US OPEN

August 27, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

J. PAOLINI/B. Andreescu

6-7, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tough three-set match, almost three hours. Your thoughts on how you played today?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yes, it was a really tough match. I already played three times this year against Bianca. It's always tough. Here she won the tournament, so I knew that it's going to be a really tough match.

Yeah, at the end I was really tired, but I'm really happy that I get through this match.

THE MODERATOR: You've had a very good year. Can you talk about that?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yes, I know that I'm playing well. I'm playing good, but every tournament is different. So I knew that this was a really tough first round, so I tried to stay focused, to stay in the present, and to try to play a good match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. After that first set, such a hard-fought one that could have gone either way, what were you telling yourself?

JASMINE PAOLINI: It was tough after the first set. You know, I was close to win it, but not enough. I was repeating to myself to try to relax a little bit because I was a little bit nervous. The forehand wasn't working I think the first set, but then I tried to push more, to be more relaxed.

I think I started to hit the ball better. Yeah, I'm happy that my level could rise up a little bit, yeah.

Q. Speaking of that level, obviously in the third set it seemed like you just kind of had all the answers. You were seeing the ball it seemed pretty well outside of maybe that one game. Talk about how difficult of an opponent she was today, just kind of the way her game was going, and how you held her off in the end.

JASMINE PAOLINI: You know, it's tough. It's tough to play first round against her, you know. She won here. She's a really great player.

I think today she played a really good match. Both of us, it was a fight, almost three hours. So I don't know.

I try to do my best, you know, to try to hit the ball, to push every ball to try to move her because I think she was a little bit struggling physically, but me too at one point.

It was a really great battle. I enjoy it a lot because it's nice to play in front of the crowd like this in the evening. It's something great I try to enjoy.

Q. What did you guys say at the net?

JASMINE PAOLINI: She told me that I'm playing well and that she hope next time she's going to win. I said to her, I hope no (laughing). Yeah, it's tough every time playing against her, I have to say.