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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 15, 2019

Bianca Andreescu

Indian Wells, California

B. ANDREESCU/E. Svitolina

6-3, 2-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What's the overwhelming emotion at the moment?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I'm actually shaking right now. It's just so incredible. I'm honestly speechless, speechless.

Q. So this is going to be a quick...
BIANCA ANDREESCU: No, don't worry, guys. I just need a second. Okay. I'm ready.

Q. The final set, struggling with cramp, up and down. It was very fine margins at the end. Can you talk us through a little bit of that?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, this match had a little bit of up and downs. I started a bit slow and then I picked it up after 3-Love, thank God. Svitolina took control of the second set. I started missing more. Then in the third set I kept my composure, at least tried to. I pumped myself up.

I went for it. Like I always say, I went for my shots. I think crucial game was when I was down 40-Love on my serve, I was really, really happy I got that game. Then again, at 5-4, I was down 40-15, as well. It was so many emotions going through my head.

I had, like, I think four or five match points. So it was a crazy match. It was a roller coaster. I'm really happy I pulled through. Yeah.

Q. You talked about your composure. Talk about it at the end there, how you managed to keep it together. You don't have a ton of experience at this level, trying to close out a match.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, for sure. Like I said, I think the cramping was because I was so stressed out with everything.

But I have had many moments like this in the past, playing challenger events, juniors. So I had a good feel of how to deal with it. I just -- breathing really helps for me, so I took a lot of deep breaths and I tried not to get mad at myself. It really worked.

Q. Do you believe in ice baths?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yes, I just took one, a good 20 minutes. Yeah, I think it really helps for recovery.

Q. Thinking of playing the finals, last year at this point you were playing some ITF 25K tournament in Japan?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, it's a big jump, big jump from what has happened a year ago.

Q. Do you remember any particular things from last year, and how do you see this huge jump-up?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: That tournament, I was actually struggling a lot with my tennis. I was losing matches a year ago, and I wasn't really in a good spot.

But I worked around it. I learned a lot from all those experiences. I don't necessarily think it's anything bad. I just tried to gain as much experience as I can from those situations, and everything that I have learned in the past couple years I have implemented and I keep implementing.

I don't know really how to answer this question differently, so I'm just going to say what I always say. Meditation is one big thing that I have been doing that's really been helping me stay focused and positive.

And also, all the work I put in on the court with my coaches, all the things I do for recovery is really important for me, and right now I think I'm in the best shape I have ever been. I'm healthy.

So hopefully I can be like this for a while now, because next week you never know what's going to happen. I don't want to take advantage of anything, and, yeah.

Q. You mentioned meditation on court. You mentioned meditation again. Can you talk a little bit more in detail about that, what time of day do you do it, how long do you do it? Is it part of some yogic thing? What is it?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I don't really want to go into so much detail. It's also a secret of mine.

I'll just say this: I do creative visualization techniques in the morning. It's only 15 minutes. I used to do hours and hours of it, but I found that 15 minutes has really helped me, and it's not time-consuming at all.

What else can I say about it?

Q. Do you have a teacher who helps you with this, or instructor?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: It's something I got online from a course. My mom introduced it to me when I was 13, and I have been doing it ever since.

Q. Do you think that having a day off tomorrow is going to help you or make you more nervous for the final?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: No, it's definitely going to help (smiling). This match was very physically and mentally enduring. I think it's definitely going to help me relax and just enjoy my time here at Indian Wells.

Q. Before you look ahead too much to the final, when you're in this moment right now and look back over the past week and a half, what is one moment that when you tell this story years from now about this first run to a final that you think really stands out to you, whether it was from today's match or any match this week.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. I actually thought I was going to lose my first round, because I started off really, really slow. I was really nervous. I have never played at Indian Wells before on such a big stadium. I played on Stadium 2. I was pretty nervous.

Somehow I just -- I came back in that first set. It gave me confidence. And then I started off well in the second set. I ended up winning that match. But I really didn't think I was going to win that match.

And physically, actually, my back was hurting a bit that match, too. So I was really, really lucky it held.

Q. Have you thought about that at other points in this tournament, that you made it through that first set and survived? Have you drawn from that this week?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, I have thought about it a couple of times, actually. I learned a lot from that match, and I have been implementing what I have learned throughout this whole tournament.

