WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 21, 2021

Jil Teichmann

Press Conference

J. TEICHMANN/Ka. Pliskova

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: A great match today and great performances all week. What did you think you did particularly well today against Karolina?

JIL TEICHMANN: Thank you very much. I think I served really good, as did she. Especially in the beginning, I was trying to return, somehow get into the rally. Yeah, I felt as well very good in the rally, and I think that's where I made the difference.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Now you have an opportunity to play the World No. 1 for the title tomorrow. What's it going to take to beat Ash Barty on Sunday?

JIL TEICHMANN: Well, to me, it's perfect. I really like it. It's a nice challenge. Playing center court against World No. 1 in a final, it's perfect. It's really nice challenge, and I'll go for it.

Q. How much confidence does this result give you so far for US Open in New York?

JIL TEICHMANN: Obviously it's gonna give me a lot of confidence. Not only for New York, for any other tournament coming up. But still, that's far away.

Q. You have beaten a major winner, and you have beaten a gold medallist, and you've beaten somebody who has reached the final of majors. What has clicked specifically for you this week?

JIL TEICHMANN: It's many things together. I have been working a lot on many different aspects. Mentally I have been working my strokes. I have been working physically, as I mentioned already the past few days. I have had injuries, so I had to work a lot physically, as well.

Long weeks, long hours. I guess just the positives getting together right now this week.

Q. When you come up against Ash, Ash was saying earlier on that she doesn't really know you that well. She hasn't seen much of you play, but she's obviously going to be following up and watching some videos. In one sense, do you think that may be a bit of an advantage for you?

JIL TEICHMANN: Well, definitely tomorrow I'm going to be underdog. It's just logic. Anyone playing against Ash is going to be the underdog.

Yeah, I mean, I guess she's going to be watching videos. I have not much to say to that. It's normal, in a way. I haven't been playing semis or finals in the majors or anything, so it's the first time we meet, and I also have to do my homework (smiling).

Q. You mentioned it a little bit earlier, but especially in the beginning you were maybe having some trouble on returning the serves from Karolina. What did you change and how did you fix that?

JIL TEICHMANN: Yeah, I mean, for me, Karolina for me, she's the best server out here. Actually, every time I'm serving good, I'm like, Hey, I'm like Pliskova right now (smiling).

She's definitely a role model for me in that. She has very good speed and placement, so I was just looking where she was serving. I was changing my position. I was trying it all the time, honestly. Every time I had the chance with her second serve, I was going for it. That worked out really well today.

Q. Karolina started to try and come back in that second set. She put more pressure on you. You had to save a lot of those breakpoints in those big games in the second half of the set. Were you feeling the pressure at that moment? Were you feeling her elevate her game? Kind of talk through how you were able to hold her off from getting that second set. She was making a good push.

JIL TEICHMANN: Yeah, definitely I felt the pressure. I was also struggling a little bit more with my serve. But it's normal. She's a great player. She's a big name. So of course I knew she was going to fight till the last moment. It's just the way it is. She's a great fighter.

So I was just playing in the moment, trying to really focus on my side, my serve, my game. Yeah, I somehow did it (smiling).

Q. Obviously we have talked about your injury troubles a lot this week, but I'm curious, one thing I didn't know is when did you feel 100% physically after your last round of injuries to where you were able to train fully, get your body in order? How is your body feeling? This is a lot of matches to play in a row for somebody who maybe didn't have as many matches before that.

JIL TEICHMANN: First time was last week in Montreal. I come off court, I played Danielle, and I was really actually thinking and I talked to my physio, I'm like, I'm so happy, I finished a match with no problems.

It was first time I was like, Okay, it's clicking slowly. Okay, I lost, but I came off the court really happy. It was more physically happy than tennis-wise, it was okay, but definitely last week I felt like, Okay, there is a change.

Q. How are you feeling now, having played all these matches?

JIL TEICHMANN: Perfect. I'm great (smiling). No, I mean, I have nothing serious. I mean, just the usual sore muscles when you play many matches, but nothing that I'm not able to play or anything. So I'm really happy that my body is responding well again.

Q. Obviously you play Ash tomorrow. What do you make of her as a player?

JIL TEICHMANN: She's a very complete player, for me. I really actually like her game. I like watching her matches.

Big serve, big forehand, does a lot of good variation with slice. It's actually going to be a little bit different kind of match for me. I have had a lot of hard hitters, actually all of them were hard hitters this week, so yeah, I'm really looking forward for it.

I like these matches where we play, we really play okay, let's move, we play the angle, we play long, we play short. I think it's gonna be a really nice match.

Q. You were just saying you really like Pliskova's serve, and when you're serving well, you're talking, Ah, this is Pliskova's serve. How do you compare it to Ash's serve? I think she's actually, if I'm not mistaken, one of the leaders on the tour this year as far as serving stats are concerned with the number of aces that she's hit. How would you compare the two? Would you not change your mind if you beat her to say you're working on Ash's serve rather than Pliskova's?

JIL TEICHMANN: I mean, Karolina has the "Ace Queen" shirt, so come on (smiling). It is her. She's been showing off many, many years that she has a really good serve.

I don't know. When I see her, I think about the serve. Even if Ash has better numbers right now, I don't know. I haven't checked it, honestly.

I mean, Ash is a very complete player. Karolina, as well, but I cannot tell you. It's like some people -- it's like Rafa, you say "Forehand." I mean, this guy has everything, as well. But, I don't know, for me, Karolina is the ace queen.