NIKITA BURMAKIN

What match would you like to replay? The final of the ITF World Championships 2018 in Cervia when you lost with Tommaso Giovannini against Mikael Alessi and Antomi Ramos or the semi-final of the World Beach Games in Qatar in 2019 when you lost with Sergej Kuptsov against Antomi Ramos and Gerard Rodriguez?

I would replay the final of the WC 2018 which was a very close match where maybe only one point created history. We were leading with break and serving for the set at 5-4 in both sets and ... lost! I still cannot believe it.

Another match where only one point decided: Semi-final in Aruba 2018, you played with Tommaso Giovannini against Doriano Beccaccioli and Davide Benussi. It was a marathon match, you had uncountable match points against you. What was Nikita thinking in that moment?

Yes, as I know it was the longest match in registered history of beach tennis which lasted for 3 hours and 17 minutes. When the matches are so close and so hard, I do not remember any details after. Maybe this was a hundred per cent concentration which helped us.

You then won the tie-break in the third set 13-11, went on to the final and triumphed against Alessandro Calbucci and Michele Cappelletti. It was your first title in Aruba, what makes this event so special?

For me this was an incredible success because I arrived in Aruba not only to play a tournament but also to fight to become the number one in the ITF World Ranking for the first time in my life. So, motivation was maximal, and I was prepared very well, too. From the other side this event is one of the best on the tour and it has an amazing atmosphere and public. And we were extremely lucky that the public of Aruba supported us and gave us its energy.

The next year you lost the rematch in the final, what was different then?

The scenario of both finals was remarkably similar but this time we lost. Maybe it was less emotional for us, or it was just bad luck.

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  ITF Aruba 2018, Aruba, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Aruba 2018, Aruba, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with Tommaso Giovannini, Mikael Alessi and Antomi Ramos
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  ITF WC 2017, Cervia, with Tommaso Giovannini

For a couple of years, you played international tournaments with Tommaso Giovannini from Italy. How did you find each other and why did it work so well? Why did you split up later?

We first met in St. Petersburg at the indoor tournament where we were playing against each other. I felt that his style of play could work well with mine. Then we occasionally played one tournament in Italy and had a bad result. But then we went to Guadeloupe to play a G1 tournament where we won for the first time against the top team Michele Cappelletti and Luca Carli. And in that moment, it all started for us. With a lot of patience and work we achieved many bigger results. Only the ITF World Championships we did not won together, though we were in the finals twice. And we decided to try to play with different partners to achieve that dream. But we are in good relations and probably one day we will come back to our effective team.

You had big wins, but also some suffering losses, especially at the WC in 2018 and 2019, when you lost in the finals as you mentioned. What makes it so difficult to win the title at the WC?

The things you want the most are the most difficult to reach. The World Championships are a very special challenge and I believe the day will come for me.

You won it once, in 2016 in mixed doubles with your co-national Daria Churakova in a remarkably close match against the defending champions Joana Cortez and Vinicius Font. Describe your feelings in that moment.

It was an unbelievable success also because I was injured during the match and we had to battle a match point against. But miracles happen! After the last point I fell on the ground and could not move because I was impossibly tired. And then I started cooperation with my doctor Rinat Akbarov who is working on my preparation to avoid such difficulties. And he is doing great! By the way, that year was perfect for me and Daria because we practiced a lot together and won all the most important titles in a row: European Championships 2015, World Team Championships 2016 and World Championships 2016.

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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Daria Churakova, Vini Font and Joana Cortez
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Irina Glimakova and Daria Churakova
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with the Russian team
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Daria Churakova
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Daria Churakova, Vini Font and Joana Cortez

Not long before that, only in 2013 you travelled to Italy for the first time to explore the beach tennis world outside of Russia. In Marina di Ravenna you met Alex Mingozzi and joined his training group. What were your intensions then?

I saw the pro level of beach tennis only on videos in that time, so I had many questions to Alex who was a top star then. And I really believed I could reach good level and win tournaments. Then it took four long years and it was much more difficult to reach the top level than it seemed in the beginning. We were very enthusiastic and started to fight against good teams in those times. We appreciated every day of being in Italy and practiced hard.

How did you get to know beach tennis and what did you do before that?

All my life, starting at the age of 5 years, I played tennis and after 17 I also played volleyball for six years. Once I participated in the tournament dedicated to opening of the first indoor beach club in Russia, Dinamit, and I saw people playing beach tennis. I reached out to them and was so excited that I started to practice beach tennis and play tournaments.

What is beach tennis all about?

Beach tennis is a dynamic, emotional, smart and a safe sport. There are not many sports as good as beach tennis. And you can play on the beach under the sun at the sea. I believe that beach tennis will appear soon on TV and Olympic Games and will have much more fans all over the world!

How is the Russian federation supporting you and the Russian players?

