	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 10, 2017

Eugenie Bouchard

Madrid, Spain

E. BOUCHARD/A. Kerber

6-3, 5-0 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We spoke before about how important it was for you to back up that win. What did you do and how pleased are you with the way you played?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: All in all I'm very pleased. I felt I started off a little bit off 'cause the conditions were so different. It was cold. It was really windy from one side to the other, a strong wind. The atmosphere was different from my previous match.

I just at the beginning felt a little bit out of it, a couple loose errors. But then after that, I got myself together and got my rhythm, felt pretty awesome out there.

Q. It seems like when you have the confidence, the shots come off, the way you hit the ball, you need to commit, get that racquet head speed going. How much did the win over Maria unlock the game you showed today? It was a pretty dominant performance.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Thank you. Yeah, for sure that one gave me confidence. My first-round win gave me confidence. Feeling a bit better in practice coming into this week gave me confidence coming in.

I thought it was very important today to keep moving my feet a lot and accelerate a lot, like you mentioned. When it's windy, the best way for me to control the ball is to make sure there's a lot of, like, action on it.

Especially with the side with the wind, I felt like I touched the ball and it would sail. I had to accelerate and make sure there was enough spin.

It helped me also to think of little technical things like that during the match, to not think about, you know, winning or outside things. That helps me stay focused. I did that well.

Q. If you look back two months ago, is it even surprising for you, this big switch in your game, in your confidence? It's like two completely different players.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: It is a bit surprising. I'm happy that I've been able to do it in successive matches because it's one thing doing it for one match, but obviously to win a tournament, you need to do it for quite a few matches in a row. I think I'm extra proud of that.

It definitely is a little bit surprising. I'll take it, but not get too happy either, just keep working.

Q. Svetlana Kuznetsova obviously is really good on this surface. Talk about her game and the challenge she'll pose for you.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, she's playing well, in general right now. Also I think she ended the year really, really well. It's going to be a good battle. I've practiced with her before, played against her. I've always enjoyed it because she gets a lot of balls back, but she also goes for it. We both have just battled.

I just want to have fun. I just want to enjoy it and just go for it, as usual.

Q. Obviously the big question that has surrounded things, commentators were talking about it, with the level that you've been able to show the last two matches, where has this Genie Bouchard been over the course of the last few months, years? You're the one that can probably articulate that better than anybody else. What would you say to that?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I think there are lots of factors. First of all, you know, not being able to play amazing tennis week in, week out, that's a given. Everyone has ups and downs. I obviously had more downs than I wanted to.

I think mentally not being in the right place, allowing outside voices kind of in, allowing the pressure to get to me. You know, quite a few things here and there that just affected me at different times over the past couple years.

So it's been a long, hard road for sure. Like I said, this is three matches. I want to do 50 more this year. It's a long road ahead of me, as well.

Q. Does 2014 seem to you like ages ago or is it not that far and you feel close to that person?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: It feels far in the past. It's a number I want to not think about ever because, you know, we're three years later and I'm still getting asked about it. I understand why, but I don't even want to be that player. I want to be better than that player. I want to stop thinking about those results and the past.

I'm really, like, I don't think about 2014 ever.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297