MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 31, 2021

Bianca Andreescu

Press Conference

B. ANDREESCU/S. Sorribes Tormo

6-4, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Another great performance here. The question is, is the way you're playing and the results you're getting exceeding your expectations, the ones that you had before you started this tournament?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, definitely. Considering how I was feeling, yeah, I think so. But I know what I'm capable of, and this doesn't surprise me because I know that I'm a really good fighter. I never give up, even through adversity.

I'm super proud with how I handled it tonight because it wasn't easy. She's a really tough player. I'm sure we're going to be seeing more of her.

Q. We use "battle" and "war" and all these clichés. Tonight seemed much like that. Can you describe levels of exhaustion towards the end of that match, and what specifically about Sara's weight of shot, her spins, made things so difficult to end the rallies?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, she doesn't give you pace at all. Those high, heavy balls, you really have to generate your own. That consists of a lot of leg power, arm power, you're putting your all into it. Because if you just give, like, a ball with nothing on it, she's going to take advantage of that.

So it's always you having to generate your own pace. That was for sure tiring towards like the end of the second set. Like I'm sure many people could see that. Trying my best not to show it, but sometimes it's really hard, especially in these conditions.

I'm not gonna lie. I was super jealous because she was never going to her towel, and she was never really sweating. Then you see me, like, I wish I could go every point to my towel but I can't. I'm trying to save energy. But, yeah, gotta deal with what you've got and I think I did that well tonight.

Q. How were you able to overcome that slow start to the match?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Well, I never played her before. It's hard to really tell how a player plays online rather than you actually playing them. So I think I got caught offguard just a little bit.

I thought her ball would be a bit more heavy and deep, but like I said, you really have to generate your own power. I feel like I was going for too much at the start, but then I figured it out and I changed my game plan basically.

Like, I adjusted. So, yeah. And then the match was just super up and down, like at one point she was on fire, and then I was on fire, and it just kept going like that. It could have been either one of our matches.

For me, the main thing today was fighting harder than her. I say that a lot, but I know that she is an incredible fighter, so that was the main goal and I did that.

Q. Beyond her fighter spirit, are there any other qualities that come to mind that make her such a great competitor? Also, can you share with us, it looked like when the two of you met at the net, this was quite a bit of mutual admiration shared between the two of you.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. What was the first part?

Q. Beyond Sara's fighting spirit...

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Gotcha.

Q. ...any other qualities that you can define that makes her such a great fighter and competitor?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, she plays very different than most of the players on tour. She's difficult to play because of that. You don't always get the same rhythm. She gets to a lot of balls.

That's what I told her at the net. I was, like, Girl, you can run. You're crazy. I told her that she played amazing and that we're gonna be seeing a lot of you.

She just said, Thank you and good luck.

Q. Touching back on the groin injury you talked about after the Garbine match, how are you feeling now? Knowing between you and the title there won't be any easy matches, with Maria being very physical, either Ash or Elina being very physical, how are you feeling?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I'm good. A little bit tired, for sure. I played a lot of matches, but I'm going to get the right treatment, gonna get some good sleeps in. Everything will be good. My groin is totally fine. There is no pain anywhere, so I'm feeling good.

Q. If you win tomorrow you will be in the top six. How important is for you the ranking right now? Do you think on that?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: No, not really. And I didn't know that, actually. Ranking doesn't really define me much, like for sure I want to become No. 1 in the world, but my main goal right now is to feel good out there, feel happy and just enjoying the process, because it hasn't been easy, especially coming back.

The performance that I have been putting on has been amazing for me personally. I just want to keep it up like that. If I can win the tournament and get top six, that would be awesome, but that's not my main focus.

Q. What do you think that especially these last three wins over Anisimova and Muguruza and then today, they were all three very different types of wins in terms of what it felt like you needed to do to get them, what do you think that says right now for you? Just even especially today just to come through a physical match like that.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: For me it shows that I can get through those tough moments. Today my body was giving out, and then my mind gave out at one point because I was just thinking about how tired I was, and then it's just like how do I regroup? That's kind of what happened the last couple of matches, too. Super long three-setters.

What can you expect from me (smiling)? So I have been through it, and I know how to deal with that kind of adversity.

Q. Does this feel like a Bianca's-back type of tournament, type of moment for you?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: A little bit. One step closer (smiling).

Q. Is it fair to say that among you, Naomi, Ashleigh, Simona, you name it, are putting a great show on court similar to the one that we can see in the best male matches?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I didn't get the first part.

Q. Is it fair to say that the show you're putting, you, Simona, Naomi, you name it, Ashleigh, is similar in the great level of tennis to the one that we are experiencing with male players playing?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: When many players what?

Q. Playing. The same level...

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Oh, yes, yes, yes, okay, okay, okay.

Q. Is it fair, that statement?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I agree, definitely. It's super nice to have all of these amazing athletes all at the same time play really well and do really well, because they are super, super consistent.

I'm sure it's going to be like that for many, many years to come. For me to be considered a part of that feels really great. I have been working really hard for that, and for me at this age it says a lot with everything that I'm putting in to get to that level, and I want to stay there. I want to be a part of it.

Q. Your thoughts on Maria Sakkari who came through beating Naomi Osaka today, your thoughts on that match?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. I watched a little bit of that match. She played really well. Like, she was just dominating right from the start. Naomi wasn't quite there.

But she's coming off a great win. I mean, I'm coming off a pretty great win too. But I'm sure she's very confident, and I have watched her play many, many times so I kind of know what to expect, but obviously it's different once I step out there.

I'm just gonna have to adjust with what I know now and what I am going to see on the court. But I know it's going to be a battle, and I'm really looking forward to it.