Kazakhstan-3
Greece-0
THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, into the quarterfinals. We'll go to the Captain. Can you just talk about the team's performance today? Obviously you got to go on court today as well.
CAPTAIN ALEKSANDR NEDOVYESOV: Well, I will keep my own performance today on the mixed doubles. I would focus on two singles matches today.
Obviously Sascha did an amazing job today beating Stefanos, top player. I mean, we are all pleased with his performance on the court, and the way he got back on the court after being up and then broken in the second set, he found the right mentality, you know, to keep on fighting.
We tried our best on the bench to support him the best we could. In the end it worked.
Elena, leader of the team, again, she proved she's a top player beating Maria. It was a bit of a stress going towards the end of the match, but just a little bit of stress. Yeah, she closed it out.
Me as a captain decided to give those two monsters some time off and to play mixed doubles, which, again, we're happy to win to have a clean sheet.
Yeah, now we just need to get ready for the quarterfinal match.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Elena, I just want to go back to last year. You started the year very well last year. How do you feel after two matches this year? Do you feel like you're close to that level again?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I always just start the year good after preseason, so I'm happy also here with two wins. Of course, I'm not at my best yet. I'm happy that it's still not the best. Hopefully it's going to come closer to the Australian Open. But overall very happy with the way I played.
Q. Why do you think that is that you start the season so well?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I think because we always do good preparation, and also it's like first tournaments of the year you are more fresh, and you have this energy. You want to keep going, keep on winning. I think that's the most important thing. Yeah, as I said, good preparation, I think.
Q. There was a time in the second set of your match I think at 5-love on the changeover, and Alex was your coach it looked like. What was he saying to you? He was making you laugh. What was he saying?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Honestly I don't remember what he was saying, but -- okay, what?
CAPTAIN ALEKSANDR NEDOVYESOV: I do. I just went to grab some food because I know that Elena is going to win, and I need to get ready for the mixed doubles. So I was just saying, Did you miss me? It's not the right words.
ELENA RYBAKINA: That's why I decided for him to watch a little bit more tennis because he keeps --
CAPTAIN ALEKSANDR NEDOVYESOV: The second set, yeah.
Q. Thank you. Sascha, good match today. Amazing. Your first match, very, very different. What do you think the reason for that was? It was the same similar conditions, no?
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Yeah, obviously the conditions was pretty much similar. Today was even hotter, maybe a little. I think like for me to play Pablo is always tough because stylistically he's a tough opponent for me, but also first match, nerves. A little bit rusty. You know, a long time period not playing official match.
Today after analyzing what went wrong and where I should be not nervous, it paid off today because obviously I think I played pretty decent level of the tennis today. I was serving really well and using my backhand on the line quite often.
Yeah, he was probably not at his best at his game, but I think in some moments I made him play like that. So I'm pretty happy about it.
Q. You said Pablo was tactically -- you don't like that matchup. Maybe what did you like about the matchup tactically with Stefanos today?
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Pablo, I would say he doesn't, like, give you any free points. He is super, super solid. You have to do it your own self, you know.
With Stefanos sometimes, I mean, if it's working for Stefanos, it's a nightmare to play because he's just sitting hitting winners from everywhere, but sometimes you have to use the chances. When he misses sometimes and you can play well at these moments, that's what maybe I like more to get a little bit more free points sometimes.
Q. It's your fourth top-20 win of your career. Do wins like this give you quite a lot of confidence going into this season?
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Yeah, it does. It does for sure. I'm just more focusing, like, I already see that I might have a level to beat these guys. Not right now on the constant base. That's the goal to find the constant, like, consistency to win against these guys more and more and often, you know.
But, yeah, I know for myself that if I play well, I can give trouble to most of the guys on the tour.
Q. Alex, I think you had one break point opportunity in the first set against Stefanos, and you took it. When you took that break point, what was going through your head? Could you sense in that moment that kind of momentum was on your side?
ALEXANDER SHEVCHENKO: Yeah, for sure because at the start obviously it was a little bit shaky. I was 1-2 down, a break point down, and yeah, this game helped me a lot to get through.
Then I think since the score became 2-2, I started to play way better. Then he gave me some presents, of course. This double fault -- two double faults in this one game.
But, yeah, I was feeling like, okay, that's my chance I have to use. I don't want to let down Elena again, putting pressure up 0-1. So I said, Okay, it's time to take it, and yeah.
Q. Elena, obviously Kazakhstan through to the next round. What does that mean to you and your team?
ELENA RYBAKINA: I think it means a lot for all of us. Also, I'm playing first time United Cup, and I think it's really nice to represent your country and being all together.
I think it gives a lot of good energy. Especially that you know that the whole bench is cheering for you. It means a lot, and hopefully we can go even further.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports