You’ve competed in Almaty before, reaching your first Challenger final on clay three years ago. What’s your take on the city and the tournament’s relocation from Astana?
SKATOV: I’ve been a few times to Almaty, once for a Challenger and for the national tournaments. I like the city. I like the vibe. I feel like people are really warm here. It’s also as they say, ‘the tennis capital of Kazakhstan.’ There are lots of tennis courts and people love the sport here. So I expect to have good support. In general, tennis in Kazakhstan is improving so much and becoming more popular.
All of your best challenger runs have come on clay, yet three of the four Grand Slams you’ve qualified at have come on hard courts. What’s allowed you to break away from being a surface specialist?
SKATOV: It’s because I used to practice in Spain for five years. The plan was to play much more on clay, so that’s also why. But since this year, I moved to Stockholm, and we practice much more indoors on hard courts. I feel like my game improved to be a bit more aggressive, playing better inside the court, volleys, and also serve. So now, I feel quite comfortable on both surfaces.
I don’t want to be this type of player who just play good on clay and cannot do anything on hard courts, or on grass. There are more tournaments on hard, so I have to adapt my game a little bit, which is now working much better than before.
Are you someone who plays with extra pride when representing Kazakhstan, as you’ve done very well in team events the past few seasons?
SKATOV: I think, yes. When I play Davis Cup, I feel like it’s my responsibility to represent my country with people watching and supporting. I like mostly to play for the team. I will try to bring my best game here in front of a home crowd.
