https://soundcloud.com/ubitennis/andreij-kuznetsov-e-bello-giocare-contro-i-migliori
We are here today with Andrej Kuznetsov, 24 years old, from Russia –Очень приятно (molto piacere)! Your best ranking was number 68, whereas now you are more or less number 100. So far this year has been quite tough, in that you have been playing with high ranked players like Djokovic in Australia and Nadal in the 3rd round in Paris. However, last week in the Netherlands you made it to the final match.
Yes, it was some good results this year, I played a few good matches with players like Nadal and Djokovic and last year I also played with Andy Murray and, playing with these guys is a very good experience. And two weeks ago in the final in Schwenningen, in the Challenger, it was not very easy to play, in the entry, because the wheatear conditions were also very bad, with storm and everything …it last two days, but I had good results and I think this season was not so bad. It’s not over but this first half was not so bad.
Is this your first visit in Cortina?
Yeah, this is my first time here and this is a very nice place. I knew it was somewhere in the mountains, but it’s very beautiful here and we live close to the mountains. The only problem was the weather: it rained a few times and for next week I don’t know if it will be good weather or not.
What is your goal for this tournament since you are the seeded player number 3?
Well, my goal is always to try to win the tournament of course, I will try to! I hope that, if I will be lucky and I will use my chances, I can do this. For the moment I have to win every round, step by step, and we will see…I always try to do my best to win the tournament.
In Italy we are already talking about the next Davis Cup match with Italy and Russia. What do you think about it? And who do you think is the favorite?
Well, of course Italy has very good players like Fognini, Bolelli and Seppi…a lot of players top hundred and top fifty. For sure it will not be easy to win and I think that looking at the ranking Italy is probably the favorite, but we play in Russia and this comes to our advantage. However, I don’t know yet who will play because we will decide it later, but if our captain will think they need me, then I will be happy to play. And we haven’t decided yet where we will play, in which city. Probably it will be also far away like we played against Spain..it’s not my decision, but it is a possibility. So we will see, it’s a lot of things.
So there is a possibility you will be playing in the match?
Yes of course it is always a possibility. With Spain I did not play, because I had some small injury and I had to recover, but if I will be healthy I will play against Italy. I will be happy to play.
In fact you have played in the first Davis Cup match against Denmark, right?
Yeah, I played even before. We played against South Africa and Portugal as well, and also against Denmark, therefore I played already three matches, so I have a small experience in Davis Cup, in this team game, (you know, when you have to support and everything, this atmosphere, so yeah, I had a few matches.)
Thank you very much Andreij and good tournament here in Cortina!
Thank you very much.
Da Cortina d’Ampezzo Roberto Dell’Olivo
