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QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 12, 2019

Lesia Tsurenko

Doha, Qatar

L. TSURENKO/L. Arruabarrena

6-3, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just take me through the match today? I think you found out sort of last minute who you were going to play. How did that shake out for you?
LESIA TSURENKO: Yeah, it was surprising for me. I didn't expect, actually. Then Lara just came into the physio room and she said, I'm playing against you. I said, Okay.

Anything can happen in the tennis world. I don't know. I was prepared because I know her well. We have played many times I think in the past, and I won most of the matches, but last year she beat me in Indian Wells, so her game wasn't a surprise for me. I'm really happy that I was able to win today, especially in these conditions.

Q. Still, you were preparing to play Caroline, who is such a different opponent from Lara.
LESIA TSURENKO: Yes.

Q. How did you make those adjustments? Did that make the first set a little bit more tricky for you?
LESIA TSURENKO: First of all, I know her well because of number of matches that we played before, and when I went on court, I saw how windy it is, and I said, like, Okay, that's going to be the toughest part, to play very focused and to play smart. Because sometimes with these conditions, you just have to decide last moment what you want to do with the ball and adjust your footwork and your racquet head. So, yeah, it was tough and at the same time it was funny to play.

Q. Besides that, what did you make of the court conditions out there? How do you feel like this particular surface matches up with your game?
LESIA TSURENKO: It's a hard court, so I like hard courts, I think, the most. And for me it's always comfortable for me to play on the hard courts. I would say that I have to adjust my game more to the grass court or to the clay court.

So, yeah, I just feel comfortable to play on this surface. And the conditions here in general are great. We can practice, we have many courts, and I was here for few days to get ready, so, yeah, I really enjoy being here.

Q. You have Simona next. I'm curious about your thoughts on that match. You played for the first time in a while last summer. Maybe what you learned from that meeting.
LESIA TSURENKO: She's one of the best players in the world, and she's just -- her movement is unbelievable, but I think we will get some long rallies tomorrow. But this is also what I like, and I would be still trying to improve my game.

Every match like this against tough opponent is a good challenge for me, and I excited and looking forward to play this game.

Q. When you played Simona at Wimbledon a few years ago, you challenged a ball, and it's on YouTube where it seems like maybe you didn't mean to challenge that particular shot. Can you talk me through that one? Because I don't really understand how that happened.
LESIA TSURENKO: I don't really remember what happened, but I just remember that I asked for challenge, and I think they challenged the wrong ball. It was serve and return, so I think I asked for return and they challenged the serve. I don't remember. Yeah, it was a funny challenge.

Q. Going back to last week, you played Fed Cup and you got to play with some of your teammates. What was that experience like for you?
LESIA TSURENKO: We had great atmosphere in the Ukrainian team. Unfortunately we didn't make it, we didn't win this group competition. But in general, I'm really happy with the relationship in the team. We had so much fun together.

I really believe that one day the team like Ukraine will have great success in Fed Cup just because, yeah, like I said, we just like being together. We have great atmosphere. Hopefully we will have good success.

Q. Dayana won a second title in Hua Hin right before Fed Cup. What do you make of her improvements over the last few weeks or months, and what do you make of her as a player and a person?
LESIA TSURENKO: First of all, she's so confident in every shot. I think she became more patient on court. She makes less mistakes.

Her game is just amazing. Her mindset is so good. She's always focused. She's always ready to do some winners. She goes for the winners, and I think this is what makes her game so good, because she's not -- she doesn't afraid to play and to make winners and to play aggressive. This is what I really like about her and her game.

For me, everyone is like a good lesson, a good example, and I was looking at her and I was, like, Brava, you're doing great thing. She's, like, a good teacher for me. I would also like to have the same mindset on every ball that I can do a winner, I just go and do it.

Q. Finally, in Doha, is there anything in particular you like to do when you're in this city?
LESIA TSURENKO: Not really. I just really enjoy staying at the amazing hotel. I really like the fact that we have many courts here and I can practice for as many hours as I want.

So, in general, I like to play tennis, so for me it's very important to have this chance to practice as more as I can. Of course just to stay at the hotel and just to walk around, it's a beautiful hotel. It's a nice area with beach. I don't know. It's sunny. It's beautiful here.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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