AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 14, 2021

Hsieh Su-Wei

Press Conference

HSIEH S./M. Vondrousova

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. This is your first Grand Slam quarterfinal that you've reached. How exciting is it for you?

HSIEH SU-WEI: It's quite exciting. But during the match when I just winning, I was feel it not real because there was no fans there.

Q. Melbourne really brings out the best in you. Why is that?

HSIEH SU-WEI: So I will be back next year (laughter).

Q. What makes you play so well in Melbourne?

HSIEH SU-WEI: I quite like here. I have an Australian coach. Most people know it. This year I have a hitting partner, he's living Melbourne. We have a lot of fun together.

Q. What does Paul bring to your game?

HSIEH SU-WEI: He don't try to change too much my stuff, but he give me some idea and try to help me to improve my game.

I was working with him for years before, so we know how we work together. It's quite comfortable when every time I work with him.

Q. Before you started working with him, how many times were you told that you just didn't have the power to excel at this level?

HSIEH SU-WEI: No one tell me I have no power. Before I work with him, I have a lot of time with alone, so I don't have many information for other people. So I have no idea where is my game. That's why is not easy to improve or to find a way out.

Sometime I go to the tournament, I have no one to warm up. I'm more worry about how you going to survive today for the match, I hope I don't play really bad on the court because I couldn't warm up.

I cannot think so far during that time.

Q. Given that, how have you managed to maintain this level and break through?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Before Roland Garros I was never beat the top-10 player. Funny thing of Roland Garros, I was dating my boyfriend, it was first year or second year, I forget which year, but his parent was first time coming to watch my match.

Then the first day I was losing very bad. So I see the parent, I think they look like they're going to fall asleep. I think I play really bad. I tell myself, Okay, now I don't care what happen, I will try to catch every ball, try to make it look little bit better. At least I want to see them a little bit awake.

That's the way I get back, win the set and win the match. After that, I start winning some top-10 players.

Q. I can't imagine anyone falling asleep while you're playing.

HSIEH SU-WEI: They was looking like they falling asleep. I don't know if they falling asleep. I was little bit like, Oh, no. It's the first time your boyfriend parent come to watch you and it looks like this.

Q. I think you know your next opponent.

HSIEH SU-WEI: Uh-huh.

Q. Familiar face for you. How do you think you're going to play and what kind of a match are you expecting?

HSIEH SU-WEI: We play couple time. You know, after the COVID, I feel I didn't see the girl for long, long time. Even new girls, all the people, is very strange.

I think I just stay the same, enjoy, try to be positive. If I don't win, I hope quarantine finish very soon I can go out to enjoy a little bit.

Q. Really close matches with Naomi. What do you think troubles her about your game?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Errani?

Q. Why do you think your game troubles Naomi?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Oh, Naomi.

We all know she's a very good player. Anyone play her, they will get troubles. I not worry about it. She probably going to smash me on the court. I try to play my game, do my job, see what happens.

Q. You trouble her with your game. The other way around.

HSIEH SU-WEI: I trouble her? Really? Okay. I don't think right now. I will see what's going on with my team, what they say. I will try to do little bit better, I hope.

Q. When you're in Taiwan, how big a star do you feel, when you're home? Are you well-recognized? Are you a superstar? Can you go to the shops without people recognizing you?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Because I don't like to put sun cream, so I'm very tan for the Taiwanese. It's pretty easy recognize me on the road.

But I was traveling a lot because I play singles and doubles, my ranking sometime up and down a little bit. I have to play quite a lot of tournament, so I'm not there all the time. That is not a big problem for me.

Q. I know in Asian culture we shouldn't talk a lot about female's age. Don't worry, I'm older than you. But you maintain your level of play. You are kind of like getting better every year. You look quite fit. What is the secret or what do you think makes you play at this high level at your age?

HSIEH SU-WEI: At my age? Okay, I try to pretend I'm only 18 years old.

My mental is very young. I try to look little bit young this time. It helps a lot. It's very difficult, you traveling, you play every tournament, almost every tournament. For me, most important thing is to stay happy, to enjoy it, not get injury. If I get injury, I have no idea how I going to recovery, how I going to do the workout, because is not a lot of experience in Taiwan.

Now I mainly live more in Paris because I have coach, I have physio, I have fitness coach there. It helps a lot. When I dating my boyfriend, the first two year we often go to the park for the weekend for dating. I think that helps.

