Evgeny, please tell us what goals have you set for yourself in 2019?

- In 2019, among the main goals was to take the highest place in the Top 8, which is only possible for me. I think that I have fulfilled these goal, I understood my mistakes and will work on them. I think that in 2020 the result will be better.

The biggest achievement in 2019 - what is it and why?

- Again, except for Top 8, I did not participate anywhere else, so we need to look at the results of three matches - with Rustam Babayev, Vitaly Laletin and Kydyrgali Ongrabaev. So the biggest achievement, I think, is that I lost to Laletin. After this fight, I reviewed my entire training process and realized that it was ineffective from it. Added a lot of new exercises - on the brush and in general. And the duel with Kydyrgali showed that it works. So I consider losing as one of my achievements in 2019.

And the biggest surprise?

- I think the biggest surprise is how well I felt at the first stage in the fight with Rustam Babayev. I thought it would be very difficult for me, and in the first round I tried to restrain his hand so that mine would not immediately go to the pillow. But it remained in the center, and further we continued to fight on equal terms.

And before that, it was always the other way around: his starting movement was so strong that I barely managed to catch him near the pillow. If I managed to do this, I could get out of the situation. But the fact that I could stop him in the center - I have never had this before, and I think this is a big surprise.

What are your plans and objectives for 2020?

- In 2020, I would like to increase my regalia, to become at least one place higher, to get to the Top 8 finals, and then we'll figure it out. But new guys were added, the same remained. I already fought with all of the new ones, I know what to expect from them, and not as in a duel with Laletin, when I simply did not expect how inconvenient it would be for me. And, of course, I would like to meet with Vitaly once again, given the fact that I changed my training. I would like to fight with him at a new level. Of course, I want to try Levan's hand, fight with him in a real duel, not behind the curtains.

What do you want to wish your readers and your fans?

- I want to say thank my fans for supporting me, they write good reviews that are nice to read. Also, special thanks to the haters who write nasty things. They stimulate to achieve the best result, which can shut them up (laughs – ed.). I will say this: guys, you are rather weak. Try better next year. Don’t pull your fingers out!