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WUHAN OPEN

September 26, 2019

Alison Riske

Wuhan, Hubei, China

A. RISKE/E. Svitolina

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Seemed like you were in a zone tonight, playing well. What was your assessment of the match?
ALISON RISKE: Yeah, I thought I played really solid. I thought I did everything I was trying to do. I knew it was going to be a battle. I think mentally I was just prepared for that.

Yeah, I'm just really pleased with the way I competed, for sure.

Q. In Toronto when we were talking, you were saying, I really think I can replicate what happened at Wimbledon on the hard courts. Maybe took a little while, but you're here. Three top-five wins this year. How pleased are you? What does this mean to you? What do you think was the key this week in Wuhan?
ALISON RISKE: Obviously Wimbledon gave me a lot of confidence. Translating it to a hard court is a different situation. I feel like I just had an inner belief after that. It's kind of just helped me to move forward.

I'm super excited with the way I'm competing. I just feel like I'm seeing things the way that I wish I had seen them when I was 18 years old fresh on tour. I think maturity plays a part in it.

Again, I'm just really happy that I found it now, if not having ever found it. I can only be excited about that.

Q. How different are you as a competitor now than when you were 18?
ALISON RISKE: Yeah, I always thought I was good, but I never really kind of embodied that. In the big moments, I wasn't really delivering.

I feel like it's taken me a while. I had spurts of it. To get the consistency has been a different story. I feel like I have a really good grasp on it. Again, I'm 29, so it's about time I get something right here (smiling).

Q. Seemed like the second set, Elina was trying to pump herself up. How did she take you out of your rhythm? Telling yourself anything to stay focused?
ALISON RISKE: Yeah, I expected that in the second set, especially after winning the first 6-1, against a player of her caliber, obviously she's going to push back. I was expecting it, I was kind of ready for it. I felt if I stuck to my game plan, what I was trying to execute out there, I was going to give myself the best chance.

No matter what she was doing, I just had to stick with my game plan. Hey, if she came back, played too good, then that's just out of our control.

Q. Shout out to a couple Americans. Did you know who they were?
ALISON RISKE: Brenda said they were part of the American Consulate here in Wuhan. I don't know really who each of them was, but they were there from the American Consulate.

Q. We have this joke about this tournament, given the champions in the past with Venus, Petra, that it's Wuhanbledon.
ALISON RISKE: That's funny.

Q. Players that play well on grass have historically done well at this event. No one can provide an explanation as to why that exists. I'm going to ask the grass expert, do you see anything?
ALISON RISKE: I actually do. To be honest, I think the balls are a little heavy, like Wimbledon balls. I think the court is slick, so they kind of counter each other. Not super fast. Wimbledon is not super fast these days either.

I think the balls are really special. You can kind of like hit out on them, have confidence that they're going in, yet they skid because the court is a little fast.

That's my take, so who knows.

Q. You play Petra next. What are your thoughts?
ALISON RISKE: Yeah, it's going to be a challenge obviously again. Playing a lefty, you kind of have to make a few alterations when you're out there, be prepared for that.

Yeah, I feel like I'm playing really well. I'm ready to go. I'm really excited to have another match here.

Q. Back to the match against Puig. A big dig out of that match that gives you opportunities for this result. Can you tell us what was going on in your mind and how did you turn that around?
ALISON RISKE: I think my first two matches for me were really challenging. I'm really happy they have been because they kind of gave me confidence moving forward. If I'm going to play against the bigger players, I'm going to have to actually hit the ball. Not that I wasn't against them.

I felt I was a little tentative and waiting for things to happen. Against anybody out here, if you have that mentality, it's not going to work.

I kind of scraped by, got lucky. The third set was solid from me against Monica. Leading up to that point, she was in control of the match.

Yeah, there's a lot that's involved in everything. Yeah, I'm honestly grateful that I had two battles in the first and second rounds.

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