Transcript: Bencic def. Yastremska 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3 (First Round)

Belinda Bencic defeats Dayana Yastremska
6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3
Round of 64

An Interview with:
BELINDA BENCIC

Q. Well done today. Very close battle. What are your thoughts in the match and being back on the clay?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah. Always tricky the first match, of course. I’m happy with the win, with how I fought it out. I still thought some things could be better. I don’t think I was mentally very good today. I was a bit grumpy. And, yeah, I hope to improve that in the next round. But overall, it’s an always a really tough match against Dayana. So I was expecting that. Yeah, happy I get another chance.

Q. And I guess would you say that you used kind of the loss in the second set tiebreak as fire to the fuel in the third set, would you say?

BELINDA BENCIC: I mean, definitely not fire to the fuel, because you are just like, ugh, like now I have to play a third set. I could have won it in two. But, of course, you always have to just forget what happened, keep fighting and kind of not dwell in the past, even though sometimes I did today, and that was not so good. So I hope I can do better.

Q. I noticed a couple of times when you hit — it was a very short route, so you were serving, and she’d return either out of bounds, and you would go for that ball that she had just hit. Are you a little bit superstitious in that way?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yes, a little bit superstitious. Of course, I don’t touch the ball, when I miss a point with it, I don’t want that ball. If I want the ball, I want to have it and then I decide.

Sometimes when it’s new balls, it’s kind of stupid to take the old ball, but then sometimes when it’s like very close, which it’s like my good luck one, I have to play with this one. But never the ball that I lost.

Q. And I’m just curious, obviously with the clay, players have to learn how to slide. Is that something you just practice with the ball in play?

BELINDA BENCIC: Don’t ask me. I don’t know how to slide and I’m horrible at it.

Q. You had a good point, though, earlier today.

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, true. I just know how to slide in my right one.

Q. Fair enough.

BELINDA BENCIC: I don’t think I’m the best mover on clay, but I hope that my game can be aggressive enough to not need it so much. I’m still trying to improve as best as I can, but it’s still a challenge for me.

Q. Last question, you’re going to play Sara Bejlek next. You were supposed to play her in Dubai and I think she withdrew. Lefties are always maybe a little bit tricky. What are your thoughts on playing her for the first time?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, it will be super tricky. I think clay is her first surface. So I’m excited to play her. I think it’s very challenging. She played great in Abu Dhabi. And, yeah, in Dubai I was ready for the match and she withdraw. So hopefully we can do a good match, not tomorrow but the day after.