One On One With Dasha - How To Comeback, Quarterfinal Matchup, and Messi Is A Legend

CLEVELAND, OH - Ok ok ok... so it's not exactly a one-on-one interview. But it essentially was with the number of questions I asked! It was an honor talking to Daria Kasatkina again this past week in Cleveland. The first time we spoke to her we were in Stuttgart for the Porsche Grand Prix tournament.

The number 1 seed has been on a bit of a hot streak at the moment and as the top-ranked player in the tournament, I don't think she intends to slow down any time soon. So when we got the chance to talk to the Russian, we wanted to ask; her comeback against McNally, her next opponent Magda Linette, and her thoughts on Barcelona letting Messi go to Paris Saint Germain.

Congratulations on your win today. This is Philip from between her head tennis. I was actually wondering when you, from a mental side, when you go down the first set, what's the first thing that goes through your mind during that changeover? When that, when you're down that first step, what's the first thing you think about?

The first thing it's like, oh my God, probably I have to stay two more. Self-care but yeah, I mean, you're just trying not to think about the past and, to start from the beginning, like nothing happened, you just have to win two sets in a row, but you're not even thinking about that when you step, uh, uh, on the court in the second set, you just think every point, point by point, and then just, you don't think about the full picture.

You think about the small goals and this really helps a lot.

I was wondering in terms of your next round match, you're playing my Linette. Uh, and I was wondering if you, what do you think of her game and what do you expect going into this match?

Well, we played just a few weeks ago in San Jose. Was it tough much two sets again? Of course I think she wants to, she wants to revenge that's for sure. And she's going to show her best. I have to expect the best from her and also try to show my best, what is going to be, not tomorrow, but the next day they have the much, she likes the conditions for sure. She like the hardcore especially indoors. She got some aggressive games, so I think it's going to be tough

I think one thing non-tennis-related is since you're such a Barcelona fan, I want to get your reaction to how, what happened to Messi leaving in, what were your on that when you first heard the news?

Uh, drama? I couldn't believe it till the very end, but, so he, I think he'll end up in Paris. I couldn't believe that it's really happening. I was really till the last moment thinking that it's just, you know, some kind of, uh, under table games or something, but, yeah, of course, it said that he does not just leave Barcelona, but the way he left Barcelona. So, because he's such a legend and the situation just sucks.

So, I mean, it's very sad, but I hope one day he will come back. It seems like not as a player, but, some of the, I don't know, like, you know, higher position yeah. In a club, for sure he will come back because it's his home place, but it's really sad that his football career finished like this in Barcelona.

You think, um, did you use anything from, I wouldn't say his game, but from his mental side as just an athlete in general, what did you take away from him.

Well, it's tough because he's pure talent and it's difficult to, you know, think like to take something because he's just too talented. But I remember the story when he was playing the world cup or something and he was really not disciplined. He was eating pizza and drinking Sprite all the time. And how he, you know, he grows this moment and he just steps over this moment, then he becomes a much better player.

So, you know, the situation that you can see that even the best in the world, like, the guys from another planet, they experienced the same problems, the same things in their life. And they're just finding ways to deal with it. And this is, yeah, it's kind of a thing which, you can see, you can learn as well.