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ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2016

Kiki Bertens

Paris, France

K. BERTENS/T. Bacsinszky

7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Congratulations. That was quite the shrugging celebration after match point. Can you just even explain how you feel right now?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, I don't know. I still have no idea for myself, but I'm just so happy. I think I can't believe it still. No.

Q. Talk about the match a little bit. That first set was back and forth a lot, lots of breaks. How were you able to get that first set in the pocket and hold her off in the second?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, I think it was really difficult today. The circumstances were really tough. The court is really slow. The balls are heavy. It's really tough to play aggressive, and especially with Timea. She is like changing a lot, like with some slower balls and some higher ones, so it was pretty tough for me.

But I think afterwards I was 4-2 down, and then I was just like, Okay, we are just gonna be calm and try to fight for each point. I did it and I won the first set.

Yeah, it was just keep on fighting for every ball.

Q. When you look back on this year do you see a turning point that might lead to a result like this? Was it Nuremberg? Here? Fed Cup? Something else? Can you point to something?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, I remember like one thing I remember is like my semifinal in Rabat. I had match point there I was losing the match and I wasn't just -- in my head I was so stressed and all the time and we were like talking with my coach after that match for so long.

I think after that match I just was so calm in my head and just trying to go out there every day and just give everything and then, yeah, just do my own thing. I think that's the most important thing.

Q. You have played many matches in the past three weeks, so are you physically and also mentally tired or fresh?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, mentally I'm not. Mentally I feel pretty good. But physically, yeah, it was tough today out there. I think I had some problems with my calf today, so especially in the second set it was really hard to push off with the serve.

I think I was just fighting for every point, and you see that a lot can happen in this match.

Q. The players that you have beaten, they have said that one of the things that surprised them most is how good you are on defense, that you are getting a lot of balls back, running a lot of balls back. Can you talk about the work that you have put into that side of your game, just the fitness work and being able to do that? Madison, for example, couldn't believe it.
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, I think like in the preseason I did a lot of work. Like the first three weeks was only physical practices, like two, sometimes three times a day. It was a hell really, but I'm really glad we did it. Like with my whole team we were like working every day like really hard.

Yeah, physically I feel good the whole year. I played a lot of matches, so I feel good.

Q. Obviously this is, I assume, one of the highest moments of your career. Can you talk through or think back as to what one of the tougher or lowest moments of your career was?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, like last two years were pretty hard for me. First I had my ankle surgery and afterwards I had some issues with my health, as well, so that was like pretty tough two years.

But, yeah, since this season we worked really hard to be healthy again, to be fit again. So, yeah, I feel really good now.

Q. Do you feel like playing Serena tomorrow comes at the worst moment for you, because physically if you're tired?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, yeah, maybe we are just gonna try everything today to be fit again tomorrow. We'll see tomorrow how it is.

I cannot say anything about that now.

Q. Some people dismiss changes in diets maybe as a fad or something. Could you talk about your cutting down on carbs? Has that been really important for you? Was it easy or hard to do? How has it changed your fitness?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, I think every new thing is always hard like to do, but like if you're really into it it's going easy. So I'm just gonna try it every day.

And especially now in these moments it sometimes is pretty tough because you're getting tired. So at the moment, we're just enjoy it and eat everything. But I think it's good for me now, yeah.

Q. A lot of players when they are young think about what a week like this might be like, making the semifinals of a Grand Slam. Is it at all what you pictured it was going to be like, these two weeks so far? How different is it?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, I had no idea how it feels like or how it was supposed to feel like, but, yeah, it's incredible.

Also, like my whole family is here and friends came today to watch the match, so I'm really glad that they were here with me. Yeah.

Q. What was the look you gave your box after the win? What were you saying to them?
KIKI BERTENS: I was like, Can you believe it? Because I cannot. And also my parents were like, No, this is not happening. But, yeah, it is. Yeah.

Q. And your body is pretty okay now? Are you feeling beat up or any injuries? Anything like that going on?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, I have some problems with my calf, yeah. What I said, I'm just gonna prepare again for tomorrow, do everything what I can with the physios, and we will see how it is tomorrow.

Q. More specifically, if someone came up to you before your first match in quallies at Nuremberg and said, Chill out, relax, you're going to win the next 12 matches and make the Roland Garros semis, what would you say to that person?
KIKI BERTENS: I think it was the best joke ever. (Smiling.) Yeah.

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