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APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEYJanuary 15, 2015Mikhail KukushkinSYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES M. KUKUSHKIN/J. Del Potro THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You've played now six matches in a row and won them. Must be feeling pretty good. MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: Yeah, for sure when you play six matches in a row at one tournament, you know, you start to get some confidence. It's very, very important, you know, especially in the beginning of the year when you had like two month off‑season, no competition, no matches. It's really important, and I'm pretty happy to have so many wins here in Sydney. It's really important for me to start season to get some points, to get some wins against good players. Especially before Grand Slam it's very important for me. Of course I'm pretty happy with that. Q. Admittedly, Del Potro is low in the rankings, but he's a former Grand Slam champion and top player. MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: Yeah, for sure he just come back after the surgery. His ranking have to be in the top 10, not the ranking he have now, because of the missing a lot of months because of injury for sure. He's a top player, but I think everyone saw today that he cannot yet hit full power his backhand. He did a lot of slices. For sure this is affect his game. Still he serve good. His forehand was working okay today. I think he played three matches here in Sydney, and it will help him a lot before Melbourne. For sure I think he will come back to his position that he was before the injury. It's just very important to stay without injuries. Q. He said you played very smart tennis. What was your game plan? Obviously going to his backhand a lot. What else did you want to do? MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: Yeah, for sure, you know, before the match you plan your tactic. Of course I knew that Del Potro has huge serve, huge forehand. I knew that right now his backhand not so good. Of course I tried to use it. Unfortunately, but I have to. So I was just trying to keep my serve, not to lose my serve, because I had not any break points on his serve. So it was very important to get to the tiebreak, and in the tiebreak just to fight until very last point. I was just trying not make mistake, play aggressive when I can, and I'm pretty happy with my game today. Q. Was it a challenge to keep your composure during the last tiebreaker? MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: Yeah, for sure. You know, it was very tough conditions today, a lot of wind. So I did, I believe, so many mistakes that I should not to do it. But was tough match, you know. I was surprise with my game in both tiebreakers, that I manage to win. He still make some aces on the tiebreak, but I'm pretty happy that I still managed to win those tough tiebreakers. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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