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U.S. OPEN

September 2, 2018

Anastasija Sevastova

New York, NY, USA

A. SEVASTOVA/E. Svitolina

6-3, 1-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is this one of the best third sets you feel you have played in a while?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I think so, yeah. It was one of the best third sets. Also I think first set was very competitive, very good, one of the best sets we played because she played the level like in the first set and I played the level. So we played in the same time very good level.

But in the third, it was very important, I think, winning the first game. Just holding the serve 2-Love and feeling more free and playing.

Q. How would you say you recovered after the second set when she was finding a bit of rhythm?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I think she played the same in the second set, maybe less mistakes. Mentally I was a little bit off in the second set. I have still some problems. But I think going to the toilet a little bit, taking time, and just fighting for the first game, yeah, that was important.

Q. You played some really good matches on Grandstand in the past. What do you make of that court? It's been around basically as long as you have been making Grand Slam quarterfinals here.
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: It's a nice court. I think it's a little bit more windy, I think, than the others, like Armstrong or Ashe, yeah.

But I like the court. It's nice to play. It's a nice atmosphere. I like it. There are a lot of spectators. Ground pass tickets. It's cool.

Q. Three years in a row here. How?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I don't know how (smiling). There's a pattern maybe, because, some tournaments I play always good. Like Mallorca, I played three years finals, and also Bucharest I'm playing pretty well, and obviously here. Maybe I believe that I can play year to year good here.

But again, I think this year, it was tough. The first round against Donna. She played amazing. She played great match. Also like the third round, Makarova, not my favorite opponent. Yeah, Elina, it was also tough draw.

Q. Those three tournaments, those are all different surfaces. So is there anything common between those places?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Then there is no pattern then. Only tournament pattern.

I like the island, Mallorca. Bucharest, also the atmosphere on clay after Wimbledon, I like playing on clay again.

And, yeah, here it's one of a kind, I think, this tournament. Also night matches. I think also the first year when I played this night match against Muguruza, it gave me some confidence. Yeah, I just started to believe more.

Q. There has been a fan, I don't know if you heard him during the match, yelling for Svitolina.
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I think he's, like, walking around and yelling for everyone. He can yell for everybody. I don't care. It's okay.

Q. Was it one of the more memorable cheers you have heard during your matches?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Funny cheer. "You're the best," or...

I heard it in Ostapenko match yesterday. It was the same cheer, so it's, like he likes to cheer.

Q. You could face Sloane again, which was obviously a great match last year. How different does it feel this year?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Maybe third time lucky for me. Maybe not. I think it's still a great result, quarters here. She still has to win. So I'm going to watch this match, I hope. If you're letting me (smiling).

I hope it's going to be on Ashe, and I hope we're going to play good level, both of us, at the same time.

Q. It was so close last year. What do you think will be the key this year if you meet again?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I don't know. I played against her in Montreal. It was not that close. I lost.

Yeah, Grand Slams are different. It's a different pressure, I think. I have to play my game. I played amazing today, two sets, like, first and the third.

And I will always get my chance, I think, yeah.

Q. If it's Mertens, what do you think about Mertens?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: She has a great season. She plays amazing I think all year round on every surface. It's going to be tough, too. She's an up and coming. What is she, top 10 in the race? It's going to be tough too. I played against her in Mallorca last year. Three sets. It was a close three-setter.

Q. Is there anything in particular you like to do when you're in the city? How have you been spending your days?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I like M&M store.

I played doubles, like, yesterday I played two-and-a-half hours doubles. Tomorrow I am playing again.

Just pretty much sitting here and waiting, and also today, no, it's already 7:00, 8:00? Nothing to do later.

Q. You said you hope to play on Ashe Stadium. What do you like about Ashe Stadium the most compared to maybe other courts where you do get a nice response from, especially Grandstand?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Yeah, I think the match, if I play against Sloane, it's Ashe because of last year. And also it's great support there. It's so loud. So many people.

I was watching Nadal/Khachanov a couple of days ago, and it was amazing. Just to watch it as a spectator, sitting up there, how the crowd goes, how loud it is.

Yeah, it's one of the best for the sport here.

Q. You were up in the upper bowl of the stadium?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Yeah.

Q. What was it like seeing tennis from that high up?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: It's different. A bit different. It looks faster. Yeah, still, you can see the replays on the screens. People are walking. People are eating. It's loud. But they are cheering so much, yeah, like when Rafa was, like, pumping.

Q. Do you do that a lot? Do you watch tennis from the stands at tournaments?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Here I watch it a lot because here we watched also opening ceremony.

Q. Are you a Kelly Clarkson fan?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I like her, some songs, yeah. It was cool. Also yesterday we watched that opening ceremony and Sharapova/Halep match. I think it shows how the atmosphere here, how the Americans, yeah, show respect for the sport. They come here and watch. It's full and it's, like, huge stadium. It's amazing.

Q. So the louder the better for you, specifically?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I mean, there are some points when it's too loud, also. But I think I don't care. I think it's better to play in the full stadium than empty stadium, yeah.

Q. Have you watched much of Serena here this year?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: Yesterday I watched -- not yesterday. Two days ago against Venus.

Q. What do you think of her level here so far?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I think it's pretty good level. It's a very good level. Yeah. Nothing else to say.

Q. Did you bring your Yankees hat this year?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I lost it. I lost it.

Q. I think they probably sell them somewhere around?
ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA: I tried them on and then I didn't like it. So I was, like, What else can I wear? I didn't find anything.

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