Russian tennis player Aslan Karatsev said that winning the VTB Kremlin Cup gave him confidence before the opening matches at St. Petersburg Open. The athlete also named the goal that he sets for himself in the near future.
– With what mood did you come to St. Petersburg?
– Of course, winning the Kremlin Cup gave me great confidence. I won at the home arena, especially since I played in this tournament for many years – I passed qualification five or six times, once – the first round. We can say this is a favorite tournament.
– You now occupy the 19th position in the ranking – this is the highest place for you so far. What do you think, are you at the peak of your form now?
– Yes, I play well. I had a slight slump in the clay season, in the grass season, but we did a good job ahead of the US Open. Now I am in good shape, I have confidence, I play well, I feel good.
– What are your goals now?
– My goal is to get into the final eight (top-8 of the ATP championship race, necessary to participate in the Final tournament – ed.). I will play and try to achieve this.
– Have you already discussed the Davis Cup with the guys?
– Yes, we are ready, we want to win. We will try.
– Do you have a dream to win a certain tournament or surpass a certain tennis player?
– I think every tennis player has a dream to win the Grand Slam since childhood. Of the opponents I would like to play with Roger Federer. Maybe I didn't have time, I don't know if he'll come back yet …
– What was the most difficult match for you this year?
– I think it was Novak Djokovic in Belgrade. We played, I think, for three and a half hours, the match was very long, the next day I was exhausted.
At the moment, Karatsev is ranked 13th in the ATP championship race.
Let us remind you that the first match at St. Petersburg Open Karatsev will play against John Milman on October 28.