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ROGERS CUP

August 5, 2019

Belinda Bencic

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

B. BENCIC/A. Potapova

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Last time you were in Toronto you played Serena in that semifinal match. Probably one of the biggest wins of your career at that time. What do you remember about that match? Is there anything specifically you remember? Because I think you were down a break in the second set, but is there anything specific that you learned from that match?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I obviously remember everything. It feels like it was yesterday, actually. And, yeah, for sure this is a match that I will always remember. I will never forget. I actually know all the details and stuff, and it's pretty crazy. But for sure my biggest one.

Q. That was a pretty solid win in your return to Toronto. How did everything feel out there?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I felt great. It's so nice to be back, really. Actually, it feels like yesterday so, first of all, that's really nice. On court, I feel very good with the conditions and everything.

Today was a great match for me. I think I played smart. And, yeah, I'm just excited I won the first round and I can have another chance to play another match.

Q. What has your training been like since Wimbledon, getting ready for the hard court season, and do you feel like you're going to go into this section of the season refreshed at all? I don't know if you got a chance to unwind and get ready.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I was not training at all. I was just doing holidays (smiling). No, I was having some time off, actually, after Wimbledon so that was pretty nice. Yeah, I didn't even go anywhere. I just stayed home, which was very relaxing. And then I practiced a week at home. And we came here pretty early. We was here on Tuesday already.

So, yeah, and I'm feeling very good on hard courts. Obviously grass is my favorite surface, but I have no problem playing on hard courts.

So, yeah, and I feel very strong and refreshed.

Q. And given how good your first three months were on the hard courts, I mean, how do you assess your clay and grass season, and what is kind of the mindset going and now returning onto hard court?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, I think in general my season has been going great, better than expected, really. And now, of course, my goals, you know, are definitely to keep going like this and to end up in the top eight.

And, yeah, I just want to keep going like I played on the hard courts, like I played on the clay. You know, my game is not really changing a lot. The surface has to adapt to me. No, I'm kidding (laughing).

But, yeah, I'm just feeling good with my game and feeling that I'm improving every match.

Q. What has been the key to your aggression when you're struggling in those late stages of the matches that I have seen in hard courts? What goes through your mind to pick yourself up and get yourself to absolutely win the match by any means?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I always try to remind myself, like, 5-1, it doesn't mean anything. It can be so fast in tennis. You lose one, two games, you get nervous, the opponent plays some good shots. It just turns around really quickly.

So I'm really trying on focusing on every point till the end. And, yeah, that's what I did today. And I definitely have to keep the intensity up even if it's, like, set and 5-1.

Q. Specifically back to that match against Serena, 2015, you said you will forever remember the details of that match. Did you learn something about yourself that day, the character or the will that you have? Anything that you felt that she maybe brought out of you?
BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, no. I feel like I proved it to myself again that I can really -- that I am mentally strong. I think, you know, beating Serena, it's not about the tennis. It's about being mentally strong, because she's -- yeah, even if you're leading, you just have her in her head all the time. So I feel like I did that.

And, I mean, I always knew I had very strong will and that I was fighting. So I think I just prove it on the, like, biggest stage.

Q. What do you look for in a practice partner, like a fellow player practice partner, and who are your favorite players to practice with?
BELINDA BENCIC: Good question. What I look for is rhythm. Definitely I don't like to practice with people that, you know, like, hit the heck out of the ball and you have no rallies. So I think rallies is important.

My favorite warmup partner is Sofia Kenin, actually. It was after Mallorca that we flew together. We went to Eastbourne. We played the same time. So we, like, did everything together. We warmed up and everything. So since then we're warmup partners.

So favorite people to practice? There's a lot. I like to practice with Angie Kerber. That's always great.

I don't know. I don't know who else. I hope they like to practice with me. (Smiling.)

Q. Your name comes up.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I will come up with some names.

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