WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 22, 2020

Maria Sakkari

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/C. Gauff

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You really looked like you knew exactly what you needed to do out there today. At least that's how it looked from the outside. How important were tactics today? How pleased were you with how you played?

MARIA SAKKARI: I mean, I think Tom and I came up with the right tactic, obviously.

I think my serve was one thing that really worked well today and gave me a lot of, you know, cheap points, if I can call them like that.

I think the toughest spot was, you know, just to follow the tactic the whole time, like always. But, you know, I'm very satisfied, because after a long time I got to play on that level.

Q. I saw on court you said that you don't even count Palermo as a match. I'm wondering, how were you feeling there and how does it compare now?

MARIA SAKKARI: I mean, obviously like Palermo was just a trial-like tournament, just to see how it feels to play after a long time. But the thing that really made me feel bad that day was time that we started playing. That's two hours past my bedtime, so I was struggling a lot with energy and stuff. So that's why we said with Tom, that doesn't really count.

But it's good I got to play one match so we don't go into Cincinnati without playing anything.

Q. I know you love your interactions with the crowd, and you get fired up, so how are you going to deal with not having the crowd? Are you going to do any special mental preparation to be, like, If I'm down in a match, I need to pump myself up? I need to figure it out on my own without a crowd?

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, actually, I thought it would be worse but it wasn't that bad. Maybe on like a bigger match on, like, maybe a semifinal or final is going to feel weird, but today I was already pumped by myself, and that was more than enough, I think (smiling).

Q. Just on that, the crowd, already there are some players I think that are on tour who are actually going to really enjoy -- not enjoy, but they are going to be totally fine without a crowd around. It's not going to stress them out. And then there is going to be some where it's going to very much hurt them because they need it so much. Where do you put yourself on that scale?

MARIA SAKKARI: Obviously, as I said, I think today it was fine. I didn't really care. I think I would put myself in the ones that they don't really care. They're okay with no fans.

Of course it's always -- it's not nice to say we are okay without fans, because it's always nice to have people watching us and playing in a packed stadium, but, you know, because of the situation, I think I'm totally fine with that.

Q. After Palermo, I think you had said that it was an issue of trying to figure out how to schedule your training and things, because obviously you're going to start on clay court but then you have to transition onto a hard court. How quickly do you think you were able to transition from clay and going to hard? Seemed like everything looked good today. How much hard work went into getting that comfort level back on the hard?

MARIA SAKKARI: Actually, to be honest, it was actually the easiest transition I have ever had from clay to hard, because we also practiced indoor hard the first days in Athens because it was raining, random thing, and the surface was extremely fast.

And Tom, me, and (indiscernible) were so surprised. I was playing, like, I was practicing the whole time on hard court, so it was pretty easy for me.

I think because I'm fit and I'm, you know, quick with my feet, it's kind of, like, easy.

Q. I'm wondering what kind of expectations do you have for yourself? Because I know there is a lot of unknowns and everything is so different. So how are you approaching this period?

MARIA SAKKARI: You know, I always have high expectations from myself, especially after working that hard, as I did all this time, because I really, really put a lot of work all these months.

I just had, you know, two weeks off the whole period, so I really focused on my practice, and it's one thing that I love. I like to practice.

So I have high expectations, but always, like, with common sense. I'm not, like, I want to win or I'm going to win both weeks. Of course that's the goal, but it's tough.

I'm just, you know, as I said, high expectations but always with common sense (smiling).

Q. It was the first time you played Coco. I'm wondering, what did you make of how she plays, her game?

MARIA SAKKARI: I think one thing that I like about her that not many girls have is that she's quick, and maybe I like that because I'm also quick. We are not many on tour.

But of course she's really young and she has many good things already in her game, and I'm sure that she's going to -- she has a lot of room for improvement on a good way, so that's going to take her on a very high level.

But, you know, having the right tactic with any player, you know, gives you the best result. I think that was the key.

Q. What's life been like for you in the bubble? What stands out to you, or is there anything in particular you feel you have to adjust to the most?

MARIA SAKKARI: Actually, okay, it sounds weird, but I love it. It's so nice (smiling). It's like a school trip, because we are all in the same hotel. They have, like, an area, like an outdoor area on, like, parking lot, but it's a very nice area with a big screen, tables and stuff, so we all get our dinner there, even though they don't let us sit more than two in one table.

But it's so nice. I mean, we don't do much when we are in a tournament. We normally get room service. You know, they have a nice arcade room, a nice recovery room, they have a gym. I mean, it's so well organized. I really hope all the tournaments from now on will be like that. No, I mean, because of COVID, not when we go back to normal.

Q. I think you don't want us around? I think that's the part?

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah (smiling).