They send the national team to the World Championships and the European Championships and sometimes to some other tournaments. We also have three top events of the tour – BT400 in Kazan and Saint Petersburg and the World Team Championships in Moscow.

The World Team Championships have their place in Moscow since 2012. How did this event, organized by Ekaterina Davydova and her team, influence the whole organization in Russia?

I started to play beach tennis with a dream to compete for Russia in the World Team Championships in Moscow. And it is still my favorite tournament where some miracles can happen. Around this tournament now we have two major tour events – BT400 in Kazan and BT400 in Saint Petersburg. So, the Russian part of the tour is the most considerable in the world. We dream one day to have a WTC final in Red Square, but it is really hard to organize in such a high-profile place.

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  WTC 2017, Moscow, with the German junior's team
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  WTC 2016, Moscow, with the German junior's team

So, it looks like beach tennis is extremely popular in Russia, you also have the Russian Cup Award, where successful players are honored by ministers. What is the status of beach tennis in your country?

Beach tennis is an official sport approved by the ministry of sports. We are part of the Russian Tennis Federation. And the best players have the big honor to be awarded by Russian Cup together with the tennis stars of our country.

In 2016 you won the title of the WTC in the finals against Italy on your home court. Tell us about this moment.

It was one of the best moments in my life. I dreamed about this since my first day in beach tennis. Winning the World Team Championships for your national team on your home soil is incredibly special. We were close to win in 2015 but lost and finally did this miracle in 2016. This was my first top result and it helped me to grow and go forward.

You play doubles for the national team with Sergej Kuptsov, and you had big wins with him. Even if you both seem to be very introverted, it works well. What is the secret of this team?

We are both Russians and Russians do not give up. We know each other very, very well because we play together since 2014. We practiced a lot together and have our own features and good emotional balance. Sergey is a tiger on the court, and we know how to win important matches for our national team.

Do you know how many times you say DAVAI on the court?

This is my word for concentration and mobilization so as I need it a lot, I say it a lot. More than 100 times in important matches for sure.

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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov
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  ITF WC 2015, Cervia, with Sergej Kuptsov

At the World Beach Games in Doha in 2019 you won in the first round a remarkably close match against your Italian friend Tommaso Giovannini and Luca Cramarossa. In the end you won the bronze medal. How was that experience?

We prepared a lot for this tournament as it was one of the most important events in the history of beach tennis. I had fears about the climate as it was more than 40 degrees and even more in the shadow. So, we asked my doctor Rinat Akbarov to come with us and help us to adapt to that heat. He did great and we felt surprisingly well. But we had the worst draw being the first unseeded team. We were lucky against Italians and Brazilians but played a bad semifinal, though won the bronze medal then. I would say this result was really good in these conditions but for sure we wanted more.

You played with a lot of different partners: Alex Mingozzi, Alessandro Calbucci, Niccolo Strano, Marco Garavini and Antomi Ramos for example. What did you learn from them and, on the other hand, what could you add to their game?

Every time it is a big pleasure to play with such good players. At this level, every player has its own view of the game which is efficient for him. Which is just a thing to consider.

In 2018, after your win in Aruba, you became the number one in the ITF world rankings. Was it more difficult to get there or to hold that position?

It was simply different but both very difficult - you have to win constantly. It was harder to get motivation but after reaching the number one position I won many big tournaments to keep it. Then I lost couple of finals and fell in the ranking. Now I am preparing to fight to come back.

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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Dennis Valmori
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Dennis Valmori
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with Veronica Casadei
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with Paolo Tronci

You were not the only Russian to win at the WC in Cervia; Liudmila Nikoyan and Nikolay Guryev won the title in 2017. How do you explain the boom in Russian beach tennis?

We have some support from tennis federation and we also have a WTC and two BT400 events in Russia which is a really good motivation. And beach tennis is getting more and more popular in many cities of our country, so we have more players and more rivalry and the level of play grows.

Nonetheless in women’s doubles Daria Churakova and Irina Glimakova for example showed some great beach tennis but then failed to do the next step. Are the Italians and Brazilians still one step away?

In 2015/16 I helped the girls to practice and they had some big wins. But for sure it is extremely hard to win against Italians and Brazilians who have more beach tennis culture, better weather, more tournaments, and experience. Their level is high, but I wish the day for Russian female team will come!

In junior's beach tennis on the other hand Russian players dominated the events in Cervia. Ekaterina Glazkova, Anna Romanova or Veronika Pershina for example are making big steps. How do you see the development in the junior’s team and the responsible coach Artem Paramonychev?

The junior movement is growing a lot in Russia. We have many talented young players who came mostly from tennis. And we have many good coaches in different regions. So, the competition is strong inside Russia and the best are going to represent the national team. I wish all our juniors to grow and be very successful in adult tour, too!

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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, Anna Romanova and Ekaterina Glazkova
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, Veronika Pershina
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, Irina Glimakova and Daria Churakova
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  ITF WC 2018, Cervia, with the Russian team
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with the Russian team

What do you think about the plans of the ITF to install a junior’s world tour?

