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HENGQIN LIFE WTA ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI

November 3, 2017

Julia Goerges

Zhuhai, China

J. GOERGES/K. Mladenovic

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congratulations on making the semifinals. Two matches in. Was it weird to have that few days of break between your first match and your second match?
JULIA GOERGES: Yeah, I think it was more the situation today knowing that I have to win one set to be in the semis. I think that's something which you don't experience that often.

It's a bit weird, I must say. I rather just want to win the match or lose the match but not, like, just one set and then you keep on playing. It's a new situation, I would say.

But to come back to your question, the two days didn't really matter that much to me, because now I know if I'm winning I keep going and play every day. If I lose, I go home.

It's something where I don't mind having two days in between and really, yeah, maybe can see something or do something else, yeah, besides tennis.

Q. How would you rate your confidence levels right now? I mean, a nice win streak going and haven't dropped a set here. I mean, are you flying with confidence or is it just kind of even keel for you right now?
JULIA GOERGES: Well, if you have a title on your back, I think it's nice to carry that around. But actually, once a new tournament starts, everything starts from zero.

For sure it does help you to know you have won some matches in the past and you have done probably the right things to win those matches, but as I said, everything starts from zero.

We know how tough this competition is. Well, I just try to focus on myself, and it's nice to finish the matches in two sets, but I don't mind if I play three or so. But at the end, if I come out on top, I think that's the most important thing.

Well, tomorrow is another tough challenge. I will just try to focus on that and not really if it's two sets, three sets, or whatever it will be.

Q. You said it's your first time celebrate your birthday while playing a tournament. How did that go and how do you feel?
JULIA GOERGES: It was a new experience for me, and I kind of liked it because it was not, yeah, that big of a party. It was just a small, nice celebration here from the tournament, which I really enjoyed and which I did appreciate obviously, because, well, you are very far away from your family and friends and you don't have a chance to celebrate in that moment. But at the same time, it was very nice because the phone stayed quiet because they knew I was away and they didn't call me. So I just got three calls and the rest were messages, so I could decide whatever I do on this day.

It was not very busy. So for me it was a new situation, but at the same time, I could also take a lot of energy from it.

Q. You talked about it being sort of weird to have to just win one set. It was a pretty good first set from you, but what were some of the emotions after that? How cognizant were you that you had qualified and what was the game plan going forward?
JULIA GOERGES: I really wanted to win that match. It didn't matter if I had to win one set, but I don't want to go out with losing the match and still being in the semifinals. I think that's a bit weird.

Well, my focus was to win that match, to try to do everything to be able to come out on top at the end. But after the first set, I really tried to hang in there to play every point in the first set. And, yeah, I lost a bit my focus and a little bit my tension on the body, so I wasn't as sharp as I was in the first set. I said it to my coach, too, because my serve got away a bit, and I lost completely my tension and my aggression for it.

Kiki took well on it, and she really stepped well into the court and moved me more around, which I didn't really quite like, because that's obviously my game. Well, I tried to make sure that I come on top in the tiebreaker, and I think that was, yeah, there were some key moments in that tiebreaker, too.

Q. Congrats on making the semis. It seems like you girls have to play more and more tournaments in China during this period of time in the season. Physically, it is obviously challenging. Could you talk about how do you keep, you know, a positivity to approach this period of time and to stay upbeat to finish the year strong?
JULIA GOERGES: I think it's about making a smart schedule, and for me it's important to have a lot of weeks at home, as well, to really recharge the batteries, because we know it's a long season. We know we have every week a chance to play an event, but I think it's about smart scheduling, and really, if you go for a trip which maybe has three or four events, to really be, yeah, sharp there and a lot of energy and really go for those four events.

Then you come back home, you recharge your batteries, and then you can go for the next trip. I prefer that, especially that I don't travel the whole year or, like, 10 tournaments in a row. I'm not that kind of player. That's how I have done it in the past, and that's how I'm still doing it.

Q. Steffi Graf is the ambassador of the tournament. I heard she will be here during the weekend. Now you have the chance maybe meet her in person. What's your impression or memory about her as a German player?
JULIA GOERGES: Well, Steffi Graf is probably the biggest idol of Germany. Well, I had already the chance to play an exhibition match with her, which has been probably one of my dreams, so I got some time to spend with her.

It was very interesting for me, personally. And since you don't see her very often in Germany, during the exhibition the stadium was full and the crowd went crazy once she entered the center court. I think it's something, yeah, where you get goosebumps once you have seen her for the first time, and then you probably kind of get used to it.

But it's nice to have, well, such a champion as her here and to really just be able to talk to her and really get her thoughts, as well. Yeah, I think you can only learn from her.

Q. You face Sevastova next in the semifinals. Can you just talk about that matchup and what you expect from it?
JULIA GOERGES: It's going to be a very tough match, I think. We have had already quite a battle in the Mallorca final this year. We know each other for a very long time and have a lot of respect for each other.

Yeah, she's a very tricky player, and she has had a great season, as well. Well, it's just about battling it out tomorrow and the better one should win. I think both of us will have their own tactics and try to go for it and try to be the successful one at the end, but at the same time, it's nice to share the court with her, because we have had a lot of, yeah, connections in the past.

Once she retired for the first time, well, I was pretty sure she's coming back (smiling) because I kind of know her. Well, I was just glad to be able to share the court with her in Mallorca and to really see how she's still be there and she still plays finals and still wins titles.

Well, tomorrow I hopefully come out on top (smiling) and be able to beat her, but at the end of the day, the better one should win.

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