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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 12, 2017Kayla DayIndian Wells, California G. MUGURUZA/K. Day 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 An interview with: KAYLA DAY THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Obviously you looked upset coming off court. Overall, are you happy with or proud of what you were able to do out there, pushing a really top player that well? KAYLA DAY: Yeah. Obviously I was pretty upset after my match, because it didn't go the way I wanted it in the end, but if you look at the big picture, I was able to push a Top-10 player really far. I'm really happy with the way I played. Q. When you go into a match like that, what are your expectations? What was your mindset going in? KAYLA DAY: I didn't really have any expectations going in. I mean, I had to believe I could win, because you can't go into a match thinking you're going to lose. But obviously I knew it was a tall task. But, yeah. It was a good match. Q. What was going through your mind after you take that first set? KAYLA DAY: Well, I knew there was still a long way to go. A lot of people can win first sets, and you have to win two sets to win a tennis match. I knew there was a long way to go, but I definitely knew that my chances of winning were higher, I guess. Q. What does a week like this mean to you, getting these wins, backing up the wildcard, all of that? KAYLA DAY: Yeah, it means a lot to me. I was so grateful for the wildcard to be able to do so well, such a big tournament. It really means a lot to me. I think it was a confidence booster for me this week. Q. Do you look at yourself differently in terms of how close you are to where you want to be, that you were able to pull off these performances this week? KAYLA DAY: Yeah, definitely. I think I'm a lot closer than I thought I was. But there is definitely still a lot of work to be done. Q. What were you sort of happiest with, that, hey, this works against a Top 10, that's pretty cool? KAYLA DAY: I think that I learned you don't have to be overpowering these big players to be able to beat them in a match. Q. If you break it down shot by shot, where do you think you are closest to the top players and where do you think you need more work? KAYLA DAY: I think my serve is pretty close to the top players when I'm serving well. I think my serve speed is pretty good. I think I need to work on having it be a little bit more consistent. And also, my second serve, too. I think probably need to work on, like, putting the ball away more, like the top players do such a great job. When they're given, like, a little bit shorter ball, they can attack it right away and take time away. So I think I definitely need to work on that. Q. What's next for you now? KAYLA DAY: I got a wildcard into qualifying in Miami next week so I will be going there. I might get in on my ranking. We'll see, though. Q. Can you give a little bit of an overview on your history? What facilities did you play in in Santa Barbara? Has it been exclusively your dad? Where are you working now? That sort of thing. KAYLA DAY: In Santa Barbara, I first started at the Knowlwood Tennis Club. And then when I was nine, I started going to the Tennis Club of Santa Barbara. Then I mostly have been training in Carson for, like, the last seven or eight years. That's where I do the majority of my training. And mainly my mom has been more involved in my tennis. My dad has been less -- still involved, but my mom has been much more involved. Q. Does your mom have any swaggery? KAYLA DAY: No (smiling). She's more like -- my dad is more swaggery and kind of funny. My mom is more, like -- (smiling) she's more Eastern European. Q. I hear you speak Czech? KAYLA DAY: Yeah. Q. Do you ever talk to any of the Czech girls on the tour or eavesdrop and surprise them by letting them know you know what they're saying? KAYLA DAY: I don't really talk to them. Once in a while I will eavesdrop. Q. We got Navratilova to come over here from Czechoslovakia. We'd like to get Petra. Are you a loyal American or trying to get back to Czech Republic? KAYLA DAY: No, I'm a pretty loyal American. I don't think I will be switching countries. But Czech Republic has produced so many great players. So, I mean, they are doing something right. Q. Practically, how do you navigate? Do you have to stay in places down in Carson or... KAYLA DAY: Yeah, we actually have an apartment in Long Beach pretty close to Carson, because it was just too far to drive every day. Q. I saw on Twitter that you actually -- your dog is actually named "Garbiñe" after Muguruza? KAYLA DAY: Yeah. Q. So first off, who do you think your dog was rooting for today? KAYLA DAY: First of all, my mom named the dog (smiling). Garbiñe, I