I think it's difficult to be No. 1. 'There's too much attention, too much expectation from other people.

That was...that was choking. You're right. But of course when you play against (Roger) Federer, he's No. 1 in the world, he won three grand slams last year, and he's just full of confidence. It's difficult to do anything regular to beat him. You have to do something extra to be able to have the chance to beat him. Set points, I had six of them and I couldn't take one. But I was close.

It was really impossible to break through in Russia. We couldn't buy any balls. We really didn't have any courts, no rackets, nothing. And no people to practice with.

I could be the best looking guy in the Duma, but that's only because all the other guys are over 60.

You have to wake up and you have to run if you want to survive.

I think it's difficult to be No. 1. 'There's too much attention, too much expectation from other people.

All in all, I think Kazan is Russia's sportiest city after Moscow, leaving all the others far behind.