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ROGERS CUP

August 7, 2019

Belinda Bencic

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

B. BENCIC/J. Goerges

5-7, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What happened between you and Julia when you guys hugged it out at the end, but then you guys just had the emotions during the match at the beginning of the third set and then she was getting heckled by a fan and were you getting heckled by that fan? What in the world happened during that whole drama?
BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, yeah, it's been a crazy match. We both really wanted to win so we were both fighting for ourselves.

But, no, in the end, I just told her because she thought I was saying "Come on" at her when she fell down, but actually I played a shot, I saw the winner, and then I turned around, then saw that she's on the ground and went there. So I just explained to her that I didn't mean, you know, to shout at her falling down.

But, you know, it's all good. I like it like this. It's a girls' thing now. We can really talk about it and then everything is good.

And obviously, we were just both fighting. We were unhappy with the, I don't know, the fan and the referee. So we just had to put it out.

But I think it was a good fight.

Q. Did the fan heckle you too?
BELINDA BENCIC: Actually, no. I was just more bothered by just some people were, yeah, not interested in watching our match and more about chatting with themselves.

But, no, I don't know what the fan said to her. I just saw that it was something happening.

Q. What was interesting was how you were able to deal with her serve, how well she was serving in the first set, and avoiding her serve and forehand and trying to just take the time away from her. Were you satisfied with how you were able to get through what she was throwing, like, at her best and be able to get the second win against her?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, exactly. That's why she's such a tricky player to play and not very comfortable for me to play against her because definitely it's not nice. I cannot say if I play good or bad because that doesn't matter. You really just have to -- you know, either you match her serving or you don't.

So I felt more pressure on my serve. I had to go for more on the second serve. That's why I did more double faults, but I think it was the right tactic to do.

Yeah, on her serve there's nothing I can do, just try to change positions, put her under pressure, just try to put the returns in the court.

And in the end, I'm happy it worked.

Q. How big was the saving of the break points in that second set and how do you think that that was kind of the key, those were the five key moments of that match in terms of being able to keep that close?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I think very important. I didn't think I could turn around this game, but really shows 40-Love doesn't mean anything. Yeah, especially then I had break points again at 3-1, 40-Love, but she came up with some amazing serves, so there was nothing I could do.

But definitely a key moment to put her under pressure this set, and also good that she didn't feel too comfortable serving against me.

So even though I didn't win the game, I felt like she knew she had to, you know, bring the serves.

Q. Can you talk about the pressure or the expectation it is to come back to a tournament after winning it and a couple years later you won it here a while ago? What's it like to come back and kind of see that you've had success and kind of repeat that success in the future?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't feel any pressure at all because it's been four years, and a lot have happened in that four years.

Definitely I'm not feeling any pressure. I think it would be a little bit different if I won the tournament last year or something. But still, yeah, I just -- really I'm enjoying to be back.

But there's definitely, you know, bigger favorites than me still for the win of this tournament like last time.

So I'm definitely enjoying being in the third round, and we'll see where the path takes me.

Q. You seem to have the luck of the draw of having these enduring matches time and again. And yet tomorrow you're going to have another solid match against Elina Svitolina who you have done it with twice. What fuels you to go that far into a match like that?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, I think tomorrow is going to be total opposite match like today. I think tomorrow is going to be a lot of rallies, a lot of shots and, yeah, not just serving.

And definitely -- I don't know. I just feel very fit and that's what keeps me alive in those long matches. And today I didn't feel tired at all. I think it was more about the mental part of today than the physical part.

Q. You said that there are other favorites that are more favored to win than you. But that being said, you had an incredible hard court season and you won Dubai and you lead the tour in top 10 wins. Do you not feel like a favorite for this title?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, no. Like, don't get me wrong. I definitely feel like I can win, but it's not like I have to win, like, I'm the only person that can win this tournament. I mean, first of all, in the WTA right now, there's just anybody in the draw that can win.

I just said it because I don't feel the pressure, you know, to feel like a defending champion because I'm not anymore. It's been four years. (Smiling.)

But definitely I do feel great here and feel good on these courts, and I definitely feel like I can win, but anybody can win.

Q. And one thing that makes you feel that is that you enjoy Chipotle and you love it so much. Were you excited that you were able to get back and see Chipotle here and what is your favorite thing from there?
BELINDA BENCIC: I'm so excited. I didn't remember, actually, last time if there was one here in Canada or not. That's why I tweeted it.

But it's definitely my favorite food when I come back to, I mean, U.S. or here. So I'm always actually getting the bowl with brown rice and a lot of guac, but that's when I'm on a diet or during the tournament. And if not, I'm taking the burrito, of course.

Q. Just looking ahead to the match with Svitolina, you have played her twice and both times it's been long battles. What is it about your game that matches up so well with her? Because I think you've won both of those matches; right?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, we will see tomorrow, yeah. It's definitely -- we will see tomorrow if my game matches up well with her. I just think really she's a very solid player, which always shows consistent results, and, of course, that is very good for her.

And I don't know. I will just try to play my game. I think I'm more comfortable with people that actually try to start the rally than just really go for winners and aces.

So we will see tomorrow.

Q. Ash was saying that she found the courts here very lively, like big bounces, ball kind of coming off the strings. For her it was very difficult to adjust to it given the courts that she's been training on in Australia. Given your success here in Toronto on these courts, what do you like about the way the ball moves on this court and what do you think it feeds into your game?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, I think, first of all, I like faster conditions, so definitely the courts are more fast here. I actually don't think it bounces that high. Okay, yeah, sometimes when you kick it or something for sure. I actually don't think it's the court. I think it's the balls that fly a little bit more.

But for me personally, I like it more than Cincinnati where the conditions are more heavy and kind of like slower and more spinnier.

So, yeah, I like it more here if it's a little bit faster.

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