ROLAND GARROS

September 30, 2020

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/SW Hsieh

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. She's a tricky opponent, and I don't know if she was a player that you were looking forward to playing or if you were worried to play, but what was your mentality going into the match and your game plan? How happy are you with the way that you played?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, basically I was pretty confident. When I look at the draw, I don't care who I'm going to play, because I have a feeling that I have to win with everybody to win a tournament so it doesn't really matter.

But in the back of my mind I was a little bit worried, because she has a, like, strange style of game. I have never played against her. I remember that we played a practice -- well, besides the match that we played when I was, like, 10 years old, we didn't play against each other. I just practiced with her for, like, 20 minutes in Cincinnati last year.

I was kind of worried that I'm gonna struggle to find the rhythm, because her spin is so weird and it's always like she doesn't play topspin. On clay it's especially weird. When the balls are really heavy, that may be tricky, but I think I just played aggressive and I didn't let her play her game.

I was struggling at the beginning of second set. I think I lost my focus basically, and my dialogue to myself wasn't very optimistic because I was thinking all the time that I can't find the rhythm.

Yeah, I just changed that immediately when I realized that it got out of control. I think everything was in my head, because tactically I played very well in first set. In last five games of second set also. So, yeah.

Q. Do you think it helped at all playing Vondrousova in the first round? It's not that they have the same game, but they are different types of games in terms of variety and especially you said you were alert to the Vondrousova dropshot in the first round. I presume you probably had to be alert today as well?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, that's true. You always have to be alert when you play Grand Slams, but yeah, I mean, I feel more confident basically after the first round, so I think it helps a lot. I just feel, you know, better here than on other tournaments.

The fact that I won the first match so "easily," as it may seem from the score, it just gave me confidence, so I think it helps.

Q. Why do you feel so comfortable at Roland Garros?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't know. I just have different mindset. I love the courts and I love like being here. I love the surface.

I always have like good memories from here, even when I lost the matches that I shouldn't, like in 2018. I mean, it's not that I shouldn't, because Caty played very well in semifinal of juniors, but I kind of wanted to win the whole Grand Slam, so I was disappointed.

But I always learned a lot here, and, like, most of big steps that I had in my career was basically here. Even last year when I lost against Simona on Philippe Chatrier and the match was, it lasted like 40 minutes, it was a big lesson for me.

Q. You play Eugenie Bouchard next. I can't remember if you have played her or not. What do you expect from that match?

IGA SWIATEK: Actually, I know nothing really. I was so focused on this round. I wasn't even thinking about third round.

So I'm just going to talk with my coach about it really. Sorry that I can't say anything, but I wasn't thinking about it at all.