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QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 24, 2020

Kiki Bertens

Doha, Qatar

K. BERTENS/K. Muchova

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So good start to the year, you're feeling good about the year and how do you see yourself progressing right through the season? And a good match today as well, pretty straightforward.
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, I think the level today was good. So I'm happy with that. And, yeah, let's see, every match is different so, hopefully I can play another great match in the next round, but I just take it match by match.

Q. Your preparations for matches is it any different this season compared to last?
KIKI BERTENS: Not really, no, I'm just doing my warm up, just talk about the tactic, just taking it as relaxed as possible and just going into the match trying to play my best tennis and trying to have as much fun as I possibly can have on a tennis court.

Q. And in terms of trying to have that fun, what does it take for you to have fun on a tennis court?
KIKI BERTENS: Well, it's easy when your level is good. I think today I had some fun, I could also say to my opponent like, Good hit or just, Good point, or I could really enjoy her tennis as well. But I think that's easy like if most of the important points are going your way then it's easier than if it's going the other way.

Q. Tennis is fun when you're winning.
KIKI BERTENS: Yes, yes, then it is (laughing), not when you're losing.

Q. But can you talk specifically for today's match. What were you pleased with specifically in terms of how you played and executed?
KIKI BERTENS: I think I was calm from the beginning and I was calm during the whole match, I was enjoying it, I was playing aggressive from the beginning. I know she's a really tricky opponent to play -- I never played her but I like the way she's playing -- like when you put one ball a little bit more neutral in it, she's just coming to the net and attack.

So I knew I had to open the court and just play aggressive where I could, serve well, and I think I did that and especially on the important points.

Q. World No. 6, top 10 rankings. That missing Grand Slam -- you reached a semi-final a few years ago -- that missing Grand Slam, does it bother you and is it really that difficult to get to that final and probably have that Grand Slam against your name?
KIKI BERTENS: Well I'm not really thinking about that, to be honest. Of course you really want to go far in the Grand Slams and I'll do anything to get maybe to a final or to win one, but I think it's -- I'm still in the top 10 so I'm pleased the way I'm playing, so I think I do a lot of things really good, otherwise you would not be here.

And of course I am trying to be better in the Grand Slams, but I'm not thinking about it too much.

Q. Would you say that your approach, you said you were a little more relaxed, would you say that approach has helped than when you started out playing tennis and probably turned professional? Do you think you're much more relaxed and that has helped you with your game now?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, of course that helped me a lot. If you compare with a few years ago it's a huge difference, I would say.

So I'm proud of myself that I've become this far, like in the way I can approach matches, how I can enjoy it, how I can play on the big stage, oh, yeah, I made big improvements in that part, yeah.

Q. And your former coach Rae would always praise your tennis IQ and your versatility and your ability to problem solve on a court. So when you play against some of these players, like you were mentioning Muchova, she's pretty smart on the court and how she plays and Ash and some of these players with high tennis IQ, is it extra fun for you on the court to try and solve that puzzle?
KIKI BERTENS: Yeah, I like it, to be honest, yeah, because then you really see that she's always also trying to come up with different stuff. You could see that also today, she is standing on a different position on the court with the returns because I was serving well.

So she's just trying to get in my mind and then I'm just trying to do that as well. So, yeah, it makes it more fun for me than a player who is doing all the time the same thing. And, yeah, you kind of are playing a game with your opponent the whole time, yeah, I like it.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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