BNP PARIBAS OPEN

October 12, 2021

Shelby Rogers

Press Conference

S. ROGERS/L. Fernandez

2-6, 6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Can you give us your thoughts on the match and how you thought your performance was out there today.

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, I thought it was an incredible battle today. I thought we both played really well at times, and it was a sort of tug-of-war kind of match, one that's really fun to play actually. It's a special sort of challenge.

The crowd was into it on both sides. They wanted good tennis. They wanted more tennis. So I'm just really happy to come through that one and overcome some, you know, emotional and mental battles during that match and beat someone that's playing really well.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You talked about just how tight that match was and dealing with kind of the emotional roller coasters that kind of unfolded as that match did. You did a great job of really not reacting to let cords, to incredible match points saved, a lot of little things that could have allowed you to get a little bit behind. Was that concerted effort? Is that the result of work you have been putting in? Talk about that aspect of it.

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, it was definitely a conscious adjustment, for sure. I felt like I had opportunities late in the set. She had a couple of breakpoints as well, so it's just recognizing those moments and knowing, okay, if I play well for 30 seconds right here, you know, I could make my life a lot easier.

Yeah, that let was really, really tough, but, you know, sometimes you need luck in a tennis match. I just knew if I could stay tough on my service games I would get chances and just keep saying tough, keep saying tough. Thankfully I pulled it out in the breaker.

It was really, really huge for my confidence to save a couple of those breakpoints there that she had, because that would have been really a tough ask to break back. So I was just thankful I could, like I said, take care of my serve today.

Q. The last three events you have beaten Ash, beaten Bianca, and now have beaten Leylah. Great wins. Tight ones down the stretch. Talk about how your confidence level is going towards the end of this season and what it feels like to make the quarters here.

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, confidence is a funny thing. It can kind of come and go. For me, it's a little bit of how you view it, as well. You could always see it as confidence is always there in a way, and you have it, you just have to pull it out at certain moments.

So I think confidence is tricky and a little bit overrated, in my opinion. I think if you can just try and stay in the moment at certain times and, you know, lock in and know exactly what you're trying to do out there on the court, it makes it a little bit easier, takes a bit of pressure off yourself.

Obviously easier said than done, but that's what we all strive to do, one point at a time, stay in the moment and not worry about, Oh, am I confident to hit this shot or not? It's just, Do I need to hit the shot? Is this the right one to hit? That's what it comes down to.

Q. That's a fascinating concept of confidence is overrated. How did you kind of come to that, I guess is my question, this conclusion?

SHELBY ROGERS: I mean, I just think like you see a lot of the top players that are so consistent week in and week out, and they know that they have put in the preparation, they have put in the work. When they need it, their game is going to be there.

I think it's more like experience for me that brings the "confidence," but I think people just put -- maybe not overrated, but people just put a lot of emphasis on confidence, and I think you can win a lot of matches without it still, if you're really good at bluffing it and you have good body language and you have good tactics and you win the right points at the right time.

I think if confidence gets in your head too much, that's what I mean by overrated, like it can sway you one way or another, and I don't think it needs to have that power. At least that's what I'm telling myself (smiling).

Q. Looking ahead, you've got Ostapenko next, a big hitter. What do you think about that matchup, particularly in these conditions, which can change from day to day? Seems like they have been changing from day to day. What do you make of that matchup here in Indian Wells?

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, I think she's loving the conditions here. She's doing well in singles and took me out in doubles already, so looking for a little revenge, I suppose, for my partner and I. (Laughter.)

But, yeah, she's been having some really solid wins as well and it's going to be another battle, absolutely. She's playing consistent and aggressive and serving well, from what I saw. I'll have to go watch her match again, because it was going on at a similar time.

Do a little scouting and get myself ready and excited for a little night tennis tomorrow.

Q. Leylah, problem-solving that match, splitting sets, lopsided each way, and both of you were playing so well in terms of off the baseline and also up at the forecourt and into the wings. In terms of problem-solving in that match, how did that play out over the course of it and what adjustments did you find yourself having to make at different times?

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, I thought in the first set tactically I was doing okay, constructing points pretty well, just execution was a little bit off. I made a few too many errors, especially on big points and, you know, points where I could give myself a little cushion, as well.

So in the second set I just told myself to lock in, be a little cleaner, clean up the garbage, stop giving her too many free points and that sort of thing.

But the tactics relatively stayed the same, and again, I just wanted to take care of my serve today. I thought that was huge. But we know each other's games pretty well. We have practiced a bit in Florida, and during the lockdown, during COVID, we played some live-stream matches and things like this.

There were no secrets out there as far as what either of us were trying to do. It was just a matter of execution today.