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BNP PARIBAS FED CUP: USA VS THE NETHERLANDS

February 11, 2018

Richel Hogenkamp

Asheville, North Carolina

V. WILLIAMS/R. Hogenkamp

7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A tough match today. How would you evaluate your performance?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: Well, it was a bad match I think from my side. I think Venus was also maybe not happy with the way she played.

Yeah, I think I had a lot of chances first set. Very quickly I was down 3-Love. After I was finding myself back in the set. Then I felt like I had a lot of chances in her service game. I missed them with my own unforced errors. She played some good points, but mostly because I was missing. Yeah, that was tough.

After the first set, which I lost it, it was tough to get back in it. I think she was playing better second set. She was more loose. She was playing better second set.

Q. Down the early break at 3-0, what did you change in your game to help you get back into it?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: Well, I just tried to tell myself that yesterday it was the same. I mean, Coco and Venus, they both play a pretty big game. I can happen that the first few games, you're a little bit, like, overpowered or a little bit pushed back. Then I was getting a bit more used to her speed and trying to mix it up a little bit more.

I think that was the difference after the first three games. I was feeling a little bit more comfortable after that. But still I was missing way too many balls.

Q. You had a breakpoint at 5-5 towards the end of the first set. Was that the turning point?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: Yeah, I mean, I think if I make that game, it can be a whole different story. If I win the first set, you never know. Now yesterday I missed a couple of chances. Today again I missed a couple of chances.

Yeah, mentally it's not easy.

Q. After you had that breakpoint, Venus got the last seven points of the first set. What turned things around?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: Yeah, I don't know. I mean, she has so much experience. You can see that she's just comfortable in that kind of position. I was just missing too much. Also on 6-5, you start with Love-30, it's not a great start of the game. You're under pressure a lot. Every time you hit a second serve, you see someone at the other side standing one or two meters inside the baseline.

She's giving a lot of pressure to me when I'm serving, overall putting pressure on you. I think that's one of her strengths. For me it's tough, when I'm not feeling the match really well, to handle that.

Q. Your match yesterday, a long match, how much did that take out of you coming into today?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: My legs were fine. Like I said, again in the first set, you're missing so many chances. After yesterday, it's tough to, like, stand there again the second set. Especially when she made that break, I could feel it was getting more tough. She was getting more loose. At the end of the match, she was hitting much more winners. My balls were coming too short.

Yeah, I think it was just mentally more tough than physically for me.

Q. A close first set today. Two close sets yesterday. What are the positives you take away from this week?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: Yeah, from yesterday I take a lot of positives with me, that I played a good match I think. Yeah, today I still have to see some stuff back. For me it really feels like I didn't play a good match today. I will watch some of the points back and see if my feeling was right or if it's just because of her.

But yeah, of course, I can take some positives with me. In the end, we still lost 3-0. That's not what we came here for.

Q. Being part of this team, how meaningful is it to represent your country?
RICHEL HOGENKAMP: It's very meaningful. I've been playing I think every year when I could. Every time I played, if I was fit to play, I played. Yeah, it's great to play in this team. Paul, he has a lot of experience dealing with great matches. He's a champion from the past. It's nice to play for your country.

Yeah, I think we have a great group together. I'm looking forward to make some better results in April.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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