This is really important and gives a motivation to players and parents to compete. The junior ranking already exists, I am sure it will be improved and transfered to IPIN system soon.

What about the new rules of ITF, are we on the right path to bring beach tennis to the next level?

Yes, the work of ITF is very important in the growing of the sport. I believe we are on the right way. Changes in the rules are done with priority to create a better product for video recording and watching. So that beach tennis would appear as soon as possible on TV screens and promoted in social media. We need to show the world how great beach tennis is for playing and following. And I am doing my best to be useful in collaboration with ITF while being part of the Player Council. I hope the critical changes will be done faster and ITF would dedicate more resources for that.

You are part of the player’s council of the ITF since the start. What is your job there?

We get the feedback and ideas from players, negotiate inside the Council, and provide it to ITF officially. We are also working together with ITF on the most important subjects of actual beach tennis and sharing our players experience and point of view. I repeat, main priorities are making the sport more well-known, played, promoted, televised, sponsored and professional. We are working on changes in rules, ranking, calendar, parameters of balls, creation of mixed tour, improvement of junior’s tour and many others.

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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Dennis Valmori
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Dennis Valmori
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Dennis Valmori
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia, with Dennis Valmori
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  ITF WC 2016, Cervia

The new net height at 1,80 could be an obstacle for strong server like you are. How do you adapt to this rule and will it be in favor of the sport?

The game became more intense for me because I cannot make aces like before. So, in every point on my serve I have to play the rally. I knew that it would be harder for me in advance, but I supported this rule because the average rally became much longer and it increased the spectacularism of the sport which has a key importance at this moment.

You travelled the world for beach tennis. Which were your favorite places? And what are your favorite memories?

It is extremely hard to choose a favorite place. We have so many nice stops in the tour with their unique positive qualities. The most memorable for me are Moscow where I first became World Team Champion and Aruba where I became number one in the ITF World Ranking.

In Germany beach tennis is still growing slowly. You have been to our events in Ingelheim and in Saarlouis, where you made three final appearances in three years and won two titles. What are your memories of these events?

Last year I was positively surprised by the number of teams participating in the German Championships. It was more than 40! And I saw many new unknown teams which played on a good level. So, it seems beach tennis will grow soon in Germany. It is important to have more clubs and tournaments, give support to national adult and junior teams. I really like playing in Germany. The organization is very professional and well run, so it is a pleasure to be able to just focus on the competition. I always play well in Germany, so it is my lucky country. I feel better to play in the city center and I am happy that some of the local public supports my team.

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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi
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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi
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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi
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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi
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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi
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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi
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  frubiase Beach Tennis Open 2015, Ingelheim, with Alex Mingozzi

Our BEACHCLUB2010^® this year is celebrating its 10-years anniversary, the event in Saarlouis, where we are involved, might even get bigger soon. Do you follow the development in our country?

I appreciate the work of organization in Saarlouis and I see the event is growing and improving year by year. In 2020 an important step forward to be part of Sand Series tour was done. This is a great anniversary surprise from BEACHCLUB2010^® and we the players are waiting to come to Germany to play this event and say our best wishes! The idea of placing the central court in the city center is wonderful! It attracts many spectators who have a lot of fun while watching the matches. And it is also very nice for the players to change beach surroundings to urban ones. I am sure that the Saarlouis event will grow and improve even more, and probably it would be a good idea to have one more similar event on the neighboring weekend in the other city or even make a German tour with three to four tournaments. This would attract the majority of top players from all over the world.

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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2017, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2017, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2017, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2017, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini, Marco Garavini and Luca Cramarossa
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2017, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini, Joana Cortez and Rafaella Miiller
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis, with Doriano Beccaccioli, Davide Benussi and Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis, with Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis, with Doriano Beccaccioli, Davide Benussi and Tommaso Giovannini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2018, Saarlouis
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2019, Saarlouis, with Marco Garavini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2019, Saarlouis
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2019, Saarlouis, with Marco Garavini
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2019, Saarlouis
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  ITF Beach Tennis Open Saarlouis 2019, Saarlouis

In Germany most of the players were tennis players before. You also played tennis. In what way did it help you in beach tennis and why was it difficult to adapt to beach tennis?

Tennis is very useful for fast transition to beach tennis. You can start to play since the first time you step on the beach. Then it depends on your flexibility to understand new shots and grips, to make harder movement in the sand and to play more dynamic and emotional rallies.

Where do you see beach tennis in five years, and where do you see yourself?

I hope in five years we will know that beach tennis is included in the Olympic program for 2028 and I will be practicing to maintain my fitness until then. And beach tennis will be known in the world and people could see it on TV. The life of beach players will become professional, we will stop to teach and will dedicate ourselves to practice and competitions.

Maximilian Hamm, June 2020