BTRussia: Vanya, congratulations on a great result at the European Championships! And the whole season was very good actually. Share your emotions and experience. How you prepared the match for the 3rd place at the European Championship. What helped to achieve such an important victory?

Ivan: This Morning me and Irina played fun match in the semi-final of mixed doubles against friends from Italy. No additional training was required. We won with Igor, because we are in better shape now, serve harder, move a faster.

BTRussia: At the World Championships in Cervia  in the first round you played against Kuptsov and Guriev. It was not so easy to play against your team members, as at the European Championship. Tell me, what is important in such situations?

Ivan: At the World Championships my partner was 52-year-old Italian tennis player Paolo Tronci. We lost 6:7(7)6:7(5). I think the outcome of that match was legitimate. We didn’t play set-balls neither the first set nor the second. It's hard to win a match if you don't use your chances. Btw Paolo in that game, despite his age, showed very good level, his game was a very stable and well served. I loved to play with him in the team. Generally, over the past year and a half I played in doubles in official competitions with 18 different partners! And only with two of them I had some misunderstanding, but with the rest we are great friends. I want to note that the atmosphere in the tour is wonderful, 90% of the players are friends on the court and off the court. Great happiness to be part of a new sport.

BTRussia: Please tell us about the finals in mixed doubles at the European Championships. You played against the Italians till dark, the game was very tense. What was good, what went wrong? Do you plan to continue to play together with Ira?

Ivan: The Game in the final against the Italians we ended in complete darkness. Don’t understand why we had power. For 4 games every day, plus Sunday Ira and I played incredible matches in doubles. Cimatti with Cappelletti are experienced players, and me and Ira play together the first season. I think our pair has a great potential. We still haven't talked about next season. But maybe I will find the courage to offer Ira to play together in Aruba. : ) Let's see if she agrees, it will make me happy.

BTRussia: You posted some greetings and thankful speech to Regis Courtois in the social media… For the preparation and the season, please tell us more about it.

Ivan: Regis and I have been training in March at Reunion for 30 days, every day 7 hours of tennis + fitness. Then successfully performed together. He taught me a lot. I also want to thank Rinat Akbarov for the secrets of rehabilitation and coaching staff of Reformer Vida Club in St. Petersburg. These people really improved my physical form in 2016.

BTRussia: What are your plans for the end of the season after such an intense summer?

Ivan: Bella Akhmadullina perfectly described the season of beach tennis player: "What is the weather today? But I don’t care about the weather — I live in January as in September, persistent and wild".

I Plan Brazil with Courtois. Then tournament in Japan with Tronci. And 6 tournaments in the Caribbean in November. Two tournaments in Reunion in December. Then I think to start recreational activities in Mauritius. Yes, this beach tennis is a gift of fate. In a classic tennis as a player I didn’t achieve results. Who would have thought that in 33 years it will be possible to renew professional career and start again the sports life. I spent 10 years coaching tennis. And now, it's so fun to try my own methods of training! I can confidently say that health is the most precious thing in this life.