"This match was important for my head" says Khachanov on reaching Olympics final

The Russian player arrived in Tokyo after a solid outing at Wimbledon where he finally picked up some form. Prior to that, he played an average season where he failed to string together more than 3 wins at an event. After the match he admitted it was important to win today:

“It was so important to win today because at least you know for sure that you’re guaranteed a medal, which is one of the dreams come true. But obviously, you need to find motivation and excitement, and I will try to be prepared for the final and fight for the gold.”

He was also asked about either facing Zverev or Djokovic in the final to which he quickly said:

“Right now I’m not preparing for anybody – first I want to know my opponent and then prepare for him.”

Kahachanov admitted that in the past 12 months he mostly worked on his mentality and approach to the game:

“At the end of the day, your strokes are there, you’ve been practising tennis all your life – you cannot forget how to play tennis. But how you use your shots, in which moments, and how you deal with pressure, is one of the most important things. This match today was very important for my head.”