What do you do after you’ve just beaten Roger Federer? If you’re Evgeny Donskoy, you go play a Challenger.
The 26-year-old Russian caused arguably the biggest upset of the year at last week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, shocking the 18-time Grand Slam champion in a third-set tie-break in their second-round match. Donskoy said the match brought a whirlwind of publicity, but it’s now back to business as usual for him.
“It was the most attention I’ve ever had,” said Donskoy. “Many friends were sending me messages and a lot of tennis players and fans were coming up to me in Dubai. But as the weeks go on, it’s natural for the attention to go away a bit.”
This week, Donskoy is the top seed at the $50,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Zhuhai, China. He survived a marathon first-round match against Marko Tepevac of Serbia and then defeated local favourite Yan Bai, setting up a quarter-final clash against Joris De Loore of Belgium.
“It’s easier to play against the top guys like Federer because you don’t feel pressure. But if you’re a professional, you have to be ready to compete at any level,” said Donskoy. “Whether it’s a Challenger or a Grand Slam, you can lose every week. There are no easy matches at this level.”
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The Russian’s recent run of form is especially impressive given his struggles prior to it. After winning last July’s $100,000 Challenger in Astana, Kazakhstan, Donskoy posted a 9-18 record prior to last month’s ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
But before that tournament, a text message from fellow Russian Mikhail Youzhny led to the guidance that Donskoy needed to turn his game around
“I was losing many first-rounds and he sent me a message saying, ‘I was in this same situation many years ago. If you want to talk, I can help you,’” said Donskoy. “He’s not helping me on the court and telling me what to do, but he’s been helping me like a friend. It’s almost been like a big brother.”
With three weeks of tournaments across China this month, Donskoy is eager to build on his recent success and further boost his current Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 99. He’s also impressed by what he’s seen in Zhuhai and expects this event to stick around for many years to come.
“Everything is organised very well here. I’ve always played well in China, even during the juniors, so I’m enjoying it here,” said Donskoy. “Of course, the goal is to play bigger tournaments and that is my hope for next year, but it’s not a big deal for me to play Challengers. Plus the facilities here are amazing and could easily host an ATP event.”