INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 13, 2024

Zheng Qinwen

Press Conference

ZHENG QINWEN/N. Osaka

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Qinwen, congratulations. Strong performance out there. Can you share your thoughts about the match.

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, obviously today it's not easy to play against her because she won many Grand Slam before and she's tough to beat.

I just give my everything on court and is glad today the match went in my way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your match against her back in the hard courts in San Jose a few years ago, did you think about that match? Do you take anything you learned from that match to today or did you go in clean?

ZHENG QINWEN: Honestly, I just go clean today 'cause that match was long time ago. It was my first year in tour. There's nothing to compare to that match.

'Cause also in that moment we are playing on hard court. The game was totally different, hard to clay...

Today I just go clean, set up my game and go for it.

Q. You worked a lot with Wim Fissette last year. Now he's working with Naomi. Did you think anything he knew about your game would help Naomi today?

ZHENG QINWEN: Sorry, can you repeat a again?

Q. Did you think anything that Wim learned about your game from working with you, he'd be able to tell Naomi and that would help her?

ZHENG QINWEN: Honestly, I don't really care 'cause I think the players, especially me as a player, I try to develop my game all the time. I'm always trying to find the room that I can improve. I feel once I stop to improve is where my tennis is going down.

They have their own game plan. I have my own game plan. So let's have a fight today and let's see who has a better feeling, better mentality, better game today.

Like what I say before, today the match went in my way. I feel pretty good in my serve, my return, and all my groundstrokes. So, yeah, I'm pretty happy with the win today.

Q. What aspect of your game do you think you've most improved since the first time you played Naomi?

ZHENG QINWEN: Compared to last time, I would say, well, it's tough to compare. Last time we were playing hard court, this time it's clay. In clay, it's different game style.

If you really want to compare, I want to say maybe the return. I'm able to return her serve today. I try to make her play as more as I can compare to the last time.

I remember last time the match went in third set. In the third set I lose my service game really fast. But today what I'm doing good is when I lost my service game in the first set, I'm able to come back and trying to find a way to break her back again.

Even the second set, the game was really, really tight in one moment. I was Love-30 down, but I'm able to still keep my service game, trying to put the first serve in.

I think the serve and the return makes the different today.

Q. You said on court how much you love playing in Italy. Do you remember the first time you came to this country? What do you like about it?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, the first time I came in this country I think when I was 13, 14 years old as a junior. I won couple of ITF G1 in Italy. Also my first WTA champion in Palermo. Then I think I make my first quarterfinal 1000 in Rome.

I love the atmosphere. I love here. Every time I play Italy, I feel good. Always the player, we have those such a tournament that we love. Playing here feels really comfortable. I would say Rome is one of the place that I love to playing here. Feels comfortable for me.

Q. A few weeks ago you were saying maybe after the Australian Open you struggled to find the hunger again.

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah.

Q. Sometimes, especially when someone is top ranked, it can be hard to get super motivated when you're playing lower-ranked players in the early rounds. Against Naomi, it's probably not difficult to get motivated in this match. Is that how you felt today? It felt like that was one of the best match performances you've had in a few months.

ZHENG QINWEN: Well, I would say yes, you are right. Compare to the few round before, the matches I play before, today is the match I feel really hungry, really excited. Before entering the match, actually I'm already hoping to play on court. I enjoy to compete with her because I know she got really great level.

I jump on the court, I say to myself that I want to show my good tennis again and to really compete with her, show the big respect that I have, so I'm going to just give my everything.

After Australia, there is a couple stage for me I lose the hungry. Also in the practice I was little bit not so focus in some stage. Then I come back with myself, over-confidence. I think I'm writing everything. I have some fight with the coach, some fight with my team.

But after couple loss, I start to say, Well, maybe time to change my mentality again because the things not going my way. There's something I'm thinking wrong or doing wrong.

Right now I just come back to my normal level. If you want to win a match, you need to be balance, be humble 'cause when you are over-confidence, the things are really not doing well.

That's what I learn from my mistake before.

Q. Looking ahead, you'll play either Coco or Paula Badosa. Do you think there will be a struggle to be hungry in that match? What do you think of playing each of those players?

ZHENG QINWEN: I think doesn't matter who I play against, it's good for me. I think when you are in quarterfinal, every player are hungry. Especially me, I'm really excited to play my next match again.

Both of them, I would say they're tough to beat. They had really good performance before. Doesn't matter who I play against, I just going to show my everything, give my best, treat them like the best player I going to face in front. Just enjoy my tennis.