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ROGERS CUP

August 13, 2015

Belinda Bencic

TORONTO, ONTARIO

B. BENCIC/S. Lisicki
6‑1, 1‑6, 7‑6

Q. The match you just had seemed a little bit frustrating at points for you. Can you talk about‑‑ or can you tell us what you were frustrated about, and then also how you were able to remain positive and come out with the win?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. Today I was also very emotional, and it was just because I won the first set like really easily. She didn't play so well. I played very good. And then I just suddenly turned around and like within like 30 seconds just a complete different match. So it was very frustrating because I was actually playing well and she was just killing it on like every point.
Yeah, then I just in the third set I really tried to focus. You know, I had a lot of chances, and that was frustrating as well as I couldn't make it. And then I was just‑‑ I calmed down myself at 5‑6 and then I just started playing really good. And yeah, I put a lot of heart in this match.

Q. And obviously you've been working with Martina, and she knows what it's like to be in those kind of tense matches. Has she helped you with the mental aspect of the game and staying positive and getting through those moments?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, definitely, she's helped me a lot, of course. Also that part and she's a great champion, so she obviously knows all of these matches and she tells me like the more experience you have, the more calmer and you know what you will do in such close matches. So that's what really helped me. And she said to me really relaxed. It's just a match, and I will have every week another chance. So that helps me a lot.

Q. Belinda, you had that chance to break at 5‑5. You couldn't do it and then she called the medical timeout, and I know you were standing kind of waiting. What were you telling yourself during that long wait, because you were about to serve to try and hold and force the tiebreak. So that had to have been difficult.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. Obviously she called the physio at 5‑6, so really didn't expect that she would do that. But that's how it was. At least I had a chance to calm down myself. I was just standing there really being focused, and tried to think what I had to do.
And yeah, obviously she's a player that risks a lot, so either she makes a really good winner or mistake. So it was very difficult for me to find the rhythm. But in that moment actually I really tried to go for it. I served better, and I'm happy that I could play my best in the important moments.

Q. Do you think that actually having a little bit of extra time there helped you, because you were incredibly frustrated after not breaking. So did it help you calm down maybe a little bit more than if you just had to go straight after the change over?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. After the match now I realize that of course it helped me to calm down myself also. I mean even I was frustrated. You know, I am like that, I get frustrated really fast, but I also calm down really fast. So it's like, yeah.

Q. Do you feel like you need to continue to work on maintaining your mental composure out there or is it good for you sometimes to introduce your racquet to the tennis court?
BELINDA BENCIC: (Laughs). I mean I know I shouldn't be doing that, but I am a very emotional person. You know, I feel like it helps‑‑ it was better in the last matches, you know. In my junior times and beginning of the tour I was way worse. So I try to be more calm and the matches before just today it happened also a little bit.
But I think it helps me a lot, you know, to get pumped for the match, but also it's not good always. So I mean like a something in between would be nice.

Q. You seemed especially happy after the match when you were meeting your team by the golf cart before you left the Court. Is this the most fun you've had playing tennis ever? Are you really truly enjoying every moment out there?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, I always had fun to play tennis, even if I lose. It's just really nice. If you keep winning these close matches and fighting for every point and then seeing your team which helped you so much. So it's like really a joy to see them, and after the match, especially they were also really happy, too.

Q. Three big wins over three tough opponents. How would you describe your week so far?
BELINDA BENCIC: Amazing, of course. I beat three very good players, which I was watching on TV when I was small. So it's like really a dream coming true now, being one of them and beating them and being in the quarterfinals here, my first appearance is just amazing.

Q. When you first looked at the draw before the tournament started, did you think a quarterfinal appearance would be a possibility for you?
BELINDA BENCIC: I actually didn't look at the draw. I just saw Genie Bouchard.

