WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 26, 2020

Johanna Konta

Press Conference

J. KONTA/M. Sakkari

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk us through how you felt out there and what your thoughts are about your matchup with Victoria Azarenka?

JOHANNA KONTA: Well, obviously I'm really pleased to have won today. Obviously I knew it was going to be a tough match. I mean, we have played a lot of great matches in the past, and none of them have been easy and they will never be easy either way.

So I'm just really pleased. I think I was able to stay tough at certain bits in the match, which I think helped me edge forward in trying to get a foothold in the match.

It was really blustery out there again today. It wasn't easy with the wind and her type of ball, as well.

Overall just pleased the way I competed. I thought I served again better and better as the match went on, I thought, and just overall I thought it was actually some good tennis out there.

In terms of Vika, really looking forward to it, another opportunity to play a Grand Slam champion. We have had some great matches in the past but not for a few years, I don't think. Yeah, looking forward to being in a semifinal, which is nice, and playing against another really great player.

Q. It seems like you have come a long way since that loss in Lexington a couple of weeks ago. Do you feel your game's headed in the right direction? It seems like you built upon each win this week here in New York. I did not realize until I did my homework a little bit ago and saw that you have not lost a set this week.

JOHANNA KONTA: I think with each opportunity that everyone gets to play, there is going to be a certain amount of match fitness that starts kicking in and I guess certain match tightness that everyone will start to be able to bring.

Whether that means that, you know, I'll win more matches or not, I think either way definitely everyone is going to keep moving forward as we now start picking up and playing more matches again.

But, yeah, I mean, I definitely feel like I'm competing better and better. But also the challenges are going to be becoming more and more difficult, because everyone is also competing better and better as the more matches we play, especially deeper into any tournament.

Yeah, just pleased to still be involved in this tournament here. I actually had a small little chuckle to myself while I was playing today, because I was, like, you know, it would be -- first of all, I have no idea what day it is anymore. I have no idea what tournament I'm playing. I have no idea what round it is. It's very much like Groundhog Day.

But what I do know is that I get a chance to play another match tomorrow, and I'm really grateful for that.

Q. Now that you have played three matches this week, have you gotten used to the feel of what it's like to be out on the court without the benefit of fans? Does it help you concentrate any more, or do you really miss having fans to cheer for you and to feed off of?

JOHANNA KONTA: I definitely miss the fans. Whether they are for me or against me, I think professional sport and especially sports in like arenas like we have for tennis, I miss fans. I absolutely love playing for people. I absolutely love when people come and enjoy a performance that myself and my opponent are able to put on for them.

But obviously that's not the reality we have right now, and I think we're just dealing with the situation we have. I think I'm just playing with the enjoyment of getting to play, and I'm definitely feeling a lot off that enjoyment. So for sure there is just going to be an element just getting used to the surroundings we are playing in now.

Q. Over here in the States, we really like the British baking show that we have imported. So a critically important question: During all those months you had off the tour, you must have had a baking or a kitchen adventure you could share with us who are desperate for important copy.

JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, I know. I have been asked this actually a lot of times, and I actually didn't. It's not very interesting.

I mean, what I tried to do -- I always used to cook and bake off recipes, and what I have tried to do was sort of wing it when I went into the kitchen and kind of just make stuff kind of just off the top of my head or what I remembered from one but maybe add my own little twist on it.

I kind of I guess expanded my comfort zone when it came to cooking. That's kind of what I did. There was nothing major or anything really. Sorry to disappoint.

Q. There was a new addition to the family in Gizmo. How did Bono react to having a newbie on the block?

JOHANNA KONTA: I think he's absolutely taken to it like a duck to water. Bono is such a good boy. He's such a good dog. He's very well socialized, and he really actually likes other dogs, a dog's dog. He's not really a people's dog. He loves dogs. Not really bothered my people, not really bothered by Jackson and myself included.

I think he really enjoys having a little brother around and someone to play with. And also, we were able to time it well with the age difference, because Bono is, when we got Gizmo, was a year and a half, so there was still a lot of puppy in him and still is now. But he was still obviously a more grownup dog. So I think it's been really good.

I don't know if you have seen the latest video of Gizmo. He sits like a meerkat. It's really odd. I don't know what to make about it. Jackson and I were laughing about it. He literally sits like a meerkat. That's interesting.

Q. You should have changed his name to whatever meerkats are called.

JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, you mean like King Julien from Madagascar? (Laughter.)