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Earvin, has the ghost of Rio been gone for good?
Earvin Ngapeth:
Yes (smile).
We are super happy to qualify for the quarter-finals.
We would have liked to win against Brazil to maybe have a more affordable quarter-final, but we're not afraid of anyone.
Now that's just a bonus.
Our goal was to get out of this group, it's done.
The rest should be fun now.
Can you tell us how you experienced this incredible second set that you won in your 11th set point?
It was hard, physically, it burned a bit. We had a lot less rest than them because we played late two days ago, it was almost our second game in 24 hours. But on this set, it's really our guts and our hearts that have spoken. We knew that we should not lose him because with two races late, it would have started to do a lot. While conversely, by winning it, we told ourselves that there was a way to make them doubt and at the same time foil. We know that faced with such teams, it is imperative to make them doubt. They have to be pushed around, and it will be the same in the quarter-finals.
We had the feeling that all of you had ups and downs today but there has always been one of you able to hold the others…
I really think it is related to fatigue, physical and mental. Linking Russia and Brazil in such a short time is complicated. But it was important today to fight. We evolved on alternating current, that's for sure, but the most important thing was to obtain this qualification.
We feel that the team is having fun again, which was not the case in the first matches…
Yes, it was fun to play like that, less tense, more liberated. We feel better mentally. Against Brazil, I don't have the feeling that we had a great game but just with the fun and the right state of mind, we are able to snatch two sets in Brazil. It's not enough yet, but it's still positive for the rest of the tournament.
On a personal level, you seem to be on the rise…
Yes, I feel better, but often it all comes together. Frankly, I think the whole team is doing better and my personal case is following the same trajectory. We were all a little too tense at first, me first. We were pushing the game a bit but now it's going better and I'm really happy.