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U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2016

Catherine Bellis

New York, NY, USA

C. BELLIS/V. Golubic

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. They keep calling you Catherine in the media room. You are still CC, right?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yes.

Q. Can you talk about the value of coming through the qualifying and what you gained, the experience of winning three matches going into today?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah. I think just playing actually three matches made me so much more comfortable, and knowing the surface of the courts and just playing on the courts in general is I think a big advantage for me.

I think it's better for me to come through qualifying rather than getting just a wildcard.

Q. You have talked about going to Stanford. What would make that decision change?
CATHERINE BELLIS: It just -- it used to be ranking-wise. I used to think of it, you know, the past couple years about, oh, I should be close to the top 100 and stuff like that.

But I think now it's just more me being confident that I can, you know, compete at this level consistently.

Q. As of right now you're still going to Stanford?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yes. Yes.

Q. You are waffling?
CATHERINE BELLIS: I am. For right now. I verbally committed and I talked to the coach a lot. I think the signing date is in November.

Q. How much of a reminiscent moment was that for you to win out on that court today and do what you did? How much do you feel you have changed as a person and as a tennis player in the two years?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah, I think it was really great that I was on that court again for the first round. It was really cool. When I saw the schedule, I was like, Oh, my God. I'm on that court again.

Yeah, it was great. The girl I played was really good. I'm glad I got through it. I think I have grown as a person and as a player last couple of years. I think my game has matured a lot. I think I have improved pretty much everything in my game a lot.

Back when I was younger I could have some good wins here and there, but now I can consistently, I think, have better results.

Q. Four matches, including qualifying, and dropped only one set. What's been the key?
CATHERINE BELLIS: I think I have been focusing on playing for myself and my game style. Not focusing on anything else going on. Just thinking about each point one at a time.

Q. Coming into New York, what were the emotions like? You're going to go play qualifying. Typically it might have been a wildcard situation. What was your thinking once you got here about what you could do and what you wanted to maybe prove to yourself or to other people?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Qualifying was actually one of the biggest things that I wanted to do here, and just do in general in a Grand Slam.

That's one of the biggest, you know, moments for me in my tennis so far, so I think that was one of the main things. Everything else is icing on the cake for now.

Q. You come from a beautiful but very quiet California suburb, yet you come here to The Big Apple and sort of kick back. What makes you do so well, do you think, here in New York?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Honestly, I think it's all the support that I get and everybody that comes out to my matches.

If I didn't have that support I don't know if I'd be doing as well as I am right now. (Smiling.)

Yeah, I think that's one of the main things. I just love the atmosphere. Atmosphere. The courts are amazing. Everything about it I love.

Q. Have you gone back at all and watched the tape or do you reminisce at all and -- that was such a big moment I think in your life. Do you sort of waffle over that at all?
CATHERINE BELLIS: I don't have any tape of it. I haven't watched it at all. Yeah, I mean, it was so long ago. I don't think it really has anything to do with me or my game right now.

No, I don't really look back on it.

Q. You played Shelby once and she said it was on clay. She knows that you swing for the fences. What are you thinking about going into that match?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah, we played each other a couple months ago. Yeah, I mean, I haven't really thought about it too much. I'm just focused on I went out and practiced and focused on my game, everything like that.

I think I will think about it more tonight and tomorrow. I'm just going to focus on me, focus on myself.

Q. You practiced after your match?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah.

Q. For how long and what did you work on?
CATHERINE BELLIS: I mean, I do it after every match I play. My coach and I usually go out for 30, 45 minutes and we practice. We do all my groundies, you know, cross-courts, down the lines. We do counting just to groove everything. Volleys, overheads, serves, returns.

Q. Is it dependent upon how you do in a match?
CATHERINE BELLIS: No.

Q. No matter what you have the same routine after every single match?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Unless I'm on the ground dying tired, then I'm going and practicing. That hasn't happened yet, so... (smiling.)

Q. Glad to hear.
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah.

Q. What did you think of Shelby's run at the French Open?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Oh, my God, it was amazing. Yeah, it's unbelievable for American tennis and for Team USA. Yeah, she was playing unbelievable there. It was really great.

Q. There was so much attention to her run and she was said to be the Cinderella. Did it ever cross your mind there was a little bit of sameness to your experience when you first emerged here?
CATHERINE BELLIS: No. No. I think it's a lot different. She, I think -- round of 16 or quarterfinals there? Yeah. I mean, that's obviously a lot better than what I did.

I don't think it really has anything to do with that. I mean, different surface, different tournament, so...

Q. At this stage of your career, what is fun for you in terms of your tennis? What do you get the most enjoyment out of?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Still playing. Yeah, playing matches I love so much. Having all my like hard work from practice come out in my matches. That's the best thing any tennis player can possibly be a part of.

Q. Are you harder on yourself than anybody else could ever be on you?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Why?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Because I think that I can do big things in tennis and that I think if I don't -- you know, say I didn't play well one day or something. I know can I do a lot better than what I did.

So, yeah, I think it's good. I think it's good that I am.

Q. You talked about all your hard work. What element of your work really has borne the most fruit? Has it been the physical work? Has it been stroke technique? Has it been the mental side and mental toughness?
CATHERINE BELLIS: I think it's a combination. Yeah, in the last year I have worked very hard on my fitness and just getting a lot stronger. I mean, even in the last couple of years when I have played here, like I said, I could have some good matches.

But my body couldn't handle playing consistently at this level. Neither could my game.

Definitely my fitness, but also just everything in my game being a little more solid.

Q. The NCAA keeps changing the rules on amateurism. It's changed last year again where you could keep money for expenses or...
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah. You get to keep $10,000 a year, plus like at every tournament that you go to, whatever you can make you can expense that money if it adds up to however much you expense.

Q. Are you going to seek out some pretty nice expenses if you keep on going here?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah. I have already upgraded to a suite in my hotel. I had my dad do that for me. (Laughter.) I was excited about that.

Q. Maybe you can buy us members in the press corps a gift as part of your expense account.
CATHERINE BELLIS: (Laughter.)

Q. After your match today or after qualifying?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Qualifying. Yeah, couple days ago.

Q. I mean, I know you won four matches and there was so much attention around you because you were 15 and you beat a seed two years ago, but how much more satisfied, if you are, of what you've accomplished the last few days?
CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah, I think I have earned my way into the tournament this time rather than -- I mean, I did last time. I won the National Hard Courts, but it's different.

I think getting through qualifying, for me, it means a lot more than, you know, just getting straight into main.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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