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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 11, 2017

Anastasija Sevastova

Madrid, Spain

A. SEVASTOVA/K. Bertens

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First time in Madrid, semifinal of a premier mandatory. How does it feel?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Obviously it feels great, for sure. I just want to enjoy this moment today. Tomorrow is another match.

I felt comfortable out there today. The roof was closed, so, yeah, it feels amazing.

Q. Obviously you had quite a good week in Stuttgart, now a good week here. How happy are you with the consistency that you're bringing right now on a day-to-day basis on the court?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Yeah, I think it's important to have consistency as a tennis player. On clay court, I feel comfortable from day to day.

It's a basic question and a basic answer. I feel happy (smiling).

Q. We remind you of Mallorca last year. That was amazing, grass in Spain. You played great. Mallorca or Spain or...
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I don't know. Mallorca is completely different. I mean, it's grass court. Here it's clay.

Maybe I feel comfortable in Spain. But I cannot say is the reason for my results.

Q. I see many people around, the tickets are sold, but not many people are watching the matches.
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I don't know where they are.

Q. Talking about the match today against Kiki, it looked like you had your variety going really well, good feel on the dropshots and slices. Was that the strategy, to not let her sit back there and hit balls? She's a powerful player.
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: For sure you have to move her. You have to make her run.

Again, when the serve comes from her, it's tough to play. I mean, I practiced with her. It was unbelievable. I practiced here in Madrid with her.

So I just tried to stay there every return. Also on my service games, not let her play her game. There was no breakpoints again. Amazing. Am I like Karlovic or what (laughter)? I don't know.

Q. The other day you said Simona is an opponent you don't enjoy playing that much, has given you difficulties in the past. What do you have to employ in the next match to maybe switch the result in terms of how it's gone the past few times?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Well, I haven't thought about it yet. Today I tried to enjoy that I won today. I will think about it tomorrow - maybe - for sure (smiling).

But she plays great here. Still, she had some tough results here, the three-setter. If I play like today, I might have a chance.

Q. What is the challenge that she poses for you?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Well, she moves the ball very well. She makes you run. She changes directions. Plus she's moving very well to the ball. You have to hit winners two, three times. She returns good. Basically everything is great. I mean, she won here last year. What can you say?

I mean, it's tough for me because I have to move. She plays better game like me, I think, you know. I just have to try to play with my variety, you know, like stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.

No, I'm joking (laughter).

Q. Do you have time to see the city a little bit? Is it hotel and court?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Mostly hotel and court. We went once to the Plaza Major. But we didn't have any time actually to see, unfortunately.

Q. You had quite a bit of tape on your leg. Is that impairing your movement at all? Is that preventive?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: It's mental (smiling).

No, no, I had some problems with my hip during the clay court season. It's just preventive, yeah, that it stays good, my leg doesn't hurt.

Q. After this week you'll be inside the top 20, a new career-high ranking. Does that mean anything to you, or are you just looking at how you're moving through the year and how you're playing?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I think it's both. It's important. I mean, for sure top 20, it's a goal I think for everyone. It's amazing to be, I don't know, top 20 next week.

But again, I feel more good with myself when I see that I play good and I post some results here.

Q. When you decided to come back, is this what you expected?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Yeah, for sure, I expected (laughter).

C'mon, c'mon. When you come back and you start with futures and challengers, you don't expect it. After two years here, on the verge of top 20...

I don't think anybody expected that, not even myself.

Q. When you think about it, what do you think about? I guess, what is the feeling when you kind of think about that journey and kind of getting on the brink of cracking top 20, putting these results together?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Well, they always say the journey is better than the destination, I think.

It's tough question. I just enjoy, for sure. I enjoy playing, competing, in these huge WTA tournaments. Just staying with these girls who are like best players in the world, yeah.

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