TENNIS US OPEN 2014 – 29th of August 2014. B. Bencic d. A. Kerber 6-1, 7-5. An interview with Belinda Bencic
Q. Great match. Great way to make a US Open debut to start. How does it feel to go this far already in your first US Open?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, it feels amazing. I played a really good match right from the start, and then I had a little bit timeout in the second. But I’m happy that I came back. It’s amazing that after last year I played juniors here, and this year I’m in the fourth round. So it’s incredible.
Q. You’re 17 years old; you’ve had a lot of breakthroughs; made a lot of strides in your career, this being probably the farthest that you’ve accomplished.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I think this is my biggest success till now. I’m really gonna enjoy it and focus on my next match.
Q. Your next match is Jelena. She’s playing really, really well right now. Talk about what you expect.
BELINDA BENCIC: I didn’t even know who I would play. I just looked now. Because I didn’t look more far, so I just look that I will play her. Yeah, I think she’s really good, and I looked up to her a lot. So I just hope it will be a good match.
Q. Describe the emotions out there. This is a really big tournament. All of the Grand Slams are unique in their own way. This is New York, big crowd, big spectacle. To be out there in that atmosphere and knocking off a top-10 player, talk about your emotions going through all of that today.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, today there were a lot of people really cheering for me, so I was really happy they were on my side. I think we showed them some good tennis. Yeah, I’m really happy. And it’s great here. The atmosphere is great. A lot of people are coming. You have to also get used to it. I played the first round on the outside court and now on the bigger court. So, yeah.
Q. You seem to be very confident. The crowd doesn’t bother you. You played No. ‘6 in the world and you hit shots, take a risk, and seem so confident. Where does it come from?
BELINDA BENCIC: I think all the confidence comes from the years before in the juniors. I could take a lot of confidence. And also this year from the Australian Open. So I knew I really could play with her and also beat her, so I really came into the match with the thought that I can win.
Q. Martina Hingis’ mother has coached you?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. She’s still coaching me since like 10 years.
Q. Can you just talk about the inspiration and your relationship with Martina.
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I’m practicing by her since I’m a little kid, so she knows me really well. I have never practiced by someone else, so I’m really believing in this way. It’s working great, and always when we are back home I am practicing with her.
Q. What did you learn from her how to play tennis? What did she teach you?
BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, the basic stuff in the beginning, and she taught me really to play smart and to think on the court. Yeah, to have an overall game.
Q. Was she one of the strongest influences on you in tennis?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yes. Almost everything I know I know from her.
Q. You saved a lot of set points today, a lot in a row. What was your mental strategy going into the set points? Where does that come from?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I had 0-40 and 15-40, so there I played great points. I just thought I cannot be passive, so I went for my shots. I think it was a good decision. I had nothing to lose in that moment, so I gave it my all.
Q. Who were some of your favorite players to watch growing up? What do you think you may have a little bit in your game?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, obviously it was Martina which I was looking up to, and I was also practicing by her mom. So we have similarities in the game. But I try to play my own game. Yeah, I also watched a lot of Roger, of course, and also the other players inspired me a lot.
