Nikolay Davydenko: “New format of St.Petersburg tournament is spectacular and interesting!”
- Nikolay, can you please let us know what’s your opinion on the Legends Match. We know that the new rules were applied for this match too as well as the rest of the matches of North Palmyra Trophies tournament.
- At first we thought that the former professional players would play against the former professional players and we would have a men's match. I thought that I would play with Mikhail Youzhny against former players from other countries but at some point they decided to change the plan and I thought it was perfect for me! This format is more relaxed, but I’m sure it was still interesting! Now it will be interesting to ask the players at the end of the matches how difficult it was to play for ten minutes in a row without breaks or changeovers. If the rallies are shorter, then it will be easier to play for ten minutes, but if the Spaniards start a long rally, then there will be no recovery and this, of course, is not easy.
- If you had to play with these rules, not just the Legends Match, but a more serious match, what would be your strategy?
- If you are playing on the tour right now, then you are ready for any match rules. It doesn't matter how long it lasts, 10 or 15 minutes. Sometimes only one game lasts 5 minutes and there is no changeover, and you need to play another game, so we can say that 10 minutes is realistic, it all depends on your concentration. I would have been able to do this when I was on tour, but now it is unrealistic. Basically, you need to prepare not in tennis terms of tennis skills but physically and mentally, so that you can hold your breath. The players can do this, they will do their job!
- Do you think these rules one day can be implemented on the professional tour?
- There are some exhibition tournaments taking place now, some will take place in December, while others took place quite recently. For example, the tournament where Andrey Rublev played or the one where Federer made up his team. For the tournament, TV and sponsors, these rules are simply ideal because they run on time. It is also convenient for the fans to watch, because the match is ten minutes long and there is no pause during this time. It's spectacular and interesting! I think the professional tour might get there one day. Might.
- Not so many people saw Mansour Bahrami in action, that’s why everyone was really excited to see the Court Jester today. What can you say after the match against him?
- We are all getting old (laughter). When he was younger, he played even more impressively. Today we tried to play softer, because we understood that, after all, it was impossible to play seriously with age. His movements are not so fast, nor is his reaction. But he always feels the ball. He told us that he played this way all his life, in his own style. He always played doubles. And also with a wooden racket. His tennis style was always with him. He admitted that he performed worse in singles than in doubles. I asked him how he learned to play this way and he replied that he had always been like this! This is probably from childhood. In fact there are a few other players from France who can sometimes play this way, but this is, of course, a talent.
- At first we thought that the former professional players would play against the former professional players and we would have a men's match. I thought that I would play with Mikhail Youzhny against former players from other countries but at some point they decided to change the plan and I thought it was perfect for me! This format is more relaxed, but I’m sure it was still interesting! Now it will be interesting to ask the players at the end of the matches how difficult it was to play for ten minutes in a row without breaks or changeovers. If the rallies are shorter, then it will be easier to play for ten minutes, but if the Spaniards start a long rally, then there will be no recovery and this, of course, is not easy.
- If you had to play with these rules, not just the Legends Match, but a more serious match, what would be your strategy?
- If you are playing on the tour right now, then you are ready for any match rules. It doesn't matter how long it lasts, 10 or 15 minutes. Sometimes only one game lasts 5 minutes and there is no changeover, and you need to play another game, so we can say that 10 minutes is realistic, it all depends on your concentration. I would have been able to do this when I was on tour, but now it is unrealistic. Basically, you need to prepare not in tennis terms of tennis skills but physically and mentally, so that you can hold your breath. The players can do this, they will do their job!
- Do you think these rules one day can be implemented on the professional tour?
- There are some exhibition tournaments taking place now, some will take place in December, while others took place quite recently. For example, the tournament where Andrey Rublev played or the one where Federer made up his team. For the tournament, TV and sponsors, these rules are simply ideal because they run on time. It is also convenient for the fans to watch, because the match is ten minutes long and there is no pause during this time. It's spectacular and interesting! I think the professional tour might get there one day. Might.
- Not so many people saw Mansour Bahrami in action, that’s why everyone was really excited to see the Court Jester today. What can you say after the match against him?
- We are all getting old (laughter). When he was younger, he played even more impressively. Today we tried to play softer, because we understood that, after all, it was impossible to play seriously with age. His movements are not so fast, nor is his reaction. But he always feels the ball. He told us that he played this way all his life, in his own style. He always played doubles. And also with a wooden racket. His tennis style was always with him. He admitted that he performed worse in singles than in doubles. I asked him how he learned to play this way and he replied that he had always been like this! This is probably from childhood. In fact there are a few other players from France who can sometimes play this way, but this is, of course, a talent.
