US OPEN

September 1, 2023

Belinda Bencic

Press Conference

B. BENCIC/L. Zhu

7-6, 2-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts as now you move on to the next round.

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, pleased that I pulled it out in the end. It was a difficult match, for sure, like a roller coaster, up and down.

Yeah, I think it was some good rallies there, as well. In the end it was really just a battle so I'm happy I pulled it through.

Q. You've been playing this tournament since 2014. Talk about how your experience over the years helps you in a match like that.

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, it helps you to lose a lot of these kind of matches. Eventually then you can learn sometimes from your mistakes. Sometimes you do the same mistake again. It's never ending. You always kind of have to figure out yourself in that situation once again.

But for sure the experience always helps you and kind of, like, the mindset in these kind of moments.

Q. Are you a wiser player than you were when you started?

BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, it's difficult to say. Of course sometimes I feel like I can deal with some situations better, like kind of push through sometimes when I couldn't before. But then I feel, as well, when I was younger I was maybe more fearless, maybe more relaxed because I was coming from juniors and have nothing to lose.

It's always some kind of different situation depending also where you are in your life.

Q. Your assessment about how the third set went?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I'm really happy that in the third set I found it again and I pulled it through when it mattered the most.

Yeah, for sure, she's playing really good tennis. She beat a lot of good opponents. I also watched her play in Australia. Sometimes I feel like the better you play at her, the better she plays back. Sometimes it was actually better to just hit a slower ball to her.

Yeah, she's a tricky player definitely.

Q. (Question regarding next possible opponents: Elena or Sorana.)

BELINDA BENCIC: Of course, both opponents are very difficult. It's a real battle for them as well. Every match is a battle. You cannot really choose an easy opponent or an easy day. It's always going to be tricky.

Sometimes it's just one or two times per year where you have a match where everything is going really good. Most of the time you just have to fight it through and not win always pretty. I think that's what they're doing, as well.

Yeah, both is going to be very tough. Of course, I know Sora well. She's definitely a fierce competitor. Also, Elena, she's definitely a big hitter, serving really good.

Q. You posted some good results here over the years. What is it about these courts that suits your game well?

BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, I think it's combination, for sure, the conditions suits me. The hard court is a good speed I think for my game. This year we have different balls, but still I think the air is pretty humid also in the day and in the night, so it's not flying like crazy like Indian Wells, let's say. I think it suits me very good.

From the first time I was here, I really enjoy to be here. It's the biggest stage so I really want to win. I'm trying and fighting my best in the matches.