Interview: Daria Kasatkina (def. Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 7-6(5))

April 6, 2024

Semifinals – Daria Kasatkina def. Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 7-6(5)

MODERATOR: Daria, congratulations. Back into the finals here at Charleston. Can you just give us your thoughts on that very exciting three-set match?

DARIA KASATKINA: Yeah. Very tough match. As I said, Charleston this year, so many great matches, like long battles. So, yeah, really happy with my win, with the way how I did it. And, yeah, really happy to be in the finals here again.

MODERATOR: Questions, please?

Q. Daria, how have you changed and how has your game changed since the last time you were in the finals in Charleston in 2017?

DARIA KASATKINA: My God, don’t remember. I hope it’s changing in a good way. Probably I became more mature. I mean, it’s always — I don’t do improve. I think my game changed since last year. We’re not talking about seven years ago.

So if you want to be — if you want to compete on the good level, you have to always improve things. And I am one of the players who needs to — so if I want to compete, I have to be always on the highest level of my ability. So I have to be always in the best shape, which is tough to keep it all the time. But that’s what I am trying to do all the time.

Q. How are you feeling? You had tape put on during the match. DARIA KASATKINA: Yeah. Well, first tournament on clay. Body is still adapting to the slides and different movement pattern. Yeah, after one of the slides, I just felt a little like kind of cramp and my muscle was tight. So I just wanted to protect it and not to think about it during the match and to be confident in the movement. So, I mean, it’s okay, because as I said, I spent in the last two days more than five hours on court, new surface. It is what it is. It happens. So but now I’m feeling fine. I don’t think it’s anything serious.

Q. Good. What do you think of the matchup against Danielle?

DARIA KASATKINA: Danielle is, I think, playing the best tennis of her career right now. She’s fearless. When she feels her game, she’s one of the most dangerous players on tour, and she definitely feels it right now. She’s in I don’t know how many matches winning streak. So it doesn’t matter that she was changing the surface. She doesn’t care, it seems like.

So, yeah, it’s going to be very tough battle. And it’s finals. I mean, it’s so nice. I’m so happy to be in the finals, and I think it’s going to be a good one. I think the atmosphere is going to be great because playing an American in the United States, it always brings some extra electricity on court. So I’m really looking forward to it.

Q. Daria, the list of players that have won in Charleston more than once includes Serena, Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf. What would it mean to add your name to that list of players who have won here at least twice?

DARIA KASATKINA: It’s not there yet. I hope I can answer this question tomorrow. So far it’s — it didn’t happen. But I hope it will.

Q. And I think you’re like 19 and 3 here now, or something like that. What is it about Charleston that suits you?

DARIA KASATKINA: I don’t know. I don’t know. Just some crazy numbers here, obviously. I don’t know. I just — I like this place. Coming here, coming back here every year, it just feels like the first time when I come here, even though they renovated this beautiful stadium now. It’s like super new and modern. And it’s still — I remember two days ago coming to the warmup on the stadium. I felt exactly the same like walking on this court from seven years ago. So even they changed the seats; they added a little roof, and it looks different. Still, like the soul of the stadium stays, which I love so much.