Team Kazakhstan - 2
Team Spain - 1
THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your first win here in Perth. What was key to winning that tight third match today?
ALEKSANDR NEDOVYESOV: First of all, yeah, we're pleased with the W today. Obviously it was a tough one.
Answering your question, the key was probably to stay together until the end. It was a lot of chances, a lot of opportunities, to be honest.
I felt like, watching from the outside, the score probably shouldn't be 7-6, 6-7, 10-7. It should be like 6-3, 6-4, as for me. In the moments that you could not capitalize on the chances, you need to find a way to stay positive.
That's why the team, the bench was important for the players to get behind them, to get as much positive vibes to them so they can stay calm, they can stay focused.
I guess the teamwork was the key today. Like I said, we're really pleased with the W today and looking forward to our next match against Greece.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Elena, good singles win for you as well. How did it feel to be back on the court?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Thank you. First match is always tough, and she's a great player also. She had some good wins this season against top players.
ALEKSANDR NEDOVYESOV: Last season, right?
ELENA RYBAKINA: I mean last season, yeah. But, yeah, I was feeling okay on the court. Of course, physically, as I said before, it's not that easy when you just arrive to Australia, but overall I think it was a good one.
Hopefully in the second match I'm going to feel -- in the next match I'm going to feel even better.
Q. To stop that singles match 4-love off the bat, you must have been feeling pretty good coming out of the gates?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I think I started a little bit better than her. Plus, I play pretty aggressive, so she needed some time to get used to the pace I think.
Also, with the serve it was bit tricky with the sun on one side. So, yeah, I started pretty well, the match.
Q. Alexander, you showed a lot of emotion when you hit that winner in the doubles match. It looked pretty tense from here. What did it feel like out there?
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Yeah, it feels amazing, especially when you look at the bench and people cheering for you. As I said, team events is probably the best events.
I loved it, and about everything, singles was just terrible. You know, it's not easy to play at 10 a.m. first match, but nothing to take away from Pablo. He played really well. Yeah, I have a good backup partner to put it at 1-1. Yeah, very pleased about the win today.
Q. Elena, I guess we're at that time of the year where we're all looking to 2025 and wondering about everyone's goals and ambitions. What are your personal goals for the year ahead?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, definitely to play the full season because last season I was not playing China. I had to skip. I had some health issues. I think that's the most important for me to stay healthy, to play from beginning until the end.
Yeah, of course, I'm focusing on the Grand Slams and try to get some big titles.
Q. You came close at the Australian Open a couple of years ago. What do you have to do to take that next step and go all the way?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, it's always tough. A lot of good opponents, and I think the most important, as I said, to stay healthy because not every match you can play perfect. So you need to be ready for some tough matches, fight until the end.
I think everything is possible. It's just not always everything depends on you, but I think with the preparation we did I have some chances.
Q. Did you do anything different with your preparation this year to ensure that you can stay healthy for longer?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I took some time off after New York. So I think that helped for sure because the year is tough. The schedule is really difficult, so I think that helped a lot.
On the preparation we did some similar things what I did before. It was not as long as before, but again, I was practicing a bit more before finals, so it was a bit different, but overall I think it was good preparation.
Q. With your time off, did you do anything special or something that you have always wanted to do but didn't have time?
ELENA RYBAKINA: I got my driver's license, so that a good thing. That's what I said earlier this year that this is one of the goals like outside of the court. So I'm really happy. Yeah, I enjoyed some car rides already.
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Ask her which car she was driving for the first time?
Q. Which car?
ELENA RYBAKINA: It was Porsche Cayenne. Yeah, it was nice.
Q. For both of you taking on Greece next, what sort of challenge does that present?
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Yeah, obviously a strong team, you know, also in women's and men's, Stefanos and Maria. We will have our chances, and we just need to be focused. If it comes to 1-1, we have to play I think even better in the mixed doubles, but let's see how it's going to play out.
But we're looking forward to that match, and we hope we're going to win that one.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports