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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2017

Eugenie Bouchard

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

C. VANDEWEGHE/E. Bouchard

6-4, 3-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to lose a match you probably deserved to win?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: It really sucks. Very disappointed, because I feel like I had so many chances, especially in that third set.

Yeah, I mean, you need to try and close out as many of these matches when you get those chances.

Q. Do you think a lot of the problem was, unfortunately, losing the first set? Which doesn't give you as much room to maneuver the rest of the way?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, of course. But, you know, I came back and I fought and put myself in a position, even though I lost the first set. So, yeah, I mean, I definitely wasn't playing my best today, a lot of unforced errors that, you know, I don't expect myself to do.

So it was tough.

Q. Of those many chances that you had, which are the ones you regret the most? The 5-3 game in the third or the break points or...
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, I mean, definitely serving up a break in the third set, having many game points, I think, in my game. You know, I can't let that slip away. I felt like a lot of times in the point I was on my heels a little bit and not really moving up to the ball enough. You know, I think too caught up in the moment on a couple of those points.

Q. You have been down in the match and obviously coming back and having the lead. You must still take some positives from the match?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: It's hard to see positives right now, but it's definitely tough, considering I broke in the first game of the third, to always, you know, be a break ahead.

I definitely felt a lot of pressure every service game because of her serve. You know, I know she can serve big. I just kind of felt always that pressure to keep my lead.

And, yeah, it was tough to sustain that later on in the third.

Q. Is it hard to try to get into her mentalities and she's so hit and miss? Hits a fantastic winner and make two bad shots? Hard to adjust to that?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: It's definitely tough to play a player like this. They don't give you too much rhythm. You have to kind of be prepared for anything.

Yeah, I feel like, like my reaction time wasn't as good as it normally is today, and that's what I need a lot with a player with big shots, obviously.

I need to be able to counter that and then try and be offensive. I just felt like that was missing today.

Q. How much do you think the fact that the match was played under the roof affected -- it was easy for her? She has less margin for error than you do?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Maybe it affected it a little bit, the court. Yeah, it felt fast, and obviously, you know, with someone with big shots, that definitely -- I think they like that.

I don't know how much it actually affected the match. Usually I like indoor-type of surfaces, as well, so...

Q. Overall, how is the confidence in your game at the moment? Is it back at a really high level or mentally feeling pretty strong?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, you know, I haven't played so many matches in three weeks, you know, in a really long time, and especially against top, like, highly ranked, relatively speaking, players. You know, it's kind of been two years of struggle, especially a lot the last half of last year.

So, you know, I think it's a very solid first step, this trip.

Probably better than I expected, you know, considering Sydney last week.

Yeah, I just have to get used to playing matches back to back against top players. You know, that's something I haven't done in a while. Last time I went far in a tournament was like 2014.

Q. So do you see this tournament as more of a success, then?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I mean, this tournament, no. Definitely I wanted to do better.

But overall, I mean, let's say coming to Australia, I think I did an okay job. I obviously, deep down, always expect more, but, you know, I couldn't expect too much, considering, you know, I trained for a month, and it's the first, you know, really good training I got in a while, first time I got a good break in a while, first time I trained well in a while.

It's kind of like a restart process. I can't expect too much at the beginning. It wasn't a horrible trip (smiling).

Q. I didn't see exactly what happened at the end of the second set. Did you or she initiate taking the break? Did you both? Would you have liked to have kept on playing?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: She went to go change, and since I figured it would be a while, I went to the bathroom.

So I had to go, but I started out strong in the third. So I think it was fine.

Q. What's the plans now? I know it's a bit early.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, not too sure right now. Unfortunately, I'll have to go book a flight, but...

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