“Kazakh tennis player commented on the victory over Martha Kostyuk in Montreal”, – WRITE: Sport.ua
– Two years ago, your quarterfinals in Montreal lasted more than three hours. Today the match was completely different. Will extra freshness in front of the semifinal help you?
– Of course, now I feel much better. Then I also showed a good game, but we were not lucky with the weather and we had to wait a long time. Now a big difference, I am happy with how I play in this tournament, and I hope that I can continue in the semifinals.
– Did you mention the two years ago when you arrived this time?
– No, not at all. It was a long time, and in tennis it is different every day, so you need to focus on the present moment. The weather is not bad now – a little windy, but much better than then. In general, it’s a very good week for me.
– How would you appreciate your season as a whole?
– The season cannot be called bad. Yes, in previous years I had more success, and the beginning of this year seemed difficult. I usually play better in the first half of the season, but this time it took time to return to my level. I am now satisfied with how everything goes and I hope I can spend the second part of the year even better.
– Your next rival is Victoria MBOCO. How did you remember her game in your match in Washington?
– She is a very difficult rival – has powerful blows, a quick style of play, a good serving. In Washington, both were difficult for both, because we played in the evening, and the conditions were different. They are more stable here. She is dangerous, she will lose nothing, and I think she is pleased with the game. It will be a difficult match so I hope to show your best tennis.
I also understand that many people will support her – she is young, and it’s natural. This makes the match more dangerous to me. But I will try to focus on myself, especially on the submission, because if this element works, I have much more likely to win. This will be my main purpose.
– The victory is always pleasant, but is there any frustration when the match ends because of a rival’s refusal due to injury?
– Yes, of course, this is not the most pleasant finale of the match. I think no one wants to finish the match in this way, but we played at least one set. I can say that on the back line I felt quite well. There have been a little problem for serving, but I am still working on tomorrow.
Yes, Martha is a complex rival and she always fights. I wish her a speedy recovery because I know how difficult it is when big tournaments are ahead.
-You had a break-point break in each of the four games on the rival in the first set. Did it surprise you?
– I will not say what surprised, because this can happen, but it can also quickly change the course of the game and it was at the end. I had a lot of chances, not everyone used, but as a result I coped, so the result was satisfied.
– The match officially lasted 54 minutes. You should feel fresh? Could you play another match immediately after that?
– Yes, I feel fresher than after the previous match, which lasted almost three hours and was very exhausting. The stops were a little inconvenient today, especially twice before my feed. But I feel good physically and hope to keep this feeling.
