US OPEN

September 5, 2021

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/S. Halep

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Give us your thoughts on the match and a successful first week.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, was a great match today. I really enjoyed closed roof with a good crowd. As always, we have big battles with Simona. Definitely it was another good one and I'm really happy with the win today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Back in the quarterfinals. Can you talk about the match in terms of being able to pull away in the second half of those two sets, any adjustments you made? How much do you think the roof had an impact?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, regarding the roof, I don't think it made a huge difference because it's for both of us. We had some matches indoors, outdoors, different surface, different kind of situations.

Regarding the second part of both sets, I think in the first set the key game was coming back from 15-40 at 3-All. It was really important to take one point at a time and fight to come back. I think it was really strong performance from me on the important moments, even when Simona came back in the second set to break me again.

It was extremely tough, but I think I was mentally strong, didn't let that break me. Really helped me to close this match in two sets.

Q. Of all the times in your career, how would you compare the way you're playing now and your confidence level with all those other periods in your career?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, it's pretty tough to see what was before because for sure I was playing some great tennis before in the past, as well, being No. 3 in the world, now No. 5, 6. It's different years, different performance.

But right now I'm feeling good. I think I'm playing really aggressive right now. I think the most aggressive I've ever been, making lots of winners, serving really good.

I want to keep this going, feeling that I'm in a good mind. Yeah, ready for my next match. I'm just looking right now for my next challenge.

Q. Next match could be Kerber, Fernandez. You have a long history with Angie and shorter with Fernandez.

ELINA SVITOLINA: With Angie, played many times. Recently played in Cincinnati. It didn't go my way, but it still was a great battle. I was feeling that I was not far from the win. Maybe few points decided that match.

Always we have a good matches. Again, it's going to be another big challenge for me. Another good player. I'm looking forward to that one if it's going to be her.

Regarding Fernandez, played once in Monterrey. She was striking the ball already good there. It was a tough match for me. I think was 7-5, 7-5, something like that. I really saw in that time that she can play great tennis. Right now we can see that she improved. She started to believe more, I guess, in herself. Beating Naomi, it's a good sign that she's playing well.

It's going to be interesting match between Angie and Fernandez, so we will see how it goes. Either way for me it's important to focus on my game and to bring my best game to quarterfinal.

Q. How cool is it to have your husband in the stands rooting for you?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Very cool.

Q. (No microphone.)

ELINA SVITOLINA: Sorry, the question?

Q. Does your husband also coach you and give you a lot of advice going into such a big match coming up?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I have my coach for that. Gael, he's more like a supporting person for me, for sure. We chat a lot about tennis.

But, you know, it goes either way. I also support him. He has his coaching team as well. We're not really coaching each other. It's more massive support that we have for each other. That's pretty much it.

Q. After you won Chicago you were talking about the struggles of the first half of the season up until the Olympics. How different did you feel coming in and playing the US Open compared to how you felt playing Aussie Open, French Open, Wimbledon this year?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I didn't think so much about that. I was more taking one match at a time. Even right now I take just one match. I have tomorrow a day off. It's going to be time for recovery, for preparing for my next match. For sure I'm feeling that I'm in the right place right now. I'm feeling good on the court. My movement is good.

For sure it was a good decision, good call from Andy to get a wild card to play in Chicago. I had some good matches because obviously after Cincinnati, that match against Angie, was maybe not my best performance.

Right now I just want to focus on this moment where I'm feeling good, where I just want to build on that, I want to focus on the next challenge that I'm going to get in the next round.