Q. How did you feel when you saw that?
BELINDA BENCIC: Obviously my first thought was, of course, that she's home, that it's going to be a big match, a night match, nice atmosphere. And I mean I wasn't happy or sad about it. I just knew what to do against her. I've beaten her before, so yeah.

Q. You're obviously one of the rising stars right now in the WTA. How do you manage to have such a steady incline and avoid those let Downs that we sometimes see from the younger players?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. I mean that's one of the things that young players really have to work at. Also me, I mean I'm not consistent every tournament, like really it's not really possible to play good every single tournament. But now I feel like I'm improving as well and it's also my goal to be playing consistent every tournament like a couple of good matches. So I'm really happy about that, and I just hope it continues like that.

Q. Belinda, how do you or where do you kind of identify in the year that things turned around for your season, because the beginning it wasn't maybe what everyone was expecting, you know, we expected you to win a lot of matches, it wasn't happening. But then you hit the grass and it seems like you're now playing some of your best tennis now. So why? Where's the change there?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. That's just exactly what I said, I mean we young players, we cannot be consistent like all the year. You know, it's really tough. And also, if you have tough draws and every first round you face a good player and you lose in three sets, so it's kind of like not that you play bad, but you just have like bad momentum or something. And I really felt like I practiced really good like in the Paris start, so there I won a good match against Hantuchová; I got killed by Madison Keys. But then on the grass I was just looking forward to all the year for the grass season, and I knew that it's going to be my time.

Q. And is it just confidence? Is that the difference between now and maybe four months ago or do you think you're doing something actually different?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. Confidence, you cannot be confident if you are losing. You have to practice and win matches if you want to be confident. You cannot just say, okay, now I'm going to be confident. Yeah, it's very tough. So when you lose all these close matches of course you're not as confident as if you keep winning them. So you really have to practice a lot and just earn it in the practice court, I guess.

Q. You could face Ana Ivanovic in the next round. How do you feel you match up against her?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, she didn't win yet, so.

Q. No, I realize. Provided she wins.
BELINDA BENCIC: Sorry.

Q. Do you think you match up well against her assuming she wins tonight?
BELINDA BENCIC: I mean I don't know. I'm just going to for sure watch the match, and I made her one time in Beijing. I was like really, I'm playing Ivanovic right now. So I hope tomorrow I can be more like calm, and yeah, we'll see, I mean who wins, and I will for sure watch the match and then set up maybe a good tactic.

Q. Are there still players now for you where you have that reaction like, whoa, whoa, I'm playing this person when you step on the court or is it normal for you now?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know. It's both. It's like for sure you're excited if you play a top player, but it's not like you're scared of them. So you're really like try to win, of course. So when I played Serena in Madrid the first time, I already was like‑‑ I wasn't even playing. I was just staring at her like I'm playing her, you know. And now I feel like I really‑‑ like you know, I've seen them all The Players lounge and the locker room, so you can get used to that company. So you also try to play normal.

Q. As your ranking will continue to go up, do you have like a strategy of how to handle the pressure as you keep going on in this year, maybe next year?
BELINDA BENCIC: No. It's not a strategy. It's just I'm really thankful for my team that they just keep me on like they are not going to hype‑‑ over hype me, of course. When you win some matches, the press and the media and the people are for sure they get really excited and they tend to hype the player a lot. But I'm just trying not to get distracted by that and see myself as a‑‑ just as I am and on the practice court and the truth is on the court and not in the rankings or in the media or the popularity. So I think it's also a job from the people around you to keep you on the ground.

Q. After all these victories, is it crossing your mind that in the future you want to be No. 1 or are you just content being part of all the top tournaments? You know, what's your ultimate goal?
BELINDA BENCIC: I mean of course, it's not just because now I'm winning, but I think every small kid who starts playing tennis like seriously wants to become No. 1 in the world or win a Grand Slam. So it's obviously a dream right now. My goal is just to keep improving, but I think every player has dreams. But I mean it's still a long ways, so I'm not really thinking about it right now.

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