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ROGERS CUP

August 16, 2015

Belinda Bencic

TORONTO, ONTARIO

B. BENCIC/S. Halep
7‑6, 6‑7, 3‑0 (ret.)

Q. Is Toronto now maybe your favorite city in the world right now?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. Why not? Definitely the stadium. I wasn't in the city. If you win, you never have time to go to something. I also wanted to see the Niagara Falls, and I don't have time, but definitely the stadium is my favorite now.

Q. This whole week and how it appeared off today, what did it say about you overall as your maturity and also where you stand now as a player?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know. I don't really know. I mean also today it was so tough and very hot conditions. I just tried to fight. That's all you can do really. I feel like I'm telling at every press conference, but it's what I tell myself on the court all the time. I mean even if she won the second set it happened and I have to fight. Yeah.

Q. And for an atmosphere like that outside of Fed Cup, have you ever gone against a crowd that's been so raucous and most of it may be against you for her support and how you handled that in the middle of the second set where they definitely got a little more rowdy on your serve. Can you talk about that and how you overcame that and got this great victory?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, I mean I've never had this since‑‑ never on the tournament I saw it like this, but I love it really. It's amazing that the atmosphere is so great that even if it's against me, I mean a lot of Romanians were here. So obviously they were cheering for her. It's very nice from them for her, and also I mean I have to deal with it. Of course, the people are very excited, and really, I feel like it's the right thing.
I think some people in some other tournaments should take an example from here.

Q. Belinda, has it hit you that not only have you won the title, but you did it by beating some of the top players on tour?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. I just saw‑‑ like I didn't know before that I beat like six Grand Slam finalists in a row. It's like I cannot believe it, and it's amazing. I have no words for this, and definitely talk about a tough draw. And yeah.

Q. Belinda, during the match how tough was it to stay focused given that she was having problems with injuries and how did you kind of manage to just keep your mind in the match?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yes. Definitely it was for sure very hard today for both players. We both were fighting so hard. We had long rallies, so it was obvious that we were very exhausted, both. And I mean I'm really sorry she had to end like this and she was a little bit injured or sick, I don't know. I tried not to focus so much, but obviously it was very dangerous situation as well because she was going for her shots not looking for the rally so much. And I was‑‑ I thought if I'm just going to keep the ball in, she somehow is not going to make it, but she did, and I think I played a little bit too defensive.
And yeah, what can I say? I just‑‑ I am happy that I‑‑ also after I lost the second set which was very like in my case very stupid. I stayed focused, and I made the 3‑0. So I can be proud of how I fought today as well, because I mean also I was up there and I was down.

Q. As one of the younger players on tour, what does a big win like this do for your confidence?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, obviously it's very big boost for your confidence. Now I actually feel like I belong here, and that I can be really one of the top players. It's an amazing feeling.
And I mean for sure I'm not going to expect of myself to do every tournament so good like this because it's‑‑ I mean I have to learn the consistency a little bit, but they are not players‑‑ I mean of course we're not going to play every tournament perfect. So I really have to keep going, and yeah.

Q. You got disconnected a little bit during those long waits when you had to wait for medical timeouts?
BELINDA BENCIC: No. It's nothing new for me when the opponent has medical timeouts. It happens often, and also against Lisicki I had the same. I tried not to sit too long, I tried to move and go to the court and show her that I am ready. And yeah, I'm used to it.

Q. Belinda, can you walk us through what your last, you know, 18, I guess hours were like since match point against Serena? I mean how late did you get to bed? How did you recover? How early did you have to get up, all of that?
BELINDA BENCIC: All right. So after the match I went to the gym and obviously I saw you guys, and we went to the hotel‑‑ oh, yeah, I got a cupcake because my fitness coach said if I win I get a cupcake.
I went to the hotel. Obviously‑‑ I eat with the food we have. And I take a shower, and for sure I couldn't sleep. It was obvious. And my phone was exploding like from the messages. I was looking and I'd say, no. I'd put it down. I didn't reply to all of the people, just my family and the priority people. So sorry to them if they read this or see this.
After I finally went to sleep, today in the morning I had to wake up quite early. It was 1:00 this match, and I was very sore, tired and everything. I was like tired. And well, we came here‑‑ I mean good breakfast. We came here, I had gym and warmup and then I was ready for the match. And if you are in a match, then tiredness goes away and like the adrenaline kicks in and so like helps you a lot in the match.

Q. At any point during the match did you feel tired or were you okay?
BELINDA BENCIC: I was tired, but I think I was less tired than her, so that was like mentally for me it was very good, and I tried to show her that I am ready and I'm not tired yet. But after, I was cramping, yes.

Q. I was impressed again by the way you react‑‑ actually you did not react to the Romanian family. They were very, you know, strong, and you felt sometimes like a little‑‑ is your coach, Martina's mom, Martina, who is helping you more to be‑‑ because you're very young, but you're already so balanced. What's the secret?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know it's a secret. I just take it as a normal thing. I don't see that they are against me. I just see that they are rooting for her and I think it's normal in the tennis match that people have their faves and like people they don't like so much. So I really wasn't so bothered, and also if you are in a match, you don't hear it so much like maybe you do. I don't know.
Some people also cheered for me, so I hear that as well, and I am happy, too. So I don't know, I just expected that and it was like form for me. And my dad, my coach, everyone prepared me also well for this.

Q. Belinda, what was going through your mind when you had a chance to serve for the match to end the second set?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. Obviously I was so‑so‑‑ I mean I didn't play such a bad game. She just hit very well in that moment, and of course, I was a little bit getting tight, and I think it's normal, but I tried to improve that in the next match. Yeah, at 5‑4 it was the same situation. She played very good, and I didn't deal with it so good. And then I just kept myself going and said it's normal. It happens in tennis. Every week you see it, and I just fought every point.

Q. And have you had a cupcake yet?
BELINDA BENCIC: No. But I will get one.

Q. What flavor?
BELINDA BENCIC: Oreo.

Q. With your father in the room here and also the trainer, what did you say to them and what did they say to you when you came off court and had this great moment?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, obviously we hugged and just very emotional. I mean it was for me, I think for them, too.

Q. Did he shed a tear himself?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know. He's here. You can ask him. I don't know. But I was very happy. I thank them so much, and obviously in the gym we always have like a moment for us where there is no people around, and we talked there and they were incredibly happy and we were just smiling a lot.

Q. How would you describe the last year and a half? You know, you're the newcomer of the year last year and now here you are at a premier event knocking off four of the Top 5 seeds?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know. I don't know how to describe it. I just feel like I very improved myself, also in the game, but also in how I understand the game and know the opponents well and try to think on the court and what I need to do and maybe my experience also. I played a lot of matches and I could learn from tough losses also.
And I think I've grown also as a player. I think my serve improved a little bit. Not this week, but before in the grass season it was quite good. And I feel like I still have potential to go better, to play better and to serve better and just everything.

Q. A year and a half ago did you think you'd be knocking on the door of the Top 10?
BELINDA BENCIC: No. No. It was‑‑ a year and a half ago I was surprised that I was like quite far in the rankings then as well. What am I going to be after this?

Q. 12.
BELINDA BENCIC: 12? No way. Wow. I didn't know it. You count everything. So yeah, that's pretty impressive. I cannot believe it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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