it was your father that

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<v Speaker 1>introduced you.

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<v Speaker 4>To the game?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, he was my father.

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<v Speaker 4>When I was two years old, I have a picture,

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<v Speaker 4>I think it's my Instagram. holding a racket with two

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<v Speaker 4>years nine months I had a pretty good stroke there

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<v Speaker 4>and my father he was my coach till I was

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<v Speaker 4>16 and then I started traveling a pro he couldn't

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<v Speaker 4>travel with me because and economically it was tough you

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<v Speaker 4>know he had his his his lessons and he couldn't

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<v Speaker 4>live left all his lessons because my brother was also

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<v Speaker 4>um studying and he had he had to also help

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<v Speaker 4>him his stuff because maybe the first six months of

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<v Speaker 4>being pro i was traveling alone i was trying alone

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<v Speaker 4>And then I won two 25Ks in Argentina and Mexico,

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<v Speaker 4>and then I started to play more in Europe. And

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<v Speaker 4>then I had a coach in Europe and everything, which

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<v Speaker 4>I think is very important at that. And also a

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<v Speaker 4>foundation that helped me in Spain. But I had to

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<v Speaker 4>also base in Miami with my dad and try to

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<v Speaker 4>go to Lima and everywhere, but... Also, I'm really grateful

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<v Speaker 4>with this foundation that helped me, but basically had one

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<v Speaker 4>coach to travel with me.

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<v Speaker 1>Was this your relocation to Barcelona? Was it the connection

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<v Speaker 1>with Albert Costa? Yes.

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<v Speaker 3>What did he mean to you as a French Open champion?

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<v Speaker 4>First of all, he was the one that trusted me,

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<v Speaker 4>so he was basically the cable that united Tech and me.

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<v Speaker 4>So I'm just completely happy that this relationship I'm still.

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<v Speaker 3>with them as a coach.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm also based in Lima. Probably in December, I will

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<v Speaker 4>go to Lima pre-season there. And I'm also based in

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<v Speaker 4>Miami because my dad is a coach there. But with Albert, yeah,

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<v Speaker 4>he's traveling also some weeks. I did Kitzbühel this week

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<v Speaker 4>with him, this year with him. I'll probably do some

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<v Speaker 4>other weeks with him. But we have an amazing relationship.

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<v Speaker 4>Now I don't see him as a Roland Garros champion.

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<v Speaker 4>I just see him... As a guy that I can trust,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, that it's the most important thing. For me,

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<v Speaker 4>of course, he won everything and he can help develop

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<v Speaker 4>my game.

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<v Speaker 3>But I think that.

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<v Speaker 4>Now it's more a relationship that we trust each other.

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<v Speaker 4>And that's really nice to see.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, that's very nice.

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<v Speaker 1>I have to ask you about your Peruvian connection and

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<v Speaker 1>everything like that.

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<v Speaker 3>It was amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>One of my colleagues was at the US Open and

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<v Speaker 1>said they could hear the outside court, all of the

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<v Speaker 1>fans when you won at the US Open and it

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<v Speaker 1>was an electric atmosphere.

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<v Speaker 3>What's it like with that support? Because you're the top

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<v Speaker 3>Peruvian there, all the attention is on you.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I'm really happy to receive all this support. I mean,

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<v Speaker 4>I'm Sometimes it feels like Davis Cup every week. Also

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<v Speaker 4>when you're in big cities, for example, in New York.

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<v Speaker 3>But it's crazy because I thought in.

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<v Speaker 4>Winston-Salem, that it's not a big city, in the US,

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<v Speaker 4>I thought that there were not going to be so

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<v Speaker 4>many Peruvians. And it was full of Peruvians. There were

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of Peruvians coming from everywhere. And it was

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<v Speaker 4>really crazy, but it's also, there's something that on me

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<v Speaker 4>that tells me, look, maybe when the match is complicated

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<v Speaker 4>or something, let's go that you have all these people

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<v Speaker 4>cheering for you, you have to still pushing, you know.

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<v Speaker 4>And it's, I think, one plus that gave me confidence.

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<v Speaker 4>But I don't see it also as an advantage. I

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<v Speaker 4>just see it as a huge motivation.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay.

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<v Speaker 4>That's it.

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<v Speaker 1>You've also talked about being like an ambassador for Peru

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<v Speaker 1>and you want to inspire people to like play it

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<v Speaker 1>all over the country.

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<v Speaker 3>What drives that?

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<v Speaker 4>I think sport is union and not only union. I

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<v Speaker 4>think that education in Peru has to get better and.

