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US OPEN

August 29, 2019

Sofia Kenin

New York, NY, USA

S. KENIN/L. Siegemund

7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You fell behind early. Frustrating first three games. How were you able to turn things around and run away with it from there?
SOFIA KENIN: Yeah, like you said, I started off kind of rusty, nerves showing, which is obviously normal at this stage.

I just fought, I know Laura is a really tough player, gives you different balls, different looks. It wasn't easy, but I'm really happy I was able to find a way. First set was close. Second set I just took advantage of it and I felt like everything was going my way.

Q. You never played her before and she's quite a tricky opponent. What were the biggest challenges of playing her today and how did you solve the riddle?
SOFIA KENIN: Yeah, she was just giving me different shots. It's like without no rhythm, you know. I felt like she comes into the net, you know, gets me off the court, she was always at the net.

Yeah, I couldn't adjust to her game at the beginning. Then I somehow found a way, which is obviously good. Yeah, I felt like I took that away from her which is how I was able to dictate really well.

Q. Next you'll play Madison. What did you learn from your prior match which you'll hope to adjust two days from now?
SOFIA KENIN: Yeah, it was obviously a tough match against Madison. She's playing well. I felt like a few opportunities didn't go my way there. I had a few breakpoints, I didn't close it out. Overall it was a good match in Cincinnati, so hopefully I can just take my opportunities tomorrow.

Q. When is the first time that you thought, Oh, I think I'm famous now? Or do you feel you were famous the past year?
SOFIA KENIN: Yeah, for sure it's obviously grown. I'm having a really good year. Really happy, confident. I'm just really happy to be here and playing in front of the crowd.

Q. You just mentioned your nerves. What type of things do you do on court to manage your nerves in the biggest moments?
SOFIA KENIN: Well, technically I'm supposed to breathe and take my time, which I sometimes don't do. Today I had to do it since I wasn't leading at the beginning, and it was obviously close. It was going either way, so I felt like I needed to just take some time and relax, calm myself and then just battle out there. Second set I didn't need to take my time. I was rolling so I couldn't be stopped.

Q. Third round here for three years. How do you build off the experience you had the past couple of years and use that in your next round?
SOFIA KENIN: Yes, I'm really happy. Third round, third year in a row, which is obviously really good. I'm just going to use all my confidence that I have, that I've had in the past weeks. I'm having good weeks and good preparation coming into here.

Yeah, it's never easy winning your first match here and then second match. You obviously feel the anxiety when you're playing here I feel like, especially for me in New York. It feels like home. Just getting through that, I feel like that's going to definitely help me for tomorrow.

Q. Not to be a distraction, but I'm sure you're aware there is a hurricane coming to Florida, scheduled for central Florida but could move to the direction where you and Madison live. Have you talked to anybody, any family, anybody back home?
SOFIA KENIN: No, I have seen it on the news today about it, but hopefully we'll be fine. Yeah, I mean, I didn't really think about that, to be honest.

Q. You talked about one day maybe wanting to live here. Do you have a favorite neighborhood in Manhattan?
SOFIA KENIN: You remember what I said. Thank you.

Upper East Side, of course, in the city.

Q. Did you make it to Tiffany's?
SOFIA KENIN: No, not yet. We will make it. It's fine. The budget is going up, so it's fine.

Q. You have obviously had a good year, beaten some big names. Talk about your expectations for this tournament.
SOFIA KENIN: I mean, my expectations was I was coming in with a lot of confidence, so I try to just each match just play and keep the confidence going. Yeah, of course I had some points to defend here so obviously it's good to be in the third round.

I'm playing well. I'm having a lot of matches under my belt. I have had two solid wins, today and day before yesterday. So it's obviously really good. Doing a lot for my confidence.

Yeah, I feel like I'm a different player this year than last year.

Q. You mentioned New York feeling like home. What exactly makes it feel like home to you?
SOFIA KENIN: The crowd. I mean, today, for sure. It was really helpful. There was this guy that just kept screaming my name and saying, Come on. Hit the return. Take this break.

I'm, like, Okay, I'm trying.

The crowd obviously helped me out and really got me through today, and the first set especially. Yeah, it's nowhere else I get this feeling. I'm playing all over the world. Of course I'm going to have the crowd for me, but I feel like here especially, I'm walking on court and everyone is cheering for me. It's a really great feeling to feel.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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