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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 20, 2019

Hsieh Su-Wei

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

HSIEH SU-WEI/A. Kerber

5-7, 6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You played such a tough match against Angie last year in Australia. How vindicating was it to get the win today?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I know we're going to run a lot on the court. Just before the match, I was ready on my mental. It was good I do something to be ready.

Q. How did you actually win the match?
HSIEH SU-WEI: How did I win? I try very hard. The first two set we both try super hard, so it was very close. Final set I do little bit more. I feel more relaxed in the final set, so I gained the match pretty well.

Q. What is it about the matchup with Angelique that creates these matches? Whenever you play Kerber, you play a very exciting match, three sets.
HSIEH SU-WEI: Yes, because you know she defense-ing very well. I was talking about her at Australian Open. I say, Where is she training for her fitness? I want to go to her academy. She's moving so well. Even she's running. She can swing the ball. This is amazing. I need to get all these skill, yes.

Q. What is so special about your game that you could get past her today?
HSIEH SU-WEI: My game? Su-Wei style: anything can happen on court (smiling).

Q. Did you sense she was playing differently, better or worse, this time around than last year?
HSIEH SU-WEI: She still very tough on the court because she can catch any ball. Even some dropshot. Once you don't feeling you're going somewhere good, she catch it, she give you a hard time. You always need to be really positive on the court and you need to try very hard.

A few game I was thinking, Maybe I hit the ball pretty well, but I want to be little bit safe. She come in, smash on you. It's quite tough.

Q. Did you like being on Court 1 as opposed to Center?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I'm happy on any court.

Q. What did you make of the atmosphere?
HSIEH SU-WEI: For me, it's no big deal. I just need to try to play my game and be happy on the court, be positive.

Q. Does it help you that you've also been here, then getting used to the climate? Does that also help?
HSIEH SU-WEI: You mean Court 1?

Q. No. Being in Dubai often, like maybe from year before last, last year. Does that help?
HSIEH SU-WEI: You know, I don't really win a lot of match before. Every time I come, I win a match, I was like, Oh, yeah, I win a match. I'm excited. I'm not like winning a lot before.

Q. Having someone like Naomi Osaka from Asia, how much of a sort of confidence boost is it to you and to peers from the region?
HSIEH SU-WEI: Naomi is very special. We have a few girls also very good. They all show their Asian style. Can be pretty good on the top in the tennis level. It give a lot of confidence over young girls.

I hope more Asian player can doing better and better and get the tennis level more higher, would be perfect. Naomi is already very top. I think should be more girls looking at her and trying to work super hard.

Q. What is this Asian style?
HSIEH SU-WEI: The Asian style?

Q. Yes.
HSIEH SU-WEI: It's different. Asian, like Japanese, run a lot, can training, no mistake. When they practice, they are very good. They are chasing no mistake. They go for every shot.

Nara Kurumi, she was making very high-percentage return, to put a ball in and win the point on her return. That mean Asian girl can do a lot of stuff. Excited to see that. I hope more young girls coming up with new stuff.

Q. Do you wish you were born a little earlier, to be with Naomi?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I don't think too much. She have more power. She's more young. So with my age and my style, we are different player.

Of course, the way she play, it give me some idea to thinking about my game. It's happy to see she doing well. She play like very solid backhand, but she also very powerful. It give me a lot of idea.

Q. Would you ever teach someone to play tennis the way that you play?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I think I would be pretty tough coach (smiling).

Q. After playing so well last year, what were some of your goals for this year?
HSIEH SU-WEI: Sometime play one year pretty good, next year I could be not so good. I was like, Hmm, this year I should be little bit more relax and try to keep my ranking not too bad, try to fight really hard on the court.

I think at moment I'm doing pretty good. I don't want to put any pressure. Enjoy the tennis. I will try to enjoy more.

Q. Did you do anything different in the off-season or just this mental shift?
HSIEH SU-WEI: Off-season? I was trying the coach in France. Then I went back to Taiwan to get the heat. Then I went to Australia to have one week to get real Australian heat. It was working pretty good. I was feeling no problem starting the tournament. I think I'm doing pretty good.

Q. Both Sevastova and Kerber are pretty good strategic players. You made them look less strategic. Some people say, She's crazy, so fun, say more stuff about you. As unemotional as you seem on the court, loose serve, explain how you feel from the inside.
HSIEH SU-WEI: Sometime when I was winning, I feel little bit more difficult on the court, of course, because the girl is really tough. They're very good. They will give you some pressure. Okay, whatever, I just go there, swing the ball. If I win, I win. If I lose, it's okay.

Q. Would you consider yourself as different off-court, a bit crazy?
HSIEH SU-WEI: Depends. Depends. I have a girlfriend before, then when we were both separate, we are pretty normal. When we both are together, we are creating a lot of problem on the court. So depends the people.

Q. Are you training in France then now?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I try, yes.

Q. Where in France?
HSIEH SU-WEI: The National Tennis Center. They have a lot of indoor court. I want to try to practice indoor court little bit more to get my skin little bit whiter and protect my skin, as well.

Q. How is your French? Getting better? Food, all that?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I know more restaurant now. My French is not improving too much. Two days ago I'm trying to learn Monday to Sunday, so...

Q. What is your favorite surface?
HSIEH SU-WEI: I like all the surface because on the grass sometime you don't want to go full power. I can put the ball more lower. I just do slice, slice, dropshot, go to the net little bit. It was quite fun.

On the clay court, you have a different game because is more slower so you need to run a lot. You need to see the ball to make other girl run.

Hard court, you can play bang-bang, slice, lob, all the stuff. For me, is really fun for all the court.

Q. Do you think there should be more players like you, playing different style, variety?
HSIEH SU-WEI: Always good to see more different style play on the tour because they give more fun. When we play against them, we feel more fun. You don't want to play the same girl, only do slice, hit the big ball. It's boring for the fans, for me also.

I love to play all the different kind of girls. Even I get killed on the court, I say, Is not my day, but she play so good, I learn her skill. Great to see all these girl doing good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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