TENNIS US OPEN 2014 – 29th of August 2014. P. Shuai d. R. Vinci 6-4, 6-3. An interview with Peng Shuai
Q. Straight sets. You have faced two, very, very strong players in the last two matches. You know, obviously your fourth round match, whoever you play is going to be a difficult match. How much confidence do you have knowing you played so well against Roberta? How much confidence do you have going into what’s going to be challenge in the fourth round?
PENG SHUAI: Big challenge (smiling). I know I never pass it. And always like maybe — always different player. Also like I think for myself I need to be more courage, be more like stronger, and then try my best. Because now is I don’t know who I gonna be play for next round. Either way Cornet or Safarova. Both is really good player. Safarova is lefty. Sometimes it’s like different. I know this year she doing really good, you know. I will try my best. Yeah.
Q. How does it feel to get to the fourth round and in the way that you’ve done it through the last two matches. Like I said, two very strong players. They were upset matches for you. You find yourself in the fourth round of the US Open. How good does that feel?
PENG SHUAI: I think I always happy to make the second week (giggling), because when the tournament didn’t started yet, because I know I’m not seeded player, so for sure, first or second round I have to face to that. And I didn’t thinking like how I gonna do, because you never know because I don’t know where the draw gonna put me. So now it’s really happy to into the second week. So, yeah, is good.
Q. How happy are you with the way that you are playing, the way you’re handling pressure, and how much confidence do you feel going into the fourth round?
PENG SHUAI: How happy? Now I’m still happy. I don’t know, because every day you have like a different feeling, you know. Like when I play Aga I think I play really good tennis, and then even today was also good. And then I don’t know how it’s in Sunday. I hope I will be same. (Giggling.) Yeah.
Q. What’s the challenge like when you’re playing in both singles and doubles to maintain the energy that you need for all of these important matches?
PENG SHUAI: Yeah, for sure the energy, like my body to recover, it is big challenger. Then with a Grand Slam they are longer. You know, like each day you can play singles or doubles. So if you play same day singles/doubles, usually you can rest next day. It’s a little bit better to recover than the, you know, usually the other like the tournament. But it’s big tournament. Also I feel it’s cost more the energy, so I think we just have to like to be fight. Yeah.
Q. Do you pay attention to social media or to conventional media to sort of see how your successes are playing back home in terms of reaction to the people back in China towards the way you are playing? Do you pay attention to those things or do you try to shut them out?
PENG SHUAI: No, no, actually I love play in my country because now they have more tournament. I feel every year I was traveling a lot. Doesn’t have many time, you know, spend time with my friend, my parents. So I love playing China. Sometime I play really good with the crowd, but sometime also I get struggle with some matches. That happens. So I think I would say just, you know, like if I play good time, you know, just like everybody enjoyed that. And if sometime, you know, get tough day you cannot play the tennis. And then just say also like to want the fans, everybody, to be like (indiscernible). Yeah.
