AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 8, 2021

Bianca Andreescu

Press Conference

B. ANDREESCU/M. Buzarnescu

6-2, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk us through your first victory.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I wasn't sure -- it was pretty up and down. The first set was pretty decent. I felt really good going into the match. Yesterday, though, I was super, super nervous to be back playing again. But today I had a good warmup, everything was fine, and then I was feeling good. I made some stupid, per se, errors during the entire match here and there, but Mihaela also did pick up her game, too, so I have to give her creds for that. I don't want to be too hard on myself. It's my first match back. I'm just super relieved that I was able to win today.

Q. 3-3, Love-40, third set. What is going through your head?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: My coach asked me this, too. I remember during my match against Angelique Kerber in the finals, I had that same kind of roller coaster of a match, and I was down 40-Love on my serve. It was in the third set. Around the same score, too. I was just thinking about that and how calm I was during that match, so I was telling myself, Oh, stay calm, stay cool, just put your first serve in because I think my first serve today was very effective, which I did.

It also happened against Serena, too. It wasn't the only time I did it, so I kind of have a little bit of a feel of how it is to be in that situation, but I was super, super relieved to get that game because I'm sure things would have been different afterwards.

Q. Can you just describe what it felt like to go out on the court today after 15 months, like emotionally? What was going through your head? Were you thinking about that at all?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I was trying not to, but it's pretty hard when you haven't played in that long. But last night, like I said, I was really, really nervous. Not only that, but just overwhelmed about everything because first of all, I had the emotions of just being so happy and grateful to be back on the court, healthy, all of that stuff, and then also the nervousness of, oh, if I win, if I lose, this kind of stuff, and obviously I want to win, so I tried not to pay too much attention to that, which is easy to say. But to me that was my goal. It was just to feel super happy on the court and just grateful to be back.

I think I did that pretty well.

There were some ups and downs during the match attitude-wide in my opinion, but it's okay. It's my first match back; what can I say.

Q. Was there any moment during the match where you were thinking, like, maybe I should have played a match before I came out here? Maybe I should have played in the tournament last week?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: No, that wasn't going through my head. I've been in a situation where I was off with an injury and then came back into like a really big tournament, so I felt fine in that way.

Q. It feels weird to call it a vintage Bianca match because you haven't played a ton, and you're very young. But did it feel like that, kind of as you were playing through it? You cited the Kerber match, you cited those tight moments against Serena, as well. It felt like it was something similar.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, I'd say so, as well. After the match I sat down with my team a little bit, and I'm like, Oh, guys, here we go again, those three-setters, and they just started laughing because they obviously knew what they were getting themselves into.

But those matches are super good for me in my opinion because it really shows that I can scramble when I really need to, or if there's some pressure I can dig my way through it somehow. Like when my back is -- what's that expression?

Q. Against the wall?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, against the wall, not only today, but I've noticed throughout my last couple tournaments in 2019, I've been able to pull through with those.

It gives me a lot of confidence going into this tournament, as well. Another one of my goals going into the match was to be able to play my best with the tennis I have that day, and today wasn't the best because I was kind of expecting it since it's my first match back, and I think I did really well with that, too.

Q. How are you doing balancing -- before the tournament you said trying to be kinder to yourself, I don't have expectations, I know I'm seeded, but 15 months off, et cetera, et cetera. But you're also you, and I'm sure that you want to win as badly now as you did when you were at your prime. How do you manage those conflicting ideas?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, yeah, it's not easy. I try to meditate a lot on that, and I've been doing really well with that, as well, just staying in the present moment. Today I think that was a key factor of why I won, as well.

To me it's kind of embedded in myself somehow. Over the years -- I'm saying like I've been playing for 20 years, but I have been playing since I was seven, so it hasn't been that short. But yeah, it just comes with experience, as well, and I've found my way, and I'm sure all these other incredible athletes that are in the tournament have found their way, as well. But yeah.

Q. Looking ahead to play Hsieh Su-Wei, which is an interesting matchup, I know you guys have played before, can you talk through the challenge of playing her, and also after a pretty tough one how are you feeling?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I feel surprisingly pretty well. I had an ice bath, I did those recovery boots, and then playing in a Grand Slam you have the day off tomorrow. I mean, I'm going to practice a little bit, but that definitely helps.

To answer your other question, I have played her before, so I kind of know what to expect. It's been over a year and a half now. Things have changed. But I feel pretty good considering my match today going up against her. I know it's not going to be easy, though. She's a pretty crafty player, so I think that's going to be a fun match.

Q. You were saying on court that the last 15 months were hard, that there were some really hard times. If you could just elaborate on how hard those times were, and also you said just now that you were nervous yesterday before the tournament started. How exactly are you when you're nervous? Do you cry or do you -- what do you do?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I do a lot of things. I don't know what to expect when I'm nervous. Sometimes I'll cry, sometimes I'll be laughing uncontrollably. It's really weird.

But last night I did cry, and I'm not afraid to say that because everyone cries sometimes. But it's a good release for me because in my head, all I was thinking about were the last 15 months and how tough they were, and they were tough for many reasons, COVID being one of them, and then my knee injury, being ready to play Indian Wells, Miami, and then COVID hitting. That wasn't easy.

And just other personal issues, as well. It wasn't necessarily easy, but I got through them. I have amazing people around me that help me along the way, and I have to thank them for that because I wouldn't be able to do it without them.

Tennis is an individual sport, but we do have a huge entourage, and yeah, they mean a lot to me, so thank you, if you guys are watching or will ever watch. Yeah, I like to talk about meditation, and that's, I think, the main thing for me, and when I'm not playing I like to do imagery, which technically makes me feel like I am playing when I'm not, if that makes sense.