Q. How is this tournament being presented back home? Will your matches be shown live? Are you hearing from people back home?

HSIEH SU-WEI: I try to show people, you know, the tennis is just not about the money, or you need to get a lot of money or sponsor. Even if you don't have any sponsor, you don't have any sponsor, you are doubles player, if you keep trying hard and working hard and find the way to get into the doubles or singles, doesn't matter, just try to keep play. You still can go to somewhere you never dream, you never think about it. This is what happen, I doing.

I'm very happy that I made it, some good level. It can show a lot of people that anything can happen. Just keep working hard. Doesn't matter what happen. Stay positive and we will see.

Q. I know you love to travel. What did you do while you were in your hotel room during the quarantine, to keep yourself entertained?

HSIEH SU-WEI: I read three books, and three books are very different books. I have a Switch, I just bought before I came. I like to play online games. I pick up little bit more the quarantine. So for me the quarantine is pretty good for me.

I can order Uber Eats, all the food I like to eat. I find the Taiwanese food here, I just find this year, and they are really good. I will try to introduce you later on my social media. It was quite enjoyable.

Q. What were the books you read? What were the games you were playing?

HSIEH SU-WEI: One book is 'How Do You Mention of Your Life'. I have this book couple years ago. I read a little bit, so I pick up again.

Sometime you are in the life, you lost your direction, you don't know what is the first priority, you mix up with too much stuff in front of you. I try to watch some books to have a list which one I should remove first. Then I say, Okay, tennis, in my age, I put in the first priority right now. Before I put other stuff first priority. After one or two year, I like to do some accounting sometime to see what can I do.

Q. You talked about when you were younger and in Japan, you stopped playing tennis for a year. What was that period like for you? Why did you stop? What did you do when you weren't playing?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Before I go to Japan, I have around 11 months I didn't play tennis. I was try to escape from my parent. It was not very easy because I have few times I almost get catch. So it's not easy until I go to Japan.

You know, first time I don't need to move home. When I was with my father, we always move from south to north, back to south, to move everywhere to try to play tennis. It was not very easy because there's no national tennis center in Taiwan. There's not many people have experience. Very limited information we can get.

My father was doing very good job. But the Chinese culture, sometime they very tough, I don't know, because what happen with them. Maybe because my father have six kids. For him, easier for him, he try little bit harder. He did do very good job. Sometime is difficult for the kids because sometime we feel like too much pressure or something.

Since I left home, I feel more pressure than stay home. Other people, sometime they come to you, you cannot understand what they say. I was pretty confused.

But then when I go to Japan, I have to say I have a really good life there. In the club, my owner, my boss, they all helping me a lot to bring me back on the court, to bring me to help me to play the tournament, to support me with all I need to have.

I was very lucky that I have a friend, my auntie, that helped me to get to Japan.

Q. There are so many different personalities on the tour. How would you describe your personality?

HSIEH SU-WEI: How do you think?

Q. Fun loving, lighthearted.

HSIEH SU-WEI: Something like this (striking a pose).

I'm always quite positive since when I was young. When I grow up little bit older, I finally realize I was getting little abuse when I was younger because when I was 12, I play under 18 Taiwan. The girl, they are very interesting. They even remove my hair here. I was like, Oh, why she remove my hair? I was like, Oh.

I was not worried about it, but I was feel confused. When I growing older, it was like, Oh, that's abuse. Okay. But my personality is to going on the good way. I try to keep the same and stay calm and kind and try to look positive side of this.

So I think my personality, doesn't matter what happen, I try to keep my routine in the good way.

Q. Naomi is very open that she doesn't enjoy to play against you. How do you feel about playing Naomi? Do you enjoy playing her or not?

HSIEH SU-WEI: I'm quite enjoy to play every match, even if I get torture. I think it's quite fun every time you play. I play Kvitova, never beat her. The one time I win few more games, I say, Yes, today I win few more game. She was laughing when we were shaking the hand.

For me, I mean, I don't really care I win or I lose. I just try my best and play the game. All the girl, they play different games. Of course, there will be some difficult stuff on the court. It's very interesting when you have some difficult situation. I want to try to find a way and try to get into the game. At least I try. If I lose, I don't lose anything. Is no problem for me.