SYDNEY TENNIS CLASSIC

January 13, 2022

Daria Kasatkina

Press Conference

D. KASATKINA/G. Muguruza

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Can you just talk about your match? First of all, what do you feel like was the difference today?

DARIA KASATKINA: Oh, well, you know, playing Garbine on the big stages of the tournament, it always feels, I mean, if not special, but special, okay (smiling).

Yeah, I think it's also very good preparation before a slam, you know, because anyway, it feels different to play on the big courts against a big player. I'm happy with my appearance today on the court.

At the beginning I was maybe a bit overexcited, I wanted to do too much, but at the end I was able to control myself and took few good decisions and happy with the result.

Q. You already had a good result last week in Melbourne and you were playing pretty well here in Sydney, but to get a win over Garbine, it's the first top-5 win for you in a few years. Obviously she's playing very, very well. What does specifically getting a win over a player of her caliber mean to you right now?

DARIA KASATKINA: For sure it's gonna give me the confidence, because last thing she won was the WTA Finals. So, I mean, for sure she's playing very good tennis.

Okay, it was her first tournament of the year, but anyway, she's amazing player. For sure, yeah, wins like this, giving the confidence. It's very important, especially at the beginning of the season, where you don't know how you're going to start and if you are going to lose a few matches, if it's going to affect you and your game, but I'm happy with the way I'm doing now, yeah.

Q. Looking ahead you play Paula Badosa in the semis. What do you make of that matchup? What do you make of her kind of improvement that she made over the last 12 months? What do you think?

DARIA KASATKINA: Obviously, yeah, she made a big jump in the ranking, in the level, and everything. She also finished the season playing Finals, WTA Finals. I mean, we are same age, so we know each other pretty well. It's gonna be nice.

You know, it's always nice to have these kind of stories where you start playing some Tennis Europe tournaments and under-12 together, and out of nowhere, you know, the past of the years you're playing semifinals in the big tournaments against each other. I think this is nice things.

Well, gonna enjoy the match, for sure. When it comes to the quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, it's about how to deal with the nerves and with the tiredness, because anyway, you play plenty of matches and it's just who manage better.

Q. How are you feeling physically?

DARIA KASATKINA: Ah, not bad. I mean, maybe before the matches I can feel a bit tired, but when I step on the court with adrenaline and, you know, with sweat, you're feeling much better (smiling).

Many, many players suffering before the match but then playing very good during the match. I think this is my situation. I'm going to be happy to step on the court tomorrow and feel fresh again.

Q. You mentioned playing low levels, juniors, Tennis Europe tournaments and stuff. Do you remember at all the first time you played against Paula, met Paula, saw Paula at an event? Do you remember at all?

DARIA KASATKINA: I think we never played each other, as I remember. But first time we saw each other was on some Tennis Europe under-14 in Spain. In Barcelona, actually. I even have pictures, maybe on Facebook or on Russian Facebook, for sure somewhere I have pictures. Yeah, that was the first time.

Then we saw each other in Moscow, Tennis Europe Championship. And, I mean, yeah, it's nice to have stories like this.

Q. Obviously with the result last week and result this week, how are you feeling at the start of the season with the results that you have been able to put together, the points you have been able to kind of earn? How confident are you, even at this point without playing the next few matches going into Melbourne?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, I think this is the best start of my career ever. I think I never start the season that well.

I mean, to win always feels amazing. Doesn't matter if you are winning the matches right before a slam and you maybe feel you're tired, it doesn't matter, because the better you win the matches than you lose, you know, first round, and then you go and you have one week to practice, but for what? You have been practicing the whole preseason.

So the most important is the confidence, and you get it by winning matches. This is the most important, because at the end, okay, tiredness can affect of course, but the most important is to feel confidence while you're playing.

As I said, you get it only if you're playing a lot of matches and winning them. So in this way, I'm happy with the way it's going now, and I hope to keep going the same way.