Zemljak to defend his silver medal with new teammate
Kranj will once again host the Middle European Beach Volleyball Championship under the MEVZA association. The quality of registered teams is once again exceptionally high, and we will also see all the best Slovenian players. Nejc Zemljak, who won silver last year with Klemen Šen, will play with Danijel Pokeršnik this time and he says he wants to win every match.
After last year’s silver medal, you’re returning to the Middle European Championship in Kranj. What are your goals this time?
I’m happy to return because the Middle European Championship in Kranj will again be the strongest tournament in Slovenia. On the other hand, I’ve played in Kranj several times and it feels almost like a home environment for me, where I feel very good. I’m glad that we have someone in Slovenia who strives to make such a competition happen, and my participation is, in a way, also an expression of support. I hope that the event will also be supported by the Kranj audience and that fans will come to cheer on the Slovenian teams. This year we finally have better domestic participation, as practically all the best Slovenian players are attending. My wish is to win every match and consequently the championship, but there will be a bunch of fairly equal teams present. Daily form and the ability to adapt to current conditions will decide. Last year, several strong foreign teams got burned and dropped out quite early because they may not have adapted well to the deep sand and high temperatures in Kranj. I think this year everything is open and anyone can surprise the other teams.
Can different types of sand really have such a big impact?
Of course, you can imagine similar differences as with different tennis surfaces. With slightly deeper and more granular sand, like the one at the tournament in Kranj, one’s step goes a bit differently. The contact with the ground is longer, the push-off is harder, and the feeling is different. Fortunately for the Slovenian teams, the same sand is also used in Ljubljana, where we train, so we will be able to acclimatize to the courts of the Middle European Championship a bit quicker.
My wish is to win every match and consequently the championship, but there will be a bunch of fairly equal teams present. Daily form and the ability to adapt to current conditions will decide.
This year you will change partners and compete with the Slovenian national championship title record holder – Danijel Pokeršnik. Why the change and how will you divide the roles of block/defense?
It’s always good to play with the Pokeršniks 
Jokes aside, my long-time teammate Jan Pokeršnik is not playing beach volleyball this year, and Klemen Šen, with whom I competed in Kranj last year, was not able to organize his season early enough. Danijel Pokeršnik was an obvious and excellent choice, as he is constantly active and is one of the most reliable players in terms of training and competitive achievements. Danijel is a hybrid player and can take on the role of a blocker or defensive player, depending on who he plays with. So far, we have always both played in the block and defense in our joint appearances because neither of us stands out in either element. We will probably also adopt a hybrid system this time.
How do you assess the quality of the competition at the tournament? What chances do Slovenian pairs have?
The competition will be very strong again this year. We’re talking about players who compete in Pro Tour Future series, Challenger series, and even the Olympic Games! On the men’s side, we have last year’s champion Bence Attila Stréli (Hungary), who is a top-notch player and will certainly be dangerous with his new partner. Austrian Alexander Huber, who played at the Olympics in Rio, is returning with his teammate Felix Friedl, despite or because of the fact that they did not manage to reach the semifinals in Kranj last year. The next Austrians and first seeds of the tournament, Florian Schnetzer and Lorenz Petutsching, won silver at two consecutive Pro Tour Future series tournaments last year, and Schnetzer was close to competing in the Elite 16 series at the end of the year. Then there is the best Slovak pair, Lubos Nemec and Adrian Petruf, the best Czech pair, Tomas Semerad and Adam Stocek, and the list of strong candidates does not end there. The tournament is so open that anything can happen – from dropping out in the group stage to winning a medal. As I said before, my wish is to win every match and I think that is also possible against all teams in the tournament. So, Slovenian men’s teams can get very far in the end. The same, or even more so, applies to the women. The competition among the women is just as strong and, for example, last year’s winner Kathi Holzer is returning. But in my opinion, Tjaša Kotnik and Tajda Lovšin are the main favorites for the title. In addition to them, there are also Maja Marolt and Živa Javornik, who won the MEVZA tournament in Innsbruck, and of course Špela Morgan and Anja Maček, who won bronze in Kranj last year. This year, Slovenia is much better represented on the women’s side and I think they will reach high rankings.
How are your preparations and competitive season going?
This year, a program has been established in Ljubljana, where the best Slovenian players regularly train under the leadership of Tine Sattler and with the support of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. I am happy to participate whenever I can because what beach volleyball in our country lacks the most is some kind of club scene where a player can regularly train and feel at home. During the year, I shifted between Slovenia and Germany, and with various teammates, I played tournaments in Slovenia, Germany, and Croatia. The advantage of the program in Ljubljana is also that we can quickly connect and agree on joint appearances when someone’s schedule opens up. For example, Tadej Boženk and I agreed in the last moment to play together at the national championship in Mežica.
Do you have a message for the Slovenian audience before the start of the tournament?
Thank you all for your support! The atmosphere in Kranj has always been excellent, so I warmly invite you to another exceptional event!