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CONNECTICUT OPEN

August 23, 2018

Julia Goerges

New Haven, Connecticut

J. GOERGES/E. Makarova

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were down a break in both sets. How did you stay focused and turn it around both times?
JULIA GOERGES: Well, first of all, it took me a little while to adjust to a lefty again, because I haven't played a lefty now for, yeah, two or three weeks. It's very rare on tour. For me, it took a bit of time to really get used to her pace, to her shots.

I think I managed it really well, that I stayed in every single point, every single game. Overall I'm very satisfied the way I, yeah, performed and played today.

Q. You said it took you a while to adjust. Did that have an impact going down 2-0 in both sets?
JULIA GOERGES: Well, I know how strong I can be on the return, as well. For me it's not a big deal if I lose one of my service games because I know I have certain quality to come back and break.

Well, I think to play every ball, yeah, as it would be your last point, I think that's very important because you always give yourself a chance, the best way you can perform on that day. For me it was important I keep focused on every single point, you always have an opportunity to come back in every single set.

Q. Do you usually develop a game plan and adjust it accordingly throughout the match, especially against a lefty?
JULIA GOERGES: There's always points where you need to adjust when you get lefty serve and lefty balls from the baseline.

Yeah, I talked a lot about tactics with my coach since I've never beaten Katia. For me it was important to change things up. Overall I think we did a very good job as a team there.

Q. In the second set you won six straight games. Were you in the zone at that point? Whatever game plan you had, did it finally come to fruition sort of?
JULIA GOERGES: It's not always about the score and how many games you win in a row. I think it's about consistency. If you stay there and give your best, that's all I can control, what's in my hands. What she's doing, it's not up to me, it's up to her.

But, yeah, it worked out well. I think I broke her a bit mentally as well. I could see she got a bit more frustrated. It never means you're going to win six straight games, don't get me wrong. I think I just performed the best I could today and I'm glad it worked out with six straight games, but it's not about that.

Q. This is your seventh quarterfinal of the year.
JULIA GOERGES: Semis, but not seventh. I'm in the semis (laughter).

Q. Four semis then?
JULIA GOERGES: I don't know. It's your job, not mine (laughter).

Q. Talk about how you're so consistent this year now.
JULIA GOERGES: Well, I think we put a lot of effort in our daily work. Yeah, it's nice to see those results coming. But it's not about always, yeah, playing semis, finals. I think it's about myself, how I feel on the court. I definitely feel very well. That the work is paying off, it's nice to see. Yeah, hopefully I can show another good match tomorrow.

Q. Do you have the US Open in the back of your mind playing a tournament this close to the Open? What is going through your mind late in a third set, do you think about the Open, trying to conserve, or not?
JULIA GOERGES: Not really. I have a good team around me a great physio with me, who is doing a terrific job. Body-wise I'm feeling good. My goal is to get as many matches as I can, which is already good, I'm getting a fourth one tomorrow. It's a great preparation towards the Open.

You have the same climate, the same balls, the same surface. That's pretty much important to me. Not thinking too much about the Open yet because I'm still here in the tournament, and that's what counts at the moment.

Q. You have an original and unique serve, when you flick your wrist at the end. Did you develop that at a young age or is it something you grew into?
JULIA GOERGES: I always had, yeah, a pretty loose wrist to control some spin and variety on the balls. Obviously you need to train that a little bit. No, we did work a lot on the serve in the last three years. I think I improved a lot, also speed-wise, the variation I can put on the ball.

It's very important to not only serving the same balls to the returner, I think it makes it a bit, yeah, difficult for the return player to really read my game, my serve. Yeah, sometimes it's nice to get some free points, as well.

Q. You won a doubles title here in 2015. How special would it feel to come back here a few years later and get a singles title?
JULIA GOERGES: I think I've only played twice or three times here in singles. For me it was, yeah, time to come back here. I think it's a great preparation towards the Open, what I said. I think Anne Worcester, she does a great job of what she's presenting to the players here as well. I'm feeling really well.

Yeah, just not only when you are playing well, but I think besides that you have a very nice town, you can see a lot of different things, you have great food. It's pretty much calm here, which you don't have at the Open. You know how New York and Manhattan is. For me it's nice to have some calm time, as well, before the Open. I think that's, yeah, much more important.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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