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U.S. OPEN

August 30, 2018

Lesia Tsurenko

New York, NY, USA

L. TSURENKO/C. Wozniacki

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. This is your second top-10 win in three weeks. How are you feeling about your game? How happy are you with today's win?
LESIA TSURENKO: I actually think that my win against Garbine Muguruza in Cincinnati and some victories there gave me the confidence that I can play well. I was here early. I prepared well. I got many sessions with my coach and also with the other players playing points. I think I was completely ready for this tournament.

Plus I took that confidence from the Cincinnati tournament. I finally feel good with my lower back. I had issues in Montreal and Cincinnati. So I feel really good.

Q. Caroline seemed pretty wary about your game, talking about your backhand, tonight saying like you were playing her game. What was your game plan going in?
LESIA TSURENKO: That was actually the game plan: to play consistent, to play patient, to choose the good ball to attack and maybe to go for a volley or just to play a winner.

I think it was a good game plan. It worked today. I was really brave I think today. I was going for many balls just to play faster than, like, 90% of the point.

Q. What was going on with your right arm?
LESIA TSURENKO: Yeah, I got this pain in the first match, first round here. It was not bothering me during today's warmup. Honestly, I just forgot about it.

When I went on court and I made few serves full power, I felt the sharp pain. I was so tight that I made double-faults. After that I just decided I will not go for flat serves any more. I was just doing slice serve, not trying to serve my best, just to put the ball in and to start the point.

For now, it worked, but I think I will have a lot of treatment on it and hopefully I will make some flat and maybe some aces next match.

Q. Was it your forearm or elbow?
LESIA TSURENKO: It's a forearm, yes. It's a muscle. It was just a very sharp pain on the rotation.

Q. Have you changed your forehand a lot in the last few years?
LESIA TSURENKO: Yeah, it actually changed a lot. I changed the grip. I did it with my ex-coach. We actually worked mostly on my forehand because I think that on the days like this, hopefully I will play more and more forehands, it's a good weapon. I think I can do many things with that forehand. I can play flat and I can play with a spin and I can also attack.

This is actually my favorite shot now. I would be happy to use it as more as I can and to play aggressive with it.

Q. What did you make of the conditions?
LESIA TSURENKO: Today was a funny day because I had a nice warmup in the morning, but then I was stuck in the traffic. I was late for my warmup. I was just hitting on Armstrong for 15 minutes, then they started the men's match. So I went to serve on the P court. At least I tried a little bit. Of course, I like the court so much, it's not so big as Ashe Stadium, but still very noisy.

It was so humid today, like my towels are completely wet. It was really tough to hold the racquet. But I think the weather will be better. Maybe rain tomorrow, but not so hot as first round match. It was really hot on first match.

Q. Was that another case of the humidity of Acapulco helping you out?
LESIA TSURENKO: Yes, I have a good experience of playing night matches with the high humidity because of two titles in Acapulco actually.

Q. To a lot of tennis American fans you're most famous for olive oil because you're on TV all the time. How much did olive oil contribute to tonight's victory?
LESIA TSURENKO: I don't know. They support me a lot, so thanks them.

Q. Next up you have Siniakova. What are your thoughts?
LESIA TSURENKO: I actually practiced with her right before the beginning of the tournament. I've never played match against her, I think. She's playing really flat. She's trying to be really aggressive on court. It will be a different game, for sure, than we had today.

I'm sure that I can play in many ways. I will think more about it in two days.

Q. Do you have an idea of how you'll spend the next period of time?
LESIA TSURENKO: For sure some light practice tomorrow, hopefully no rain. It's always nice to go on court and to hit some balls for one hour, just to enjoy it. Then maximum of rest, recovery, treatment, mental rest also. And warm up before match, of course.

Q. Traffic notwithstanding.
LESIA TSURENKO: No traffic, please.

Q. Oh Olga Savchuk played her last match today. What are your thoughts on her?
LESIA TSURENKO: Olga is probably the most funny person on tour. She's always in a good mood. She's always ready to speak. It's very nice. I said many times in general Ukrainian tennis team is really nice. We have a lot of fun together playing Fed Cup.

But Olga is someone who is really special on our team. She been in the team for many years. I think she's one of my first friends on tour. When I just arrived here, I didn't know many people. She was one of the first that kind of became my friend.

So, yeah, she's very special in my heart, in my tennis career, and I think she's very special person for Ukrainian tennis, for Fed Cup team. We'll see, maybe in future I've heard maybe she can in some way stay with the team, but I don't know. I think she will. Maybe we'll see what she's going to do in the future.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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