AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2024

Zheng Qinwen

Press Conference

Z. QINWEN/W. Yafan

6-4, 2-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: You just had a great match, and then you also just met and caught up with someone very special, Li Na. Just how was that experience for you?

ZHENG QINWEN: Well, you guys prepare really well because that was totally surprise for me. She just went to me like this, say congratulations. I was feeling super happy to met her and have the chance to talk with her because I never talked with her in personal. That was feeling really special for me.

You know, I feel she's much more beautiful than what I saw her -- when I saw her on TV before (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: We'll go to English questions.

Q. Just talking about today's match, it was very high quality from both of you. Can you talk through a little bit of what your mindset was like as that match got a lot tighter, and what was the key that you kept telling yourself at the end?

ZHENG QINWEN: Actually, I start the match quite well. I playing the structure of my game. I step inside when I have to. I had more patience at beginning.

Start in the second set actually I was feeling my focus was dropping a bit. Also, those quality of balls is not the same like in the first set. She had really, like, stable baseline game. I think that makes me feel like really difficult.

I think the baseline stroke of her is one of the best. I really can say that. I just lost the second set. You know, it was so fast like that, so I have to change my mindset in the third set.

The third set everybody is there fighting, so just point by point. We had a really difficult super tiebreak. That was amazing to won the match like that.

Q. Playing on the main court, Rod Laver Arena, I know you've reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal before. In such an early round, is that something you were expecting here, and did you really like the environment?

ZHENG QINWEN: Well, I think every Grand Slam is different. They have their own atmosphere. You know, my best result here before was only second round, so today when I win the match, I was super, super happy.

I enjoy a lot, and I can't even believe. I just throw the racquet like this when I won because usually I never do that. That was my honestly real reaction in the last point when I won, yeah.

Q. With Li Na, have you had any message exchanges or phone calls with her before, or was today the very first time?

ZHENG QINWEN: Very first time. We don't have each other's WeChat, no phone calls. We met once before when I was a junior, but not single-to-single, face-to-face. I didn't have the chance to talk with her, but today is the real first time we talk with each other.

Q. Did she give you any great advice?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah. She said to me don't think too much, just keep simple. I think that's right now what I need to do as well, yeah.

Q. When did you move to Barcelona, and why was that? Can you tell me your coach's history? I think you've been training in Beijing under Carlos Rodriguez. When did you switch to Wim Fissette, Naomi Osaka's coach? Now you are coached by Pere Riba. Can you tell me that history a little bit.

ZHENG QINWEN: I've been practicing (indiscernible) between like 12 to 16, I would say. I started to practice in Barcelona like three years ago. Obviously we had a great work with each other with my coach right now.

Honestly, to finish with him last year, that was not my -- I don't supposed to, and it wasn't my real decision. But right now I'm just happy to be here, to have my team back. Yeah, I just say, Let's go for it for this tournament.

There is nothing I want to say about Wim Fissette, yeah.

Q. This was just last year?

ZHENG QINWEN: Last year?

Q. Last year with Wim Fissette?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, so was just a couple of months. There's nothing I want to say especially, yeah.

Q. Before this you were being trained by that Carlos Rodriguez?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yes, I practiced there for three years and a half, something like that.

Q. In Beijing?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, in Beijing.

Q. In the last few points of the tiebreak, the match tiebreak were quite intense and quite physical. Can you remember or talk through maybe kind of the way that you played those points. What were you thinking? Because I know obviously you're a very aggressive player, but it seems like your defense kind of was very important towards the end of that tiebreak.

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, it's true at the end when it comes moment like this, I feel my power reduced a bit in that moment, especially I feel she got really good baseline stroke, and she had really good defense, so makes me feel my attack wasn't enough. So I got those unforced errors.

You know in that moment the most important is how you going to win that point instead of to just thinking about to be aggressive. Of course, you need aggressive to win, but the most important is when to use aggressive and then how to win. I did a good job today I would say.

Q. Obviously this Grand Slam is as close as you're going to have a Grand Slam near home. Do you feel the difference between the Australian Open, you know, obviously being a Chinese player, compared to when you play New York, France, you know, London?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, I would say obviously Australian Open has much more Chinese fans, so I feel like all-around I'm playing at home because the crowd was supporting me more. In US Open it's more like half and half. Sometimes they support opponents more; sometimes it's me.

It's totally different atmosphere. It's the first time I arrive in the fourth round here, so that was special.