Vladislav Emchenko: "We will focus on our own game in any case"

Zenit guard Vladislav Emchenko shared his comments ahead of the away game against Samara. The 4th round match of the VTB United League regular season will take place tomorrow, October 15, with tip-off at 18:30 St. Petersburg time.

— Have you managed to recover after the intense game against CSKA?

— Yes, the day after the game we had a recovery training session, where we focused more on stretching, strengthening certain aches, muscles, rolling, preparatory exercises, and just shooting. Today we had a short, intensive practice, went over some of Samara’s sets, played a bit, and now we’re at the airport getting ready to fly out.

— What strengths of Samara could you highlight?

— In any case, we’ll still be watching their videos. They move the ball quite well. It’s clear that they have a certain system and game plan. All the players are Russian, and many are familiar to us. As I always say, we will focus on our own game and pay attention to ourselves.

— What mood are you taking with you to the Volga?

— Of course, a fighting, positive, and optimistic mood. Yes, we lost to CSKA, but I think all fans would agree that our game looked good. We are gradually finding that stability and level below which we shouldn’t fall. Even though Samara lost their previous game by a large margin, we absolutely do not underestimate the opponent. As the coach has told us many times: we are going there to prove on the court that we are stronger, to do everything to win.