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<v Speaker 3>It has to go with sport for sure.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't want to get in politics, but I'm just

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<v Speaker 4>with faith that situation in Peru and of course, poorness

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<v Speaker 4>is going to get better for sure. But one good

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<v Speaker 4>project that I would love to do, and my family

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<v Speaker 4>is going to get in charge for sure in the

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<v Speaker 4>next few years, if my project is still how it's going,

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<v Speaker 4>It's to build tennis courts around Peru, make a foundation there,

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<v Speaker 4>maybe try to build something, you know, some school or whatever.

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<v Speaker 4>And of course, with a government or something, let's see

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<v Speaker 4>how it goes.

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<v Speaker 3>But the main thing is that we want to help,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, we want.

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<v Speaker 4>to see the development, not only of the country, but

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<v Speaker 4>for the people, and to help these people, and just

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<v Speaker 4>to see how Peru will still develop. Because you go

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<v Speaker 4>to these places and you see nothing. You see just

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<v Speaker 4>that these people from the mountains come.

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<v Speaker 3>Down to see... to get a bucket.

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<v Speaker 4>And get the water from the river or from a

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<v Speaker 4>truck that comes and they don't have water in the

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<v Speaker 4>mountains and it's unbelievable and you get to see it

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<v Speaker 4>and you say, how can reality be that different? Because

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<v Speaker 4>I think Peru is a rich country because we have

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of things to do there. But I think

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<v Speaker 4>that these people with better education can be bright, not

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<v Speaker 4>only in Peru, but all over the world.

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<v Speaker 3>That's very honourable.

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<v Speaker 1>And I guess, yeah, your journey is maybe helping with that.

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<v Speaker 3>I have one more question.

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<v Speaker 1>I guess, yeah, now where you are in the game,

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<v Speaker 1>kind of 30 in the world, all these new experiences

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<v Speaker 1>under your belt, what's next for you?

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<v Speaker 3>What is your goal? What would you like to accomplish?

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<v Speaker 4>For sure, now I want to finish this year top 30.

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<v Speaker 4>but for sure now after that I'm thinking on the

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<v Speaker 4>top 20 but as I said I think I don't

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<v Speaker 4>think too much in the rankings.

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<v Speaker 3>I just try to.

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<v Speaker 4>Still developing I'm just focused on getting better every day

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<v Speaker 4>not still learning from the guys that are on the

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<v Speaker 4>top and not to focus too much on the ranking

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<v Speaker 4>because I don't think that's the main goal. I think

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<v Speaker 4>the main goal is to work and of course the

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<v Speaker 4>ranking comes after, but still working day by day and

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<v Speaker 4>focus on the match and just follow the routine. And

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<v Speaker 4>then when you open your eyes in the final of

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<v Speaker 4>the year you see, oh, I accomplished this.

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<v Speaker 3>For me it's that way, it's not.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm going to have to be top 30 in this

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<v Speaker 4>week because no, no, I don't think like that. I

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<v Speaker 4>think that things come when they have to come and

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<v Speaker 4>I'm just focused on what I have to do that

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<v Speaker 4>is practice good and eat healthy and be 100% every week.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, we wish you luck on that journey. It was

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<v Speaker 3>great to meet you today. Thanks for joining us on

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<v Speaker 3>The Sit Down.

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Matt, it must have been exciting to meet one of

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<v Speaker 2>the game's, I guess, fastest rising stars in person.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it was really good to meet him, Viv. And

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<v Speaker 1>I just have enormous respect for players who do long

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<v Speaker 1>form interviews like that, not in their native language. So, yeah, amazing.

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<v Speaker 2>And you have another really interesting fact about Buzet.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, well, when I was researching for the interview, I

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<v Speaker 1>think I found out he had three residences. And yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>that came up in the interview. He's obviously got the

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<v Speaker 1>base in Barcelona and his connection with Albert Costa. He's

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<v Speaker 1>from Lima in Peru, where he goes back regularly, and

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<v Speaker 1>his father is a coach in Miami. So he's got

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<v Speaker 1>three bases, very much a citizen of the world.

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<v Speaker 2>And wouldn't it be great to see him in Australia

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<v Speaker 2>this coming summer, having made such incredible progress this year?

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<v Speaker 2>And incredible to think that he'll be playing the Australian

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<v Speaker 2>Open main draw for the first time.

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<v Speaker 1>And we'll be back again next week with another episode

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<v Speaker 1>of The Sit Down, when we sit down with Lily Taggart.

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<v Speaker 1>And in the meantime, please subscribe to The Sit Down

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<v Speaker 1>so you never miss an episode when it lands in

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<v Speaker 1>your feed. And we'd love it too if you could

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<v Speaker 1>leave us a rating or a review. We'll see you

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<v Speaker 1>next week, Viv.

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<v Speaker 2>See you then, Matt.