Canadian Denis Shapovalov after the match against Spaniard Pablo Andujar (2: 6, 6: 3, 6: 0) at St. Petersburg Open compared its level of play with representatives of the top 5 ATP rankings, and also talked about friendship with Russian tennis players.
– To be honest, I was not very happy with the grid, I knew that it was difficult to play with Anduhar, he is a difficult opponent. I went out onto the court, at first it didn't work out a bit, on the right I didn't feel very well. After the first set I tried to turn myself on and turn the match upside down. Then I started to play much better, went to the right, gradually began to improve. By the end of the match, I already felt very good on the court.
– In the quarterfinals, tough opponents are also awaiting. Who would you be more comfortable playing with?
– Of course, I will watch their match. And with that, and with that it will be very difficult, I have not very good performance against them. On the other hand, last time I beat Struff, I found the key to him. Against Bagel, I also felt quite comfortable on the court, two times I was just a little unlucky. I believe in myself, in my game, that I can win.
– You do not play a pair very often, but at this tournament you showed up with Rohan Bopanna. Why this particular partner?
– We are very good friends. We played together for the first time three years ago. I think he helped me a lot, advised me a lot. A couple was told simply because I love playing with him. I would like to help him have a good tournament.
– Is Djokovic the greatest modern player?
– This is a very difficult and controversial issue. Probably by results, yes, he is ahead of the other two. It's hard to tell, they all have different styles. Maybe in a couple of years there will be more clarity if Novak continues to perform as well.
– In the stands, not only Yuzhny, but also Sobkin. Is he also training you now?
– He did not participate in training, he just came out as a consultant. He always gives advice to both me and Misha, contacts him, treats me very kindly.
– Yuzhny recently released a book. Have you read it? Did you like it?
– To be honest, I don't read very much, for some reason I fall asleep at the same time. It will take me a long time to read his book in Russian. I told Misha, or he will read it to me, or he will have to translate it first so that I can do it myself. I think he had a very cool career, a lot of things happened when he played.
– With whom of the Russian tennis players do you maintain friendly relations?
– With everyone. The guys are all very kind, cool, they are friends with each other and with me too.
– Do you agree that Zverev, Tsitsipas and Medvedev have taken the lead from the younger generation, and you are still a little behind?
– I don't agree with that. Everyone has their own way. We must not forget that I played in the Wimbledon semifinals – this is a big step, I think. Maybe they show a more stable result, but I would not say that they play much better than me.
Recall that in the quarterfinals Shapovalov will meet with the winner of the match Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) – Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany).