Australian Open Tuesday, 16 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Aslan Karatsev Press Conference A. KARATSEV/G. Dimitrov ASLAN KARATSEV: Of course I'm thinking about it will happen. Of course it's amazing that I passed to semifinal 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 from qualifying, qualification. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and not thinking about that too much and THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. playing from round to round. Q. Have you been in touch with people back home? Q. It sounds like you've sacrificed greatly to become How many messages did you get after your win better at tennis, moving many times. Did it ever today? seem like it wasn't worth it? ASLAN KARATSEV: Yeah, I got some -- around 200, ASLAN KARATSEV: Can you repeat, please? something like this, messages on WhatsApp. Yeah, I think it's going to be more. Q. You've moved a lot to try to become better at tennis. At any point did it seem like it was not worth Q. I mean no disrespect by this question, but who all of this trouble? are you and where did you come from? Did you grow up in -- I heard you grew up in Israel. Is your ASLAN KARATSEV: Yes, I was moving I would say too family Jewish? We know so little about you. If you much. In the end I found a coach, as I said, his name, could just tell us some things about yourself and Yahor Yatsyk, and this is the right guy for me. He's your childhood. helped me a lot, more mental part, and then of course there is the technical stuff, as well. ASLAN KARATSEV: I'm born in Russia, city of Vladikavkaz. I moved to Israel when I was three years But yeah, I like to work with him. We're living in Minsk. old with my family and then I started to practice in there, We're practicing there, so yeah. in I Yafo, Tel Aviv-Yafo. I think you know it. And then I grew up there, practicing there until 12 years old, and Q. 12 months ago you're probably watching Novak then I moved back to Russia with my father. Then I was Djokovic lift the trophy again. Where were you and living in Rostov, next city to Rostov, Taganrog, and I did you think you could be one match away from found a sponsor there. I was practicing there until 18 possibly -- two wins away from possibly doing the years old, then I started practicing in Moscow. Then I same thing? started to work with Tursunov, and then they said like, okay, I will help you to move to Germany to practice in ASLAN KARATSEV: Of course not. I mean, four Germany in Halle. I was there two years, and yeah, then months ago I was 100-something, 116th, and my first I moved to Barcelona, practicing there, and then the last step was okay, I will try to go to top 100 by the end of the three years, almost three years, I'm working with Yahor year 2020, and it didn't happen. So I said, okay, from the Yatsyk, my coach, in Belarus, in Minsk. There is a beginning, my first step was to be top 100. So that was fitness coach, also, Luis from Portugal, so we're working my thought. together almost three years, and yeah. Q. At what point did you realize that Grigor was not Q. Your family are Russian Jews? 100 percent? ASLAN KARATSEV: Yes, my grandfather from my ASLAN KARATSEV: In the third set. So the first set I mom's side, yes. was really tight, and I went out to the court with a good feeling, and during the first set I felt like too much Q. So you are clearly a man of the world, but what unforced errors, just rushing too much. And then the kept you going? Was it just the pure enjoyment of second set I was trying to play with him to see -- to go what you do? Did you ever wonder if what's less with unforced. Yeah, I took his break, I closed the happened to you here would ever happen? set, and then in the third set I think I felt already the -- I 104721-1-1002 2021-02-16 09:02:00 GMT Page 1 of 2 think it was the back. futures, and we were saying, okay, let's try to work together, and it's really -- I think it's a big luck that we Q. You'd be surprised to learn he said he could start to work together and I have a good team around barely put his socks on before the match because of me. And yeah. the spasms he was experiencing. Q. I'd like to know did you ever doubt about ASLAN KARATSEV: I thought he would be ready to play yourself? Did you ever think, oh, maybe I should the fourth set because after the medical I thought he will stop because I'm 25 and I don't make it, I'm not in the be better. But no. top 100? I would like to know when was the most difficult time for you and you thought maybe I Q. Do you think you can win the tournament at this shouldn't play, if there was? point? You've won five matches right now. You've won some of them in dominating fashion. Do you ASLAN KARATSEV: There was a time when I was think you can win the tournament? injured that was a difficult time for me because I recovered after the injury, and then 2017 started, and I ASLAN KARATSEV: We will see. I mean, how can I say start to play again, and again, I felt the knee, and I said, -- okay, we will see. Match by match, so yeah. whoa. I quit again for two and a half months, almost three, and I think this is the most difficult part. Q. Will you describe how your belief in yourself has evolved? And also in general what you've learned FastScripts by ASAP Sports about yourself through the different countries you've been in, through your experiences, including at this tournament? ASLAN KARATSEV: You mean the different countries where I was practicing? Q. Yes, practicing and living. ASLAN KARATSEV: We work a lot with the coach. As I said, the mental part, to more believe in yourself and to believe the game that I played. We work on this a lot. Q. How has your belief in yourself evolved to where you are now, two matches away from winning a major? ASLAN KARATSEV: I try to believe every match what I'm doing on the court, and it's helped me to win matches. Okay, I arrive to the court and say, okay, I try to do my best, and with more belief. I would describe like that. Q. What is the most difficult part of playing against a player who is injured? ASLAN KARATSEV: To stay focused on your game I would say because there was a moment in the fourth set, like I was giving too much free points on his serve. Instead of just putting the ball in he was not moving anymore. I would say like that. Q. When you look back at the victories from this year, especially in Melbourne, what are the key reasons behind your breakthrough in your career? ASLAN KARATSEV: I think the key is to find the right team, the right coach that I found. I was really lucky to find him, and we just met in one tournament. I played 104721-1-1002 2021-02-16 09:02:00 GMT Page 2 of 2.