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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 23, 2018

Kiki Bertens

Kallang, Singapore

K. BERTENS/A. Kerber

1-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was going through your mind at the beginning of the second set and how were you able to turn it around?
KIKI BERTENS: Honestly, beginning of the second was just like hopefully I can get a few more games. I was really like playing not good, stressing a little bit too much, thinking about playing bad.

Yeah, that was it. Then I had a chat with Raemon. Our tactics were not like really working at that moment. He was, like, Okay, then just try to turn this around, try to play more aggressive, go for your shots, and then we see.

Yeah, that went a little better from there on.

Q. You were fist pumping a lot. How is your arm?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, it was great. I was fist pumping so much that I got some cramps in the arm. Maybe not great, but it was just really exciting to win this match. I think there was a lot of stress during the match, so maybe not too good for the body.

Tomorrow is a day to recover, so that's great. And then I will be ready again on Wednesday.

Q. What were the tactics that you and Raemon discussed going into the match? At what point did you finally kind of decide, yeah, maybe we throw that out and go do something else?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, like before the match it was like the plan to just, like, try to play aggressive where I can but not rush too much. So just try to play the rally and see how it goes.

Then I called him already in the first set. And then more the plan was just hang in there, try to be tough, just play some more rallies and then see. But I was making so many mistakes, so that didn't work out.

And then, like, the third one finally worked better. And that was like to play more aggressive and go for my shots.

Q. Third set, a lot of breaks of serve, and you were consistently ahead, but it kept getting pegged back. So I assume in the third set the stress changes compared to what you were feeling in the beginning, so how did you get through that?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, it was really tough. I think the turnaround was really good in the second set, playing some better tennis, more aggressive. Also the serve was a little bit better.

Then in the third set, I started good with the breaker. Then she broke me, and then I had some game points on my serve but didn't make them, a few more errors there. Yeah, then you feel like every game is really close, but still in her service games I tried to play aggressive. At the end, I just went for my serve, and sometimes it went in and sometimes not.

Q. Can you talk about kind of what the day was like getting ready for this match? Because, you know, you're playing the top seed. It's your first time here. You have never been out on the court to play a competition match. How nerve-wracking was it when you were walking out on court?
KIKI BERTENS: I would say already a little bit before the match I was a little bit stressed. Like I was just hoping that I could play a good match, that I was going to -- well, maybe not enjoy but play a good match. I think that was it.

That was what I was really hoping for. And then when you have a start like this, it's really tough. I just said to myself at one point, like, This cannot be worse than it is right now. So just try to focus, try to play better. Yeah, at the end, it was a good day with the win.

Q. What does this win mean to you?
KIKI BERTENS: Hopefully for the next match I can go out there, play a little bit more like how I want to play, feel a little bit better on court from the beginning, not stressing too much, not thinking about too much about how to hit my shots, and, yeah, I think just go out there and try to play my game.

Q. You've got Sloane next. Just some thoughts about that. She beat you five years ago, but she can't remember. Can you remember that encounter?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, I think we played in Rome. Is that correct? Yeah. So I remember that one, yeah. I don't remember the match at all, honestly, but I remember that I lost.

Yeah, not a great feeling. But, no, it's so long ago, so I think like in this group, which I like, I haven't played Sloane for a few years also. Naomi I played like only three or two years ago once, so I think it's nice to just face some different opponents now.

Q. Getting the win today, especially the way that you did, is there any sense of wanting to prove to people, I belong here, I'm supposed to be here? Do any of those sorts of thoughts go through your head?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, really like in the beginning when you play like this, I was really thinking, okay, do I belong here? I'm playing so bad and all that kind of stuff.

Also like to change my tactics so much, to just start playing more aggressive like what I did, that's not really like how I normally play, like how I normally play my matches, so I think that's one thing I can be really proud of today, that I turned that match around, that I played more aggressive, going a little bit out of my comfort zone and to get a win.

So I do everything to win here, and that's what we're gonna do for the next match, and hopefully I feel good then.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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