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US OPEN

September 6, 2019

Belinda Bencic

New York, NY, USA

B. ANDREESCU/B. Bencic

7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk about this tournament, to get to the semifinals, can you take some positives away or right now are you feeling disappointment?
BELINDA BENCIC: Of course, very much disappointed. After every loss, you are. That's no surprise.

But overall really we talk with the team just now what we reach here, semifinal. It's my best result by far. We should definitely not take this for granted and be grateful for that. I think that put me in a more positive mood.

Q. Your opponent was a bit of a surprise to many people. Should people be surprised at the fact in her first major draw she's got to the finals of the US Open?
BELINDA BENCIC: I don't think anyone was surprised. Honestly, she won Indian Wells, Toronto. She beat so many great players. I definitely was not surprised. I don't think anyone should be.

I think she's definitely a great player. She totally deserves to be in the final, so yeah.

Q. What do you think you did well to get yourself into those positions in the first and second set? Where do you think it slipped away?
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, overall I just think it was a big fight, a big battle. I think it was very tactical. Bianca plays smart. I think I can play smart or like try to make a right tactic.

In the end, it was really just about some points that turned everything around. Also in the second set, I think I had so many break chances which I didn't use. But I think she played the best on them.

I think it's very tough to win a set if you cannot use all these chances. Yeah, she definitely played the big points, she played better than me. I think that's the whole tennis difference.

Q. How will you learn and study from this match? Will you watch it again, talk about it? Will you just move on?
BELINDA BENCIC: I will not watch it (smiling). Yeah, just talk about it. But, you know, just take some time for sure. When the emotions go away, then for sure talk about it, learn out of it.

I think even without talking about it, I am learning by doing it, so...

Q. In terms of the tactical side of the match, you're both very good tacticians on the court, there was a lot of adjusting going back and forth. Can you talk through a little bit of that? What did you find that you were doing well against her to put her in tough positions, and what did you find she was adjusting? It felt like a chess match out there.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think she has a clear game style pattern with the spinning forehand, then like cutting into the court. I think we both play similar on this.

I had little bit struggle on the returns today. I couldn't read her serve as well. I think that's, like, credit to her serve. It's maybe not looks like spectacular like from Osaka, but I think it's very effective, smart, variation on the placement. I think that gave me a hard time which was maybe also a little bit difference.

Q. Talk through the second set a little bit. Was it tightness? Bianca elevating her game from 2-5 that spun it around? What do you think?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, I don't think I was tight. To be honest, I think it was such a battle that we both kind of played well. I think it was not about nerves or that we, like, were playing bad or shanking balls or something.

I think it was just here and there some stupid mistakes from my side, good shots from her side, some lines, some net cords. Tennis is very fast. Things turn around very fast. Unfortunately for me today was the other way.

I cannot complain. I sometimes also turn matches around. It's, yeah, tennis.

Q. What was the experience like to play your first semis? Was it different than other big matches you played?
BELINDA BENCIC: It was actually a great experience. I was really excited to play the semis, of course. I don't know. When I'm in the match, I kind of don't realize what round is it. I know the tournament, but I kind of don't think about it, like if it's a quarterfinal or semifinal.

Sometimes it crosses my mind, and then I get a little bit nervous. Then I'm, like, Okay, if this was practice, I would be playing the same effort, same everything. So I kind of get lost a little bit in the match.

Q. A couple years ago, how much did you know about Bianca? Had you heard much about her? Junior days? I know she's younger than you.
BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, like, we follow tennis, so we also know young, upcoming juniors. I definitely heard her name. But obviously when someone comes to the WTA Tour and then plays regularly on the tour, you kind of notice more stuff about this person.

I knew her, yeah. It's not like I didn't know her.

Q. When her name came up, was it, Watch out for this one someday?
BELINDA BENCIC: I feel like it's always watch out for someone. Everyone has a good run. Then you're looking at this person, then this person plays well. I don't know, it's not like everyone is playing not so good and then someone comes. It's just always changing.

Q. Before, I didn't mean surprised coming into the tournament. From where she was a year ago, to do what she did at Indian Wells, Toronto, then to make the finals, pretty dramatic uptick for her for this year. Talk about what she's been able to do.
BELINDA BENCIC: Well, she won Indian Wells, she won Toronto, she's final here. I'm not very surprised about this. She has put together great results. She's for sure working hard with her team.

For me it's not a surprise. I think she's a very smart player on the court, plays different than other players. That's why she's good.

Q. Winning in Dubai, having strong results, getting back to where you were a few years ago, with some distance do you think you'll look back on this result finally that you were able to end the Grand Slam with a good result here?
BELINDA BENCIC: Definitely, like, positively, for sure. We reached I think more than I expected here. After Cincinnati, coming into this tournament, yeah, I think my best result, semifinals. Really, I'm taking it step by step.

Yeah, just really happy and positive about it.

Q. You improved your serve and fitness a lot. What else needs to improve to make the step to Grand Slam champion?
BELINDA BENCIC: I think it's small details that matter. I think it's not about your forehand or your backhand. I think it's overall just try to improve even the 1% more of fitness, of mental, of serve. I think just overall, everything. Maybe even the game when you don't play so well to put it a little bit up, the level.

Yeah, just keep doing what I do. I think I just need to create more opportunities like this, playing semifinals, semifinals, quarterfinals. Eventually, like, you have to give luck a chance. That's my motto.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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