hope she was rooting for me. Yeah, I hope she was rooting for me. Q. How did the name... KAYLA DAY: We were watching -- how do you say -- is it Garbiñe? Yeah, we were watching her playing Australian Open. This was, like, four years ago on TV. And we had just rescued this little dog from the shelter, and my mom was, like, Wow, this girl is really good. I really like her. I think I'm going to name my dog after her. I don't think -- we're not allowed to call her "Garbiñe" anymore. It's just "Bean" from now on. Q. Did that make today's match any more surreal that you're playing your dog's... KAYLA DAY: My dog? No, I mean, it was already pretty surreal to begin with. I mean, she's one of the greatest in the game right now. She won the French Open last year. Yeah, it was already pretty surreal. Q. Are you the kind of player who gets past defeats easily, or you tend to kind of mumble in them for hours? Days? KAYLA DAY: Normally I'm pretty upset right after, but I think I get over them, like, once -- like, I don't like to drag them out too long the next day. I want to focus on the next tournament. Yeah, the next -- yeah, the next tournament, next practice, it's a new day. Q. You have had some great results, but so has Cici. She had high-profile results at the US Open and some other wins, did well in the Middle East recently. She's from North Cal, you're from Southern Cal. Does that help you in a way? Talk about your relationship or rivalry. KAYLA DAY: Yeah, I think it actually helps me. She's been doing so well, so that kind of gives me confidence to know that I can also do it, because, you know, I don't know. Yeah, because she's, like, young, like me, and we are kind of just starting on the tour. It gives me a little bit of confidence, yeah. Q. Do you speak with her? What is your record against her? KAYLA DAY: Yeah, I speak with her. Yeah. Our record, I won the last time I played her. That was probably, like, eight or nine months ago. Like, before that, we hadn't played in, like, five years and she won every time before that. Q. What's your approach to goals? Do you want to be the best player in the world? Do you want to win a slam? KAYLA DAY: For sure. Q. If you could choose one slam you could win... KAYLA DAY: US Open. Q. You already turned pro? KAYLA DAY: Yeah, I turned pro in December. Q. No regrets? KAYLA DAY: No. Q. What was the most fun thing that happened on court today? Like, at what moment did you allow it to be, like, fun? KAYLA DAY: Um, there was one point where it was, like, a really long point and then I hit a dropshot. I think that was pretty fun. Or also, when I hit a forehand down the line. I think this was to close out the game, and they called it out and I challenged it. It was about like that far, like, barely in (indicating close with fingers). So I thought that was pretty fun. Q. Pretty cool to use Hawk-Eye on one of the biggest courts in the world? KAYLA DAY: Yeah, before this tournament, I hadn't been really good. I think I was, like 0 for 10 on challenges, but this tournament I have been doing good. I'm upping my challenge game, also. Q. Was this the biggest court you have played on? KAYLA DAY: I don't know how Louis Armstrong -- how it compares to Louis Armstrong, so yeah. Q. What was it like -- did you ever look up and was it ever just a bit much, or... KAYLA DAY: I tried not to look up much, because there was, like, so many people out there. I tried to just look in my box and stay in the moment. Just take it like any other match. Yeah, definitely, it's a little bit -- I guess I like playing in front of big crowds, but this was, like, a little bit more intimidating than I'm used to. Q. You beat a reigning Australian Open semifinalist. You take the reigning French Open champion deep into a third. I mean, how do you even begin to process kind of where your game is at based off of this? KAYLA DAY: I mean, right now, I'm still kind of upset about the loss, because I was so close today, but definitely this means so much in the big picture to know that I can hang with these girls, and I'm really so close to being at the top level. Q. Probably won't see you till clay season. How do you feel about clay? KAYLA DAY: I like clay, yeah. I think it suits my game pretty well. So, yeah, I like it. Q. Did you find that your leftiness was -- do you notice when it confuses other players? KAYLA DAY: Yeah, I think in the first couple sets it was, like, really giving her some trouble, especially my out-wide serve. Then in the third she definitely picked up her level, and her backhand was really solid towards the end of the match. I kind of had to change my tactics a little bit, but she ended up playing better. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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