AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 9, 2021

Daria Gavrilova

Press Conference

D. GAVRILOVA/S. Sorribes Tormo

6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Sounds like it was a great atmosphere out there. How great was it playing again in front of the Melbourne Park crowd?

DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, I was surprised by how many people came out and watched me tonight that late.

I was obviously very pleasant with the showing. It was incredible. I've missed it so much. Yeah, it was unreal.

Q. Can you talk us through the first set and the second set? Just the differences. First set sensational and then you're serving for the second, could have been straightforward and then a little bit tricky.

DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, I felt like the whole match was on my racquet. I was dictating most of the time, and I probably just went for too much in the second set.

You know, I made a few too many errors. She is someone who never gives up. She was fighting really hard, and she hit a few really good passing shots. But, yeah, I think I went for too much with the forehand. Yeah, this cost me a few too many games.

Q. Looked like you were moving really well though. The energy was great. You must be happy with that side of things?

DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, for sure. I have been working pretty hard in the offseason, and I feel like I'm pretty, yeah, in a pretty good nick right now and moving really well. That obviously helps for me to dictate with my forehand. I think I did that well today.

Q. Ash Barty next. Tell us about that. I can see the smile on your face. Pretty cool matchup.

DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I mean, I haven't played Ash in ages. Yeah, it's gonna be really fun. You know, I don't know what court we are going to be on, but I love the big show and I'm sure a lot of people are going to come out and watch.

So I'm pretty excited.

Q. Tell us about your relationship with Ashleigh behind the scenes. What is she like? What do you think of her in general as a person and all that sort of stuff?

DARIA GAVRILOVA: I have a lot of respect for Ash. You know, she was training at Xavier while internationals were in quarantine, and me and Luke just are sharing one car and he left, but he was going to drop me off. Anyway, long story. I was, like, scared to ask Ash for a lift. I was, like, Ash, can you please give me a lift? She's like Oh, my God, you're an idiot. Like, let's go.

Yeah, she's incredible. You know, she's someone if we travel, she's the first one to find a good coffee shop and then we, yeah, she's a morning person, I think. She loves her coffee.

But we are probably, like definitely, completely different personalities. Like complete opposite. But we get along on tour, and, yeah, she's someone I definitely look up to.

Q. How big of a deal is it someone you know so well being world No. 1, best player in the world? Incredible to have someone like that in your life, I imagine.

DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, for sure it's unreal. I'm pretty proud that we've got someone like Ash, and, you know, playing Fed Cup with her, Billie Jean King Cup now, is always fun and she just represents us, meaning, like, Billie Jean King Cup, and Australia so well.

She's an incredible player, but her tennis smarts are incredible. Before a tie we always play team analysis, like the opposition analysis, and she's always spot on. She's just spot on every time.

Q. What do you do between now and the match? Do you steer clear of it? Do you talk to her about the match? How do you approach it?

DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, I don't think we're really gonna talk about the match, but she's playing doubles. We're probably not gonna see each other, to be honest.

I don't know what I'm doing yet, but hopefully sleeping. I'll just have a light hit tomorrow and get ready.