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US OPEN

September 1, 2019

Ashleigh Barty

New York, NY, USA

WANG QIANG/A. Barty

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You played a pretty tough opponent today. How did it feel out there?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, Q was very good, very solid. I felt like she was able to put the ball with great depth in difficult positions for me. I still was able to create opportunities. Just very frustrating that on the big points today, Q played a lot better.

I think, I mean, I probably had, what, nine or 10 breakpoints, wasn't able to even get one of them, which is really frustrating.

Q. How do you reflect on your Grand Slam season in singles?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: It's been incredible. Yeah, I mean, it's a tough day at the office today. But it's been a year where we've hit our goals. Obviously I would have loved to have kept going here in singles, but we've got an opportunity to do that in doubles.

Knowing what it was like last year to be able to lift the trophy in doubles was really cool. To be able to have another opportunity to do that now, still being able to play in doubles, is a bonus.

We've had a great season in Grand Slams for singles. We've made the second week every single one, which has been really special. Now we'll sit back, reflect, and look forward to a big couple months to finish off the year.

Q. The thing I was seeing for you is not to be as aggressive as you could have been on some of the breakpoints. Coming to the net worked out a lot more. I know the backhand wasn't feeling as well. Is there something you can pinpoint that was to you the factor that wasn't there today?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I think I probably missed maybe on the slice in particular half a dozen in a standard rally ball where they just float along, just clip the tape. Yeah, that's frustrating with things like that. It's not missing by massive margins.

There were times where I pressed, and I did miss by big margins. Q also forced me to do that with her depth, her depth control a lot of the time.

Frustrating on some of the breakpoints I wasn't able to get balls that I wanted. The first one I had in the first set, I had a forehand. Pushed it wide for an off forehand by a couple of feet. I win that game or I hold a couple of those 40-15 games where I should have held my own serve, could be different story.

But now is not really a time for what ifs. It is what it is. We just keep chipping away for the next one.

Q. Is it hard after one of those, where you have to back it up again in doubles, do you have to reset or...
ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, that's fine. Look, yeah, it's frustrating now. Again, give me an hour and I'll be right. It's an opportunity, it's a new day tomorrow.

Just because we've had a tough hour and a half on the court, it doesn't reflect on the year that I've had or the couple of weeks I've had here in New York.

It's still going. Still have an opportunity to try to do well with Vika tomorrow.

Q. What are your thoughts of the post-match last night with Naomi and Coco?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I didn't really see it. I didn't have the tele on. Sorry.

Q. Given what you did in Paris, did Wimbledon and here feel like sort of missed opportunities?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I don't think the second week of a slam is a missed opportunity. It's a hell of an effort for all slams to get to the second week. Yes, I would have loved to have done better. It wasn't to be.

But, yeah, certainly not something I'm stressed about.

Q. Is it easy for you to put that into perspective because of where you've come from, what you've been through?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think it's easy to put into perspective because of the person I am, the team that I have around me. It doesn't matter whether I win a tennis match or not, I've won a Grand Slam or I haven't. It's not really something that keeps me up at night.

I know that I did everything possible to try and prepare as well as I could today and played as well as I could. But in the big moments, it wasn't there.

Q. The women's game is tight regardless of ranking, reputation. You get to a fourth round, you play a pretty decent opponent who is hungry to try to get to where you've been. It's no easy passage.
ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, it's not. No easy round, full stop. Doesn't matter whether it's the first round or fourth round or a final.

Q has had an incredible couple of weeks. I know she did well in the Bronx a couple of weeks ago. Has certainly been riding high. She's got the ability to play some really good tennis.

I've played her in some extremely tough matches in the past. Both of those matches I've come off the court knowing that it was really good quality. I knew I would have to bring that today.

In the bigger moments today, she was better.

Q. You played Q last time was in Zhuhai in the final. The difference between then and now for her game, do you see a lot of improvement, something different that bothered you more today?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think that match in Zhuhai was different circumstances. It was a different court, different conditions. It's hard to kind of take too much from that match and compare it to this one because they're completely different. They were also however many months apart as well.

Yes, she's had improvements in her game. But so have I. I can look back and analyze this match right down from the first point to the last one, but I knew how it felt out there.

I think there's things that I'll keep chipping away and try to improve. But, yeah, it doesn't change a hell of a lot, from when I've won or lost a match, how we kind of review it and look back.

Q. Could you tell me how it worked with you and Vika? Did one of you approach the other out of the blue, a casual conversation?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: It was actually here last year. We had a practice session before the tournament had started. She just asked if I was keen for any doubles throughout 2019. Obviously playing with Coco last year, had every intention to play with Coco in Australia, kind of begin that again.

But after her injury, it was a bit of a last-minute thing where I just texted Vika and said, Look, I don't have a partner. Would you be keen to play in Australia?

We've just kind of gone from there.

Q. Do the players themselves make those arrangements? What is the dynamic like?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I've always asked people personally. I'd prefer to go to the player than to the coach or the team. Obviously it's also a discussion with Tyz as my coach to have a chat and who do we think would mix well, who do we think we would gel with. Also to be able to have that mix of having fun on the court but also trying to win as much as we can.

Q. Your opponent today could well face Serena Williams next. What are your thoughts on what she would have to do to be successful in that match?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think that's for her and her team to sit down and work out. Obviously that match hasn't been played yet, so there's still a possibility that she could play either Petra or Serena. I think they play later on today.

I'm not going to really comment on what she needs to do. I know she's got a great team around her. Tactically I think they'll come up with something that suits her game.

Yeah, not really for me to say.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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