CITI OPEN

August 3, 2022

Daria Saville

Press Conference

D. SAVILLE/J. Pegula

7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: You just knocked out the No. 1 seed and the defending champ. How does it feel?

DARIA SAVILLE: Feels pretty good. I was really excited to play against a top-10 player again. It was a great challenge. To get away with a win is even better.

You know, I feel like, okay, I feel like I'm playing really good tennis right now. I'm excited for more.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Second top-10 win of the season. What was the recovery like for you after that long match? How were you feeling heading into today?

DARIA SAVILLE: I did ice baths, nutrition, I had a massage. The next day I hit for like 30 minutes and, you know, it was pretty light. Like 10 minutes of it I was hitting with my coach's daughter. She's like 13. Just having fun. You know, like more just to feel better like, you know, be more active, because if I was just going to stay in bed all day, I would get even more stiff.

I had massage again, which was nice. So it was pretty -- it was a pretty chill day. Tomorrow I'm going to have another super-light day and have massage again (smiling), because I think I'm not playing tomorrow.

Q. A question about the conditions. I know maybe no one loves to be out there in this heat. How do you make of it, and do you feel like it brings out some of your better tennis?

DARIA SAVILLE: Actually, yeah. I played pretty good. I definitely had to manage my energy. You know, normally I pump myself up, and I do a few more "Come ons," and I celebrate a lot more. But I was, like, Oh, I can't even celebrate. It was a good shot, but I can't yell out a "Come on" here.

So that was something I had to accept. I was, like, Okay, I'm not wasting any energy.

You know, I felt like it was really, really important to win the first set. I thought that, like, for me it would have been really hard to be composed in the second set if I lost the first set. I would have been like, Oh, my God, this is a struggle here.

So, yeah, I tried my best to win the first set.

Q. What did you learn about yourself from a big victory like this? Did you go about preparing any differently, knowing that you were going to be playing against the top seed and the defending champion?

DARIA SAVILLE: In terms of it doesn't matter who I played; I would prepare the same. Obviously different tactics, depending on who I play.

But I think I stayed really composed today. Like I said before, I managed the energy really well. I was pretty proud of myself the way I served it out in the first and second set. So yeah.

Q. I thought you had a pretty subdued celebration when you won the first set, just a simple fist pump?

DARIA SAVILLE: Yeah, for sure. I was dying out there. Like it was really hot (smiling). I just came from Melbourne, and it was winter and we were training indoors.

I don't know if you have been to Australian Open and if you have been to the National Tennis Centre, the indoor courts. It's really hot when it's hot, because there is no like air conditioner, and there is no heating.

So when there was no heating, it was seriously like training in an icebox. I was wearing sweatpants like with fleeced sweatpants indoors because it was that cold. We were having no breaks, because we would just like cool down and, you know, we had to keep the intensity up during the sessions.

But after that, I had a week in Orlando, in Florida, so that prepared me for this week a little bit. But to be fair, I practiced in the morning, like early mornings to avoid the heat.

Yeah, today it was very, very hot for me. But I think it's hot for everyone, so I was, like, if I'm hot, she's hot, everyone's hot, so get on with it.

Q. Speaking of hot, it's obviously a big deal to take out the U.S. No. 1, a No. 1 seed, even at a 250, but how does this rank? You having defeated Sharapova, Kvitova, Kerber, the list goes on and on. So where is this in that pecking order?

DARIA SAVILLE: Well, it's up there. Every top-10 win is up there. I definitely, like, thought about it before the match and said to my coach, Hey, let's get another top-10 win here.

So, yeah, I'm happy about it, and I think that creates kind of like, you know, good reputation and players are going to see, okay, she's playing well. She has had some good wins this year.

Q. I'm wondering, for the year as a whole, you have been back from your injury since the start of the year, but given the lengthy absence last year, how much of an appreciation do you have for weeks like this, opportunities like this, wins like this, given you didn't have those opportunities a year ago?

DARIA SAVILLE: Before having surgery, I was actually really excited to have the surgery, because I have been struggling with the Achilles injury for a long time, and the reason why I didn't have the surgery was because there wasn't enough like damage. Then when there was enough damage, I was, like, Yes, finally (smiling).

The reason why I really wanted that surgery, I was like, This is just not giving me a chance like to see my whole potential. Because I was, like, I was hurting.

So now I'm like, Okay, you have a chance now every week to see how far you can go, how much improvement you can make. Like these little wins I take every single day or every single week. You know, today, even though I won the match, there were other things that I'm proud of myself.

So, yeah, I have kind of different appreciation for my job, for the sport, and I really, really enjoy it. I do really like tennis, so I really wanted to come back and get out and about and travel again and play tennis, yeah.

Q. Jess is the higher-ranked opponent out there, but it feels like you had a lot more experience. I was just curious what you make of the current field and if you sense there are a lot of opportunities out there even if you are just coming back from injury.

DARIA SAVILLE: I think definitely there is opportunities. I think everyone here in the draw, I feel like everyone's attitude is, Hey, I'm here to win the tournament. And I'm no different.

So I want to go as far as possible, and I am hoping to win the whole thing, you know. Like my attitude is, yeah, like, Okay, let's go. Let's win the tournament (smiling).

That doesn't mean I'm going to, but I'm not being like arrogant, but I definitely want to.