Q. Do you have a family member who travels with you?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Not all the time. My parents come usually at big tournaments like the Grand Slams. They're actually coming next week to Miami.

Q. So they are watching it on TV now?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: They actually flew in tonight from Toronto to Miami, and they got Wi-Fi and they watched it on the plane (smiling).

They always watch my matches, even when I was in Australia, they were in the Australian time zone, like, all the time, the whole two weeks.

Q. So what's the plan for tomorrow? I won't stalk you, I promise.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: What's the plan?

Q. For tomorrow, yeah.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Well, I didn't get a chance to watch the match tonight, so I'll probably rewatch some highlights on YouTube, practice an hour, do a very good recovery, eat well, and just hang out with my team, watch some Netflix.

Q. Are you the kind of person that watches tennis when you don't have to?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: No, I try -- not really. If there is a really good match on TV I'll watch it, but it's usually before I play someone that I'll study them on YouTube.

Q. It could be a decent match tomorrow afternoon.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Oh, my gosh, yeah. That, I'll definitely watch. I might even watch in the stands. It's going to be crazy.

Q. Can you look ahead to the final and discuss about playing each player individually? Kerber first, and then talk about the potential of Bencic, as well, please.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yes. I have watched both of them play many, many times. Kerber is an incredible fighter. She redirects her shots. Like, she can hit any shot at any time in any specific place whenever she wants. She has a pretty decent serve. She's a good mover, great fighter.

And Bencic is the same. I feel like they kind of have a similar game style. She likes to redirect balls. An incredible fighter.

I think the other day or yesterday she said in an interview that she never has trouble in the third set physically. She's able to keep her level throughout the whole match. So I'm sure whoever I play is going to be a very tough match.

Q. What do you think you learned tonight from Svitolina?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I didn't get a chance to talk to my coach about this or to re-evaluate the match at all, but...

Q. Just watching her.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Watching?

Q. Being on court with her.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Oh, yeah. Doesn't matter the score. She's always on the ball. She's very composed. She never shows any negative emotion.

She fires herself up when she needs to. She plays big points the way you should play big points. She's very precise with her shots. It was a pleasure to share the court with her.

Q. A question about your game and the variety. At one point you hit a moonball, then a flat one, then a slice consecutively. Is that intuition or is that a pattern you practice?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Ever since I was little, I was always changing the pace. I think I was just getting bored on the court so I was just trying everything, and it's been working ever since. I have been practicing it, and it's obviously throwing off a lot of players.

Q. This tournament proved to be a big launching pad for Naomi last year. Do you feel like this could be your launching point?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think so. This is my first-ever -- or second, actually, premier event, and I'm in the final. So it's definitely a starting point.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about you and Felix sort of -- obviously you made the final. He had a couple great matches here. Talk a little bit about, like, what you think the program is in Canada that's able to produce such, at least in this moment, such great young talent.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, Tennis Canada has done so much for their players. Win or lose, they treat you the same. We have great facilities in Montreal and in Toronto.

I train at both places. The people that work there are very knowledgeable and very friendly. It's like we're one big happy family. We don't have too many players, which is nice, because the coaches can work with them on specific things a lot of the time.

Yeah, and it's so great seeing Felix and Denis and all of Canada, Milos, Gabby, playing so well and winning. I have played so many tournaments with Felix and Denis during juniors. It's crazy to think we are at this level already at the age of 18 and 19.

So it's really great. It's been great.

Q. Do you recall at what age you knew you wanted to be a professional tennis player, approximately?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: It was when I won the Les Petits As tournament in France. It really gave me a taste of what the tour felt like. Because after matches, you would sign autographs, you would give interviews, and the stadium court was actually really big and a lot of people came and watched.

I loved every moment out there. I love playing in big stages and being an inspiration for others. It really gives me another purpose to play the sport.

So that was at the age of 13 maybe? Okay.

Q. Just a quick question. There has only been two wildcards that have made the semifinals here before you, which was Serena in 2015 and Martina Hingis in 2006. You're the first wildcard to ever make the final here. Thoughts?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I did not know that. Thoughts? So many thoughts. It's incredible, really.

Another goal of mine was to make history and I just did. It's incredible (smiling).

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