Catherine Bellis – Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your thoughts on that?

CATHERINE BELLIS: Well, she was a lot better than me today. She’s such a great player. It was really fun for me to see what the highest level is.

I know I did yesterday, but to see it again. Maybe it wasn’t my best tennis, but I think she definitely played really well. It was a good match overall and a really good tournament for me.

Q. What was the biggest challenge today? You had that really good start and everything kind of fell apart after that, but how much of that was her and how much of that was you?

CATHERINE BELLIS: I think it started off with her, and then I think it moved more to me. Definitely, that just shows at the highest level that they can do that and just, you know, come back and really run away with a match like that.

Q. Is it too early to tell what you might have learned from this experience?

CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah, I think I’ll know more, you know, after I think about it in a few days. Definitely just another learning experience for me and a really good one.

Q. What was the particular challenge against Caroline today?

CATHERINE BELLIS: I mean, she’s just really solid, really solid off the ground. Serving well. More consistent than me today. Moved me a lot. I think all that combined.

Q. Do you feel like she waited for you to make mistakes?

CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah. Yeah, I think she was aggressive but definitely really solid, too.

Q. What do you think you can work on?

CATHERINE BELLIS: Like I said yesterday, I think my first-serve percentage was pretty low today, and I definitely needed to work on that.

Like I said, it was a good tournament overall, but I think just stay with, you know, trying to consistently play well and win. Just keep working hard.

Q. Will you return next year?

CATHERINE BELLIS: Yeah, for sure. Yes.

Q. What’s next for you?

CATHERINE BELLIS: Indian Wells. Go home for, or go back to Orlando for a bit of training and then Indian Wells.

Q. Do you still plan on skiing and aquariuming and all that?

CATHERINE BELLIS: For sure.

Q. Your agent hasn’t told you that’s not in the cards?

CATHERINE BELLIS: No. No, I’m definitely doing that.