	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

SHISEIDO WTA FINALS SHENZHEN

October 28, 2019

Craig Tyzzer

Shenzhen, China

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk about how you feel Ashleigh is handling everything so well since her comeback.
CRAIG TYZZER: Yeah, I think she's done a really good job, especially in the last 12 months, with her winning a Grand Slam, going on and becoming world No. 1. I think through that period, the expectations that were put on her and I guess what people expect from someone in that position, I think she started to handle that really well.

It's taken time. Like it's been over three years. It's been in one sense a short period of time, but it feels like we've been at this a lot longer.

I guess for her, she had that experience of playing on the tour before, knowing what things would occur, but obviously not knowing what it's like to be a world No. 1 and experience that.

I think she's handled that really well so far.

Q. From the start of the year till now, what do you think is the biggest difference in her, if any?
CRAIG TYZZER: I think probably just her belief in her game and being able to I guess just let her game evolve in matches, too, not to feel like she's got to do everything all at once and everything. I feel like she's working her way through matches better and understanding her game better.

Q. Ending the year as No. 1, what does that mean to the team? For her, she always says 'we' so she never sees it as an individual accomplishment. What does that mean for you guys?
CRAIG TYZZER: I think it's amazing. We set our goals to be top 10 this year, try to hold herself there. To move through to No. 1, then to stay there and sustain it for a while, she's done an amazing job in handling all those things on the court as well as off the court.

It's been an incredible journey. It's still a learning phase for us. A lot of this is all new. We're learning all the time. But so thrilled for her and what she's done.

Q. What do you think are the challenges and benefits? When people talk about Ash, it's about the variety. I have to think there are challenges kind of coaching a player who can do as much as she does on the court.
CRAIG TYZZER: I think for me that's the part of the coaching I really enjoy, the challenges of being able to pit Ash's game against who she's going to play, figure out a plan we feel will work best for her against that opponent on that day.

It's changed from when we first started to now. I mean, if you really notice Ash's game, she used a lot of slice early on when we started back because it was a big point of difference. But a lot of the girls got used to that, and Ash is not using it as much. She uses it as defensive play or to set up points in the match more rather than just using it for the fact that she's got a slice.

For me as a coach, I mean, I love that challenge of trying to figure out what Ash can do to beat an opponent.

Q. In terms of consistency, it's something that a lot of people say is a difficult thing on the women's tour. What is it about Ash that has allowed her to play with the consistency across all surfaces this year?
CRAIG TYZZER: Look, I'm not sure that's been anything specific for us. It's been more of a push for us over the three years to have that level sustained and on a bad day still be able to win matches. I think early on that didn't occur. There were big dips and troughs.

I think especially over the last 18 months, she's been able to play more on a level playing field day in, day out with her game. When something is not particularly right, she doesn't tend to get as frustrated or worry about it as much. She knows if she continues on in the match, things will change anyway.

For me the consistency level has been amazing that she's been able to sustain it. You expect some flat spots and some dips. She's had a couple. Over the year, especially this year, she hasn't had a lot at all.

Q. To see Ash be rewarded with a Don, setting aside her cricketing prowess, what does that mean to you as a coach? What did it mean to her? She was humble saying she felt she didn't belong in that company.
CRAIG TYZZER: It was interesting because we went to the awards night. Just to experience all the other Australian athletes past and present who were there on the night, it was quite interesting to see, quite humbling. You're in your own little bubble often with tennis. You're sort of stuck in that. To see especially athletes that Ash has looked up to, seen in the past and followed, to be there and put in the same basket as them, Ash found quite amazing. I don't think she's sort of realized what she's been capable of doing.

On the other side of it, those athletes were all coming up to her and wanting to meet her and talk to her. Yeah, I think it's a thrill for her. It's an amazing award to win for her.

Q. (Question about different warmup games.)
CRAIG TYZZER: You're talking about football we're playing?

Q. Yes.
CRAIG TYZZER: We'll often play cricket, football. We travel with a football in that it's actually a good ball because it doesn't bounce normally, it's not a round ball, bounces funny, so we use it for footwork drills and movement.

Ash is quite competitive in everything we do. We always find there's games in there we attribute to finding a game in football that's competitive, a game in cricket that's competitive.

We use a lot of different sports to warm up just because it's good variety for her.

Q. With the French Open, what did you see in Ash in that tournament that you may have not seen before? Heading into the French, did you expect this would happen?
CRAIG TYZZER: No, probably didn't expect. Clay is not Ash's favorite surface. It's always been a bit of a struggle to get her on the clay. Really she's only played probably four tournaments a year over four years on clay. It's not a lot of tennis on clay.

But it's probably that focus that she realizes she hasn't played a lot that makes her really work harder on clay. Her game is suited to clay. The tournament itself, I think the semi was the big one for me. It was such a turning point to see her. In the past I think that was definitely going to be a loss.

For her to be able to turn that around, she basically did that herself. I don't think her opponent changed anything. I think she just played well the whole time. Ash really was the difference.

For her to come through that and then play so well that she did in the final I think was a massive turning point for the year for her. Without that semifinal, she probably doesn't get to No. 1. I think it was huge.

Q. Ashleigh will face Naomi next. They faced each other in the China Open. They will have a good rivalry in the future. I would like to ask you what your thoughts on this rivalry between the two is, and this kind of rivalry, the impact on your team.
CRAIG TYZZER: Yeah, look, I'm not sure it's a rivalry. Ash enjoys the challenges of playing the other girls. She was hoping she would get Bianca in her group because she hasn't played her before. Those sort of things Ash loves to take on.

Look, I think they played a good match in Beijing. I think it was pretty close. I think Ash wasn't far off doing it. They both sort of played different at different times during that match. They've always been pretty close. Ash played her earlier in the year in Birmingham and had a win. Naomi has beaten her before.

I think it's great for tennis that you have these two great young talented girls. Hopefully they play a lot against each other throughout the years.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297