	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

QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 26, 2020

Belinda Bencic

Doha, Qatar

B. BENCIC/Y. Putintseva

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your matches against Yulia in the past have been tight ones. What do you think was the difference today in terms of being able to get that in two?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, definitely, you know, my kind of mentality going into the match was really made to be difficult match, big fight. So I really kind of tried to focus on every point and tried to be very aggressive because I kind of know her tactics well and in the past, you know, I think she also had a good tactic against me. So really happy with how I kind of mentally went into this match.

Q. With the wind as well which has been wreaking havoc on the different matches, how did you feel out there with that and did you have to manage that as much in terms of your tactics against her?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean I was really scared of the wind, to be honest. I mean in our warm up it was not great and it didn't look great in the matches before me. So, yeah, it was something really I had to deal with and it's tough to serve in the wind when you're with or against, you know, so it's almost like more factors of kind of disturbing the game.

But I'm really happy actually I kind of played through it and like managed to play good with it still.

Q. And then just yesterday obviously that was a tough three-setter late at night late finish, and then today, how are you feeling physically coming through the two matches plus obviously playing doubles as you head into the quarterfinals?
BELINDA BENCIC: Actually, I feel pretty fine. Yesterday of course I was a little bit tired, but we had a good sleep -- actually, I was pretty mad this morning, we missed breakfast, and that was only negative thing about it, because today I feel very refreshed and kind of, yeah, you know, it's good to get, like when you play a lot of tennis, you still like maybe your legs are a little bit more tired, but your tennis is better, so I definitely felt that, yeah.

Q. I want to ask you about new coaching rule, which is that now coaches are allowed to give you players advice from the box. So maybe today's match, your father, your coach is here, so maybe you can not talk about everything, but what is your opinion on that new rule?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, to be completely honest I definitely think it's something that everyone has been doing, it just became legal. So, yeah, that's my opinion of it. I'm actually a good fan of it because I don't think it's right to kind of not be able to coach, but then come to the court and it's -- I don't know, it's weird, like you can coach on the court, but then when you sit outside you cannot coach.

We should -- so I'm really happy about this rule and I also think in different sports everyone can coach also.

I'm not fan of the microphone on court rule because like you are talking like tactics, really important stuff and everyone can hear it, including afterwards your opponent and your like next opponents.

So I would rather just have the off-court coaching and like to make it more like, yeah, discrete and like other sports.

Q. Obviously Svetlana next -- and she had the day off before going into your match -- but talk about the challenge of playing an all-court, very talented player like Sveta.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, for sure, I said in St. Petersburg it was an honor to share the court with her. Still when I was growing up I was watching her play so definitely she has great weapons, I know her game well, I played her couple of times already, even when I was a little bit younger.

So, yeah, definitely going to be a really tough match. Yeah, we'll see how the wind does tomorrow, but probably it will be tricky again.

Q. And then just today Maria Sharapova announced her retirement from the sport. So just your thoughts on that news and what she was like to have to face across the net.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, actually I was also really lucky, you know, to play her I think one time in Australian Open. And obviously also someone I was watching when I was growing up.

And of course I wish her the best off the court after her career. And, I mean, it's great to have a career like her, so I think, yeah, she can be very happy and I wish her the best.

And, yeah, I just feel like now it's kind of the time that players starts to retiring and it's kind of like changing a little bit the generations. And I think it's normal, but still, you know, it's still sometimes a little bit sad.

Q. Regarding Maria Sharapova, what is your oldest memory or like an impression on her? What do you remember about her maybe first time watching on the TV or meet her possibly?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well I remember when she won her first Wimbledon title. I think she was like 16 or 17. So I was watching that when I was small.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, thank you.

BELINDA BENCIC: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297