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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2015

Coco Vandeweghe

CINCINNATI, OHIO

C. VANDEWEGHE/Y. Putintseva
6‑3, 6‑2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was, in some circles, a fairly anticipated rematch. What were you thinking when you saw the draw, when you saw who the qualifier was? What did you have on your mind today?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: (Laughter.) Well, I mean, yeah, of course I've been‑‑ I almost had it in Washington, but I lost to Christina.
So I mean, I've always been anticipating it because I want the win under my belt against her. You know, it is what it is. It's not like we got ‑‑ we're on good terms with each other, but nor do I really care. I want to win whoever it is.
So, I mean, the win speaks for itself; the scoreline speaks for itself; that's all I have to say.

Q. What were you thinking out there as the match progressed?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, everyone knows what her deal is, so I don't need to comment on it. There are plenty of YouTube videos, there are plenty of GIFs. I mean, there is tons of stuff, so I don't need to comment on it. I silenced it with my game. That's all you can hope for when you go out there and play someone with antics like that.
So all I was thinking out there was just continuing on my game plan and playing my game and dismantling her from there.

Q. You did that.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I'm glad you think so, because I thought so, too. (Laughter.)

Q. You didn't seem to have too much trouble more or less there?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Pretty much. I didn't feel threatened anywhere really through the whole match. Got the early break in the first set; should've gotten another break at 3‑0, but came out a little lackadaisical.
Started out a little bit slow after the rain delay. Didn't make a return in the court for her first service game. From there, I mean, in the rallies I didn't feel threatened really at all except for her dropshots. I got to every one, but I missed I think all but one, which was a little bit frustrating.
I wanted her to dropshot one more time so I could at least win that point so I could have victory in my own mind that, Oh, yeah. I can run and get a dropshot and make it and win the point.

Q. )Question regarding something to prove.)
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I have something to prove every time I come out on the court.

Q. Especially against her.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, it's a whole lot of things. It's coming into the US Open Series without winning a match; it's wanting to perform well here at the US Open, US Open Series, the who shebang.
So first time I've competed here in a while in the main draw, so, I mean, I want to win regardless who's on the other side of the court.

Q. If you hadn't been so in control of the match and if there were some antics from her end, would you be tempted to...
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I would hope I'm the more mature person, but you can never guess what would happen. What happened was I won the match today. That's all that happened.
I can't anticipate what could've, should've, would've, anything like that. I would hope I'm more mature.

Q. More mature than her or more mature than two years ago?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: More mature than I was two years ago and letting that bother me. I can't control what she does.

Q. Why does it get under your skin so much?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Well, I think it gets under a lot of people's skin. I think that's what also helps her compete as well, watching the other players get frustrated with her game play, her game style. You know, the outside factors coming in, it's like having a crowd against you. Some people handle it better than others.
It's always a work in progress. You never expect people to be on top of you or magnifying your faults. I think she does that a little bit in her game play.
It makes you realize what you're doing wrong more so than focusing on what you're doing right. I mean, there are plenty of people that play like that and plenty that don't play like that. She's definitely one of them that's on the other side of the scale.

Q. That being said, what do you make of what's been going on on the other side of the tour in the last week or so?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I think it's not very‑‑ certainly wouldn't condone it. I think Donna definitely deserves an apology more than anything, a personal apology. I don't know if she's gotten one or not, so I can't really comment much further than hoping that Donna get the apologies and praise that she's been handling it as well as she is.
That's all you can say. What's done is done. I frown upon it. Other than that, I just hope Donna gets what she deserves in an apology.

Q. (Question regarding confidence level.)
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Well, I mean, my confidence level is still up there. I know I can perform well. I didn't have quite the preparation that I would want to going into the US Open Series. It was definitely a lot quicker turnaround after Wimbledon, not only from my expectations of making the second week, so there goes another week, plus also Wimbledon and the whole grass court season having another week.
So that takes another week away from training for the US Open Series. So a lot of my training was actually resting and recovering, managing the aches and pains that I was still feeling from post‑Wimbledon and post‑European season.
So hindsight is 20/20 in some of the things I chose to do, but it's first time for everything. First time making the second week of a Grand Slam; first time having that extra week on grass.
Playing so quickly afterwards maybe wasn't necessary. But I want to play. I love playing more than I love practicing, so...
I probably shouldn't even say I love practicing. I just love playing.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, I mean, who knows. If I would've had the extra two practices weeks instead of going to Washington, who knows what would happened in Toronto. I can't say.
But I don't think it was necessary. I felt good enough, but apparently my body didn't. That's where I struggled a little bit going into Washington. But I really wanted to play. I really wanted to get back on the court playing more so than anything.
My back just really wasn't up to par. I had been struggling with it all week, so going into Washington I was definitely a bit hampered in that sense.
But Christina played a really good match and definitely took it to me and made me work for it. I just wasn't able to that day.
So going into Toronto I really cut back on practicing and just more concerned about getting healthy, so my rhythm and timing of coming back and to hitting wasn't quite where I would like it to be.
But, again, my opponent definitely played way better than I did. So she, again, took it to me. I couldn't raise my level for what I had that day.

Q. When there is a match that is contentious or there is a history, I think a lot of people look forward to the handshake, what it will be like. When you're on court and you win that match and you're walking towards the net, are you holding your breath seeing what'll happen?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, I don't care. I don't care. What is she going to do, not shake my hand? Give me a handshake? That's what it is. Nothing is going to happen. Bring it on. I don't care.

Q. Do you feel then with your preparation for the hard courts that you're playing catchup a little bit?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yeah. That's kind of what I was trying to allude to. I was definitely playing catchup going into Washington, and also coming out of Washington I was playing catchup.
I was spending a lot of time on the court, in the gym. I was like, Get me the heck out of Toronto. I want to be here and training in the heat and humidity of Cincinnati.
I was practicing a whole heck of a lot more like it was training weeks at home. That's definitely what I thought I needed. Maybe it was like a little bit of a panic button to catch up, but hopefully serves me right our here.

Q. Next match thoughts?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I don't know who I play.

Q. Safarova.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Cool. Lefty. No, first time I heard about it. I didn't know who I was playing. Hopefully I play similar and get the same result as Wimbledon.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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