MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 2, 2023

Zhang Zhizhen

Press Conference

Z. ZHIZHEN/T. Fritz

3-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. That's five tiebreaks in a row, three matches as well against Denis, Cam, and then today Taylor, all finishing with a deciding set tiebreak. What's the trick?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Seven, no? It was seven tiebreakers?

Q. I have five in a row.

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: First round one, second round two, third round two, today two.

Q. Okay. Your mathematics is better than mine. All right. Tell me what the trick is, anyway.

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Because always lose in the tiebreaks so I always remember those tiebreaks I won. How many I got already, six wins, one lose? That's amazing. Never happen.

Before I was always losing tiebreak. Many big moment, many big important match. US Open, those also 250, I remember those all 6-1, 6-2 up and then losing. It's come back now. It's time is different (smiling).

Q. What's the difference?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Nothing different. It just happen.

If you play too many, if you play more and more, you cannot losing all the time. 6-2, you cannot losing all, you cannot losing 10 times 6-2. For sure have to let me win some, right?

Q. How do you feel this week? Do you feel you're playing your best tennis with a kind of magic, or is it just something you think it's logical?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: First of all, I think here the altitude is helping me for the serve, because, I mean, big serve is helping me to hold the service game. That's why there is so many tiebreaks I play.

Even I couldn't break the guy, but then still, I win the match, because I holding my service game into the tiebreak. Tiebreak, nobody knows what's going on, just few points' difference. So I think, yeah, the place is helping.

Q. How much do you feel sensitive today, it's incredible, because you are the first from your country in the quarter of a Masters 1000, you were the first in the top 100. Each time you are the first of something, is it something easy to deal with?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Well, many firsts, because we start late. So we still have a lot of space to create a lot of things.

First, well, first in Masters, quarterfinal, whatever, first clay court Masters win. It just by the time we will make a living more, and then it's different, yeah.

Q. You talk about the altitude, but would you expect to do such a result on clay or do you prefer to play on hard court?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Well, I prefer on hard. Also, I don't like altitude here. I mean, not here. Normally I don't like altitude, because for my baseline, the ball is flying so much because I like to play a little bit longer rally.

Then here, I mean, bad altitude you cannot play too much rally because you don't control the ball. I was very surprised how I had a result here really.

Q. How do you imagine now the ending of this tournament? How do you imagine what will happen now during the week?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Now, I mean, next match, I mean, what I can do is just, again, keep my service game because altitude is helping for the serve. So, I mean, just try to make some like start from the serve, like keep the service game. Then I can have some game to play with other guys.

Q. Congratulations on the result. I know you mentioned that it's taken, I guess, the Chinese a little bit longer to get where we are right now because we had so many amazing Chinese female players who have been able to kind of pave the way. Can you talk about the inspiration you have drawn from people like Li Na and watching what those players do when you were younger ultimately gave you the confidence or the belief that you could do it yourself as well?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: First of all, I'm very sorry, I really not watching too many matches from the girls, ladies. That's was a little bit tough for us. Also, I mean, those final for sure we watched. Maybe we don't watch but we know the result. We care.

I mean, it's tough to say how they are playing, but we know the story. You know, like for example, Zhang Shuai, her lost how many first rounds in Grand Slam first round, like 11, 10, something like this. First time she went to the quarterfinal, right? I mean, those stories, very good story.

Then also very good to me, because that moment I had three five-set first round. I'm also not giving up. Yeah.

Q. I know you were born in Shanghai. I have family in Shanghai. I want to ask about how you got your start in tennis and ultimately how you got to where you are now.

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: From how I started is like that moment I had a choice. Started I had swimming and tennis both I can choose. Also school, but for sure not school (smiling).

I mean, I choose tennis in the end, because it's a little bit fun in that moment, yeah.

Q. Amazing week. A very short question. I'm reading there Zhizhen Zhang. How is the correct pronunciation of your name?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: So first of all, in China we make last name to the forward. So it's going to Zhang Zhizhen. Yeah.

Q. Aslan next. Give me some thoughts on your forehand, for example, against his forehand and the match in general against Karatsev. You had a practice set and you lost 6-Love in the practice set. How are you going to change things when you play him?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: How I'm gonna change things? I don't know (smiling). At the moment, I don't know. But for sure I know practice is practice and match is different.

Still, I mean, can tell me that is for sure it's tough to play for me, because 6-0 is tough to play, especially here.

I don't know how I'm gonna do. We'll see. Let's see. I have no idea at the moment. At moment is just too tired for today (smiling).

Q. The draw is very open. There are three players that playing here in ATP Challenger Tour. Do you feel that the level of ATP Challenger is increasing?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: You mean the level of the Challengers, the level is increasing? Of course, I mean, because also because those 175 Challengers super tough, because always, how do you say, it's second week of the Masters, first time I played Challenger super strong, but, I mean, in general, the Challenger level is getting up, I think, yes.

Q. If you win the next match, you are going to be the best Chinese player in the world. How do you feel with that?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: This is not what I should care about this. I should care about more -- I should focus more on the match how I have to play for the next one. Ranking is just result, so focus on the match how I play, and then the result will come. If not, wait. Next time (smiling).