CHINA OPEN

October 8, 2023

Marie Bouzkova

Sara Sorribes Tormo

Press Conference

BOUZKOVA-SORRIBES TORMO/Chan-Olmos

3-6, 6-0, 10-4

THE MODERATOR: Marie and Sara, congratulations on your victory today. Can you both give us your overall thoughts on the match.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Well, I think, of course, a very tough match from the beginning, especially just came out really playing well. It was a very big challenge for us. Especially I think in the second set we kind of managed to have a good momentum, started doing things even better because that's what it took to make some change, try to make some change in this match.

In the end it was just a real big battle through the whole super tiebreak, as well.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. They had break points in almost all your service games in the first set, then you didn't face a break point at all in the second set. Talk about what the change was there, just a little bit more specifically what changed to make you get a 6-0 second set, then run away with the super tiebreak?

SARA SORRIBES TORMO: Well, good to know (smiling).

But I think at the beginning we were doing the things not bad, but they were doing better because they are very good doubles player, and we are not playing doubles that much, so they do things better than us. We were trying to find our game, our style. That's why I think in the second set we kind of found it.

We were trying to say each other, Keep it simple, keep it simple, keep going for what we have to do, doesn't matter if they were moving a lot or not.

I think it was a very, very tough match. Even if we didn't face any break points any more, but it was very tough. I'm very proud and very happy to be able to enjoy this tournament with Marie.

Q. I was wondering if you could just talk a little bit about what your week has been like. You had the big win in the first round against the French Open champions. Just in general, being in Beijing, getting these wins, having it seems like a good vibe throughout the week.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, I think the first-round match was really tough, so we had to just pretty much, like, start as strong as we can right from the start, right from the first round. Then, obviously, that was a super hard match to find a way to win.

Then we had some days off. We went to the Great Wall of China, so we did something off the court, as well. Then I think just throughout the week, we've been, like, telling ourselves just to keep repeating day after day, doing the same things and being focused on the right things at the moment.

Just enjoy the moment, as well, because that's our main strength, that we enjoy so much. We just try to find the way to fight for every point and give ourselves the best chance as we can in the moment. I think that's what we did pretty much the whole week here or anywhere that we play. Pretty much like that every single time.

I think that's something that we enjoy so much or I enjoy so much, from Sara and her team. It's just like a pleasure to experience every single day and every single match.

SARA SORRIBES TORMO: I don't know if I have something else to say.

Yeah, for me, Marie of course is a very good friend, someone that I really love. It's very nice to be playing with a person that no matter what happens on court is going to be everything okay. We are just trying to enjoy every time we play together, trying to enjoy every time we can practice together.

The other day she was telling me, because we had a couple days after we won our second-round match, she was telling me it was like when we were practicing in Australia these two weeks. That's good for us (smiling).

We enjoy having time together. We have, of course, our space as well. We are focused on our singles and we are trying to improve every day.

Yeah, it's of course a pleasure.

THE MODERATOR: I've heard that someone just celebrated her birthday on court. Sara, could you tell us what were your feelings when everything just happened, the trophy, the audience all singing happy birthday.

SARA SORRIBES TORMO: It was very nice. I don't know if I can say any other word in Chinese. I've been saying the whole week xie-xie to everyone. I've been doing like this. I think it worked (smiling).

I'm just very, very happy. It's like a privilege for me to be playing on these kind of courts with a friend, enjoying with my team, yeah, everyone who came out to see the match. But it's not only today. Since the first day I feel, I don't know, super happy to be on court again and to be here, just enjoy every day.

But, of course, today was even more special for me.