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ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2018

Karen Khachanov

Paris, France

K. KHACHANOV/L. Pouille

6-3, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. That was as clean as a match can be. You must be thrilled. Can you comment on your level?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah. I mean, match went really well on my side from the beginning till the end. Match was suspended yesterday, so was not easy to come back again and to win this set. It was the best scenario. So I'm just happy that it went, yeah, like you said, perfectly all the way through from the beginning till the end and my way, yeah.

Q. You are playing really well here at Roland Garros again this year. What is it about Roland Garros that brings out the best in your game?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Okay, I just like to play on clay in general, so one of the surface that I like. And especially it's a Grand Slam, you know, you try to be extra motivated, extra pumped, and you try to bring your best from you.

It's one of my favorite Grand Slams, so maybe that's why I'm playing best tennis here (smiling).

Q. You're going to play Zverev. What can you tell us about this guy?
KAREN KHACHANOV: He's good (smiling). Yeah, we know each other pretty well from juniors, from, like, long time ago. We played once, actually, two years ago.

Yeah, I know him well. He's doing great, second year in a row, and we'll see. I mean, he's a tough opponent, but we are in the fourth round. Only best players are still in the tournament, so hopefully it can be a good match.

Q. Considering the big stage and you're playing a French guy, would you say this is one of the best matches you have ever played maybe?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Okay, I don't know. It's tough to compare with some other matches, but of course was not easy to play on Philippe Chatrier court, you know, when honestly all the crowd was for Lucas, and I understand, you know. He's a home favorite and a French guy.

But I don't know. I was just more focusing on my game, what I should do, and I think in these parts I did pretty well. That's why I got the win in the straight sets.

Q. Can you describe to us how you play for those of us who don't know you? Because today and yesterday was only boom-boom.
KAREN KHACHANOV: What was the question? Sorry.

Q. Can you describe to us your style for people who doesn't know who Karen Khachanov is.
KAREN KHACHANOV: Who doesn't know me (smiling)?

No, no. But, yeah, okay, my style of play is more aggressive, but I don't know. I don't want to tell you all the secrets. I don't know.

It's about the serve. More advantage with the serve. And then to try to take advantage in the point, to take the lead, and to step in inside the court and play more aggressive. Yeah, that's the main thing.

Q. The French guy who you played, he said that you are his friend and you train a lot with each other. So how well you know each other.
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, that's true. With Lucas, we are really good friends. On tour, he's a really nice guy. Outside the court we joke a lot with our teams. We went for, I don't know, dinners, we have practiced a lot.

Yeah, we are really close, yeah.

Q. Was it your first time on Philippe Chatrier?
KAREN KHACHANOV: No, last year was against Andy Murray in the fourth round I played. So it was second time.

Q. Did it help that you played there last year? Is this a special court to get used to?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, of course. It's never easy to play on the big court. It's the feeling is a little bit different. You need to adjust. You have to have a few games, because the size of the court is bigger, you know, it's, like, just about the feelings.

Few games you need to adjust, and after, you get used to it, yeah.

Q. You said today's match was a big challenge because of being on Chatrier and because of the support of the home crowd. Do you think winning convincingly in a match like that can actually help you now progress throughout Roland Garros and that you can learn from that experience and take it as a positive?
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, of course. In a Grand Slam is easier, you win and you spend list hours on the court and less energy, is better for you.

But at the end, you have every match is a really tough one, and new guy, new opponent, so you need to prepare and to be ready for every match.

So at the end, sometimes it matters how much time you spend on the court. Of course, if you can win in three sets it's the best. If not, you need to fight and to win in four or five, but I hope it can help me to go through.

So let's see, let's see about the next one.

Q. Lucas trained in the morning on the Philippe Chatrier. Did you have a choice? Does it matter for you where you train, on the same court as you play or on any other court?
KAREN KHACHANOV: This case it didn't really matter for me. I prefer to sleep a little longer and to warm up on the other court. Yesterday was the same, actually.

If I would play first match, yeah, definitely I will warm up on the same court. But if I play second or third, it doesn't really matter for me. I rather do a warmup somewhere else.

Q. So up until the match, you didn't step on the center court?
KAREN KHACHANOV: No. Yeah, I just went for the match and I had five minutes' warmup on that court and that's it.

Q. (off microphone.)
KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, I don't know. Maybe that's the way.

Q. Can you share your earliest memory of Sascha Zverev, like maybe when you played him or saw him the first time?
KAREN KHACHANOV: I think we know each other since we were 14 or 13, 14. So we were playing tennis tournaments under-14 and then under-16, 18. Some team cups.

Yeah, I was playing for Russia. He was playing for Germany. So we were playing against each other. But actually, at that age, we didn't play against each other. So the first time we played was 2016, St. Petersburg. He beat me that time. That's it, actually.

But we know each other pretty well. Also we are good outside the court, with his parents, they know me also and I know them well. He's a nice guy and, yeah, that's what I can say.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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