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HENGQIN LIFE WTA ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI

November 2, 2017

Coco Vandeweghe

Zhuhai, China

C. VANDEWEGHE/E. Vesnina

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Another strong performance out there. Did you feel better in today's match than you did in the opening match?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yes, I did. I felt a lot better. Was feeling the court underneath me a little bit more. But also, I mean, it was tricky in itself, playing against an opponent that's obviously hampered, and you're just trying to kind of manage your own emotions with that and trying to keep your intensity, keep your focus, and that definitely gets a little bit tough.

Q. Speaking of just intensity, in the last match and this match, you have had to kind of find it, I think, a little bit more. What do you tap into to kind of elevate your intensity levels during a match?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: It's a little bit different each match. I think in the first match I just made myself hate my opponent so much. That's pretty much all it was. I just -- you know, nothing against her (smiling). It was just me, like, that's the only way I could get any sort of anger and intensity out, that I was going to hate my opponent that much just to get some fire going.

Second match, it was more inward, just allowing kind of momentum slip and knowing -- you know, I have been talking with Pat a bunch, and he's been very intense towards me about I work too darn hard to let these two matches slip. So that was kind of what I was tapping into for today's match.

Q. All players have different takes on the court, combination of the court and ball and everything. I'm wondering how you're finding it. Do you find this to be like a medium-paced hard court with the combination of the ball, a quicker court, a slower one? What was your sense when you first got here?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I'm pretty used to these balls. Yonex gives me a case of these balls all the time. That's what I practice with at home because I'm into free stuff, and I'm cheap, so a combination of that. And Yonex treats me well. They give me a free case of balls all the time.

The court actually reminded me a lot of Rafter Arena in Brisbane, so the sound -- I was actually surprised, maybe it's just because I was clueless and dumb, that it's more of an indoor tournament feel. Everyone was -- I don't know why, but I thought it was more outdoors (smiling).

So I was more excited to kind of be in the sun again, because that plays to my advantage. I play in the sun all the time as opposed to more of the Europeans play indoors a lot. But this one is definitely an indoor tournament.

I feel it's medium to fast. The balls are definitely fast. They're more pellet-like, and the court is medium pace.

Q. Just looking ahead to the semifinals, you don't know yet who you're going to play, but do you feel like maybe this was a bit of a weight lifted off you, getting through the group stage and maybe a different change of mindset heading into the semis and the knockout rounds?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I have no idea how this tournament works. I'm just, like, whatever (smiling). I mean, it's kind of like the rankings. I don't get it. It's just kind of what it is.

I'm here, I'm playing, I'm just trying to win matches (shrugging shoulders).

Q. Can we talk about Straight Up With Stassi now? What was the process like and how was that experience?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yeah. Well, it all started, my agent, Stephanie, she's like, Why don't you take the train? Because I went up to LA, like, three times that week.

So I was, like, Okay, yeah, yeah, I'll take the train. Actually, it's a beautiful train ride. The train got delayed two hours on top of the two hours it takes to get there. So I was, like, super late. Luckily it was a podcast.

She was super cool. Very nice, clueless about sports in general, which she immediately admitted off the bat, but it was actually probably the most fun interview I have had, because all the time I have to talk about tennis, and I don't really enjoy talking about tennis all that much when I'm at home, so that's not what I'm about, but it's just something that I do. I'm more into being a normal 25-year-old than I am being into a, I don't know, an important tennis player or self-proclaimed important tennis player (smiling).

So it was really enjoyable. She was super cool. And then I actually did a last-minute trip to San Francisco after that, and so I had a pretty fun weekend that weekend, thanks to you.

Q. I know it's been a long stint away from home, whether it was Asia or Russia or the UK, but what have you been doing to keep tabs on anything that's going on back home? Have you been watching the World Series at all or movies, shows, like, what have you been doing to kind of stay connected?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I don't like baseball, so, no, I'm not watching the World Series, but I did watch football this morning, or this afternoon, because I didn't wake up till noon. Super lazy life.

What else have I been doing? I have been keeping in touch with my friends. I was actually -- I mean, with the struggle as it is to kind of keep up with the news, I had found out, because of my VPN, it's just been a struggle, so I just found out about the New York thing like hours later.

It was more like checking in with my friends and family that I have in New York to make sure everyone is okay.

But, you know, like I post every once in a while on Instagram. I like to do stupid things, go and be a tourist. I like to go and have a good time where I am, you know, surround myself with people, especially in an off week where they're into showing me a good time.

Q. The Fed Cup teams have obviously been announced. I guess that nomination process is set. How do you see that kind of stacking up, and how excited are you to go out there?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I'm pretty much clueless, because I don't know many of the Belarusian players. I have maybe seen one of them play. Other than that, I'm pretty clueless.

I got my orders in to all the people coming over from the States. Kathy was giving me a hard time today, actually, that she has to pack a whole other suitcase for me, because I didn't bring any of my Fed Cup clothes, my track suit, nothing. I didn't bring anything.

I'm really excited to kind of cap the year off with that. I have worked really hard to get Team USA, along with everyone else that's been on the team and the staff, to get us to the final, and, you know, I'm ready to reap the rewards of that hard work.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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