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QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 26, 2020

Zheng Saisai

Doha, Qatar

ZHENG SAISAI/K. Bertens

3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It took you two hours twenty minutes to get over Kiki, so how did it feel on court with the tricky conditions, especially the wind?
ZHENG SAISAI: It's very tough, obviously and one side the wind is blowing like right side and always one side against, one side is with the wind, so it's pretty, you have to always remember what's happening and to do your best just put the, sometimes just put the ball in the court.

And first set was, I was up 3-1, I think, or something, I was a break up, and she suddenly she, I think she upped her level and I wasn't like following the level up, I was staying there.

Then after the second set I start to be more aggressive and to play my game much more and try to be more active and it works well.

And third set was really tough also because some game I have chance, I didn't get it, and some game she has chance. And until the end, the last I was 5-3, I was serving and she hit like three winners. And until the last game I was just trying to calm down, just to play focused right now, not to think what's going to happen and just not result and I was more focused and was playing right way and very, very pleased I get through to the next round.

Q. Speaking of that third set, it didn't seem like you made too many errors or bad errors and she was getting very frustrated trying to hit through you and your defense and at the same time you were coming into the net in smart moments. Can you talk about your strategy and your tactics in the final set to kind of get the win?
ZHENG SAISAI: You know, actually I have same tactic from the first set, but it doesn't work from the beginning. But gradually into the match and more pressure, pressure, pressure then suddenly you can see my game start to working. So I have to be more patient.

Third set I think she felt that pressure is coming up. I was more aggressive, I was looking the short ball come in, because first set she was passing every shot -- I did the same -- and she was unbelievable hands and passing like line, cross, whatever, she goes everything.

Then I was just my coach Alan come, he just told me, Keep going, keep going, she will start to be tired, she will missing.

And then I just try to keep up my game. And I think it worked out in the third set, she start to be more, you know, she start to like knock down on the ball on every shot, so I start to have more chance.

And very happy, it's really, really tough match. I played her last year in Zhuhai it's also like third set I have a chance and didn't take it, I was pretty upset that match and pretty happy today I got the revenge.

Q. First of all, congratulations for your win. Just before you went on your match I don't know if you heard that Maria Sharapova, the five-time Grand Slam champion has retired from the game. I just wanted to get your reaction, what do you think her impact was on tennis?
ZHENG SAISAI: You know, when I was young I was always look up on her. She's generation -- I mean my generation always watching her the time she was fighting. She never gives up, she's always there, doesn't matter 1-5, doesn't matter the scores, her mentality always is like, how do you say, inspires us to try to be the same mentality from the first point to the last.

She give, I think from myself, a lot of this right people to look up, how to fight in one match. And I think it's sad to that she retire, you know, cannot see her play any more, yeah.

Q. A lot of top seeds, a lot of top players in the tournament, how do you fancy your chances, how did you prepare for this tournament. And second, has the situation back home affected your preparations or do you keep thinking about it, does it affect your performance in any way?
ZHENG SAISAI: You know, I was in Dubai, I played doubles final there, so I wasn't have much time to prepare this tournament, I was flew the final night, I was all night on the plane. And I arrive here, I just hit once and next day I have to play.

But obviously I was here before, like I think four years ago or three years ago. I know the courts and I really like courts, the ball. I feel great.

So I think the first match I was just trying to focus, I wasn't, I mean, I didn't prepare but I just play my game. So, yeah, today I was feeling good also.

Q. Second question was about the situation back home. Does it keep, do you keep thinking about it, or are you trying to focus on the game, how do you approach that?
ZHENG SAISAI: Yeah, it's a pretty sad what's going on right now and it's not looking great, but I mean our Chinese are pretty strong, we always stick together, always going to, I think we're going to be there all these tough moments, just have to be patient.

Q. This is your second Premier 5 quarterfinal and the first one was here when you played in 2016. What is it about Doha and the Qatar Total Open that seems to bring out some very good tennis from you?
ZHENG SAISAI: Yeah, feels great. The last time it was like, I don't know, a long time ago and I remember last time I also played some amazing tennis here. It's just, I don't know, just to come back you have the right feelings and you just go for your heart.

And this time I did it again, so I just want to keep it going and hopefully I can play another great match tomorrow.

Q. Speaking of that match, so today when you beat Kiki that was your first top-10 win since beating Aryna in San Jose final. So you'll play Aryna tomorrow. So --
ZHENG SAISAI: Oh, okay.

Q. Yeah. So can you talk about what the challenge is of playing her and what you have to do well to win?
ZHENG SAISAI: She has a huge serve, obviously you see she has strong games. So I think it's going to all depends how we playing tomorrow. I mean, we are going to prepare our best and just has to see who is better tomorrow. Because sometimes there's wind, there's sun, and everything can change. So I think I just trying to be focused and try to play every shot and play in the moment.

Q. I wanted to ask you, as you know, back in China as well as a lot of other countries the coronavirus outbreak, that's a big issue. I want to know, since a lot of countries have put restrictions on Chinese nationals, how have you been affected in terms of moving around?
ZHENG SAISAI: I was in Dubai last week, so was fine. Yeah, you know, you see every day some news, it's pretty sad, you know, this start to growing. And hopefully -- I think people are working pretty hard and try to find a solution.

And it didn't really, for me it wasn't like, because I was always traveling for the tournaments, so it didn't bother me so much, yeah.

Q. And just one last question on that, a lot of events in China have been cancelled and there was a Xi'an Open as far as the Davis Cup team, Chinese Davis Cup team had to withdraw. So do you feel that the Chinese athletes in particular are taking the biggest hit from all of this?
ZHENG SAISAI: I don't know, I think it's just trying to protect athletes, you know, not to affect so much. I really, I don't know, but I just feel, you know, many athlete was working pretty hard and right now with the situation is they can only stay home. So just hope that everything's going to go well very soon and people start to working normal.

THE MODERATOR: Fantastic. Thank you very much.

ZHENG SAISAI: Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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