Mirra Andreeva – Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Mirra, congratulations. What do you think made the difference today as opposed to the last time you played?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, thank you.

Last time we played was a close match and it was tough, it was intense. Yeah, this time I just tried to tell myself to go for my shots, to be aggressive, to not hesitate. I think that helped me to win in a way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You’ve had to play Aryna so many times. You haven’t had as many opportunities against Iga. What is the difference between playing against Aryna and Iga?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I think that Aryna, she’s a very, very powerful player. She will always go for her shots. I wouldn’t even say that she plays flat because she has such an active spin on her shots. For me that’s a difficulty to kind of keep up in the point against her.

With Iga, I think that it’s not about the power, but it’s about the placement of her shot because she plays very close to the lines and with a great shape. The ball goes very, very fast. The spin that she gives to the ball makes the ball bounce even higher. They are a bit different.

I don’t know, I’ve played Aryna so many times last year and this year twice already, so… It’s not the same. Well, I hope that I’m not going to play Aryna that often (smiling). We’re going to see. But there’s nothing I can do about it.

Q. Basically when you go and face top-seeded players, top-10 players, what do you think mentally in terms of playing against those No. 1s and No. 2s?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: When I go on the court and play against top players, I just know that the difference between me and them is that, well, of course first they are a bit more experienced than me for the moment.

I know that no matter what’s happening on the court, they are always going to play their best tennis, and they’re going to keep up their level throughout the whole match. It’s not going to be like they played 100% first set, then they dropped and played 50% the second set. I think that’s the main difficulty for players that are ranked a bit lower.

Yeah, me, I just tell myself, well, if I’m here, I play my best, I try to play my best, I go for my shots, fight for every ball. Doesn’t matter what’s happening on the court, doesn’t mean if I lose 6-0, 5-0, or if I win 7-5, 6-4, doesn’t matter, I just go for my shots. I try to bring out my best level.

Q. You were telling us earlier that you went for your shots this time. How much time do you take before a match to decide on strategy? Do you talk with Conchita? Do you take what she tells you onto court or do you do your own thing?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I have to do what she tells me to do because otherwise I’m in trouble (smiling).

Of course, if she wouldn’t give me some great advices and some great tactics, I don’t think I would be playing on such a high level.

Yeah, I think we take about 15 to 20 minutes is like the maximum to talk about the match, to talk about what I have to do, kind of set up the game plan and everything. It doesn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes.

For example, today I played at 2. We did it at 1. It’s clear and it’s still kind of fresh in my head. Yeah, she gives me great tactics, great advices. If I wouldn’t like it, she wouldn’t be my coach. So for now everything is good.

Q. Who selected Conchita for you as a coach? Did you have the final say in that? Does your family step in?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, after I withdrew from Miami last year, we were looking for a coach. My agent, he was an agent of Garbine Muguruza. Of course, he knew Conchita for a long time. He just asked me if I wanted to try. I’m like, Yeah, of course. I was open to try almost everybody.

Of course, when I heard the name ‘Conchita Martinez’ in tennis, I was like, Oh, okay, let’s try this, it’s going to be interesting.

Yeah, it’s kind of my agent who helped me find her. Since then I think we just had one week before our first tournament together. Since then I hope we both like it, not just me. For now, I really like our connection together.

Q. Your mindset when you play a player like Iga, you spoke about her shot placements, what was your strategy?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I knew that if I don’t play aggressive by myself that she’s going to go and kill me. I think everybody knows that she likes to take the ball early. She doesn’t give time to her opponents. She always tries to be the first one to attack.

Well me, my game plan was just to play my game, that I don’t have to try and go for something that I don’t usually do. I just had to keep playing my game. Maybe sometimes I just told myself or kind of forced myself to be more aggressive.

It depends on the day, but sometimes I like to take my time. Sometimes, I don’t know, I do 20 dropshots in the match. I think today I did only one or two. They didn’t really work, so I stopped doing them right away. Yeah, just told myself to, again, go for it and forced myself to play aggressive.

Q. Iga has a sports psychologist, who is a pretty big member of her team. What work have you done to be so mentally tough at your age? Is that the kind of person you would like to have as part of your team?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I started working with a psychologist. I think we started before… I don’t remember. Anyway, we started not a long time ago. I feel like it’s been helping me a lot.

I have some new tips. I have some, yeah, new advices in a way how to work with my anger inside, what to do when I don’t feel great, how to maintain my level when I feel great, how to keep being me.

Yeah, so with this I feel like it’s helping. I hope that people can see it on the court. If people see it on the court, I’m just really happy that it’s working because I’ve been putting a lot of work into that.

All of us did, every member of my team did put a lot of work into this. I’m just happy that for now it’s working. I hope that it will continue working.

Q. How often do you speak with them? Did anything that they have told you in the past help today when you were down 3-1?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: About speaking? It depends on how I feel. If I feel like I want to speak or share my thoughts or I feel like I need some advice, we communicate. We decide when we’re both available.

Yeah, today when I was losing 1-3, I just honestly knew I was right there with her. It was just a matter of some points that didn’t go my way.

Yeah, for example when it was 1-2 and I was serving — wait. It was 1-All, I was serving. When she broke me, she did three return winners. There was not much I could do about it. I just had to accept it. Been also working on acceptance when something doesn’t go my way.

Yeah, I felt like it was out there on the court that I felt like still 1-3, but I feel strong. I feel like I’m still right there with her. Yeah, just thought that, Okay, it’s going to take some time but I’m going to go back and I’m going to try to come back and win the second set.

Q. Is it primarily tennis you speak about or life?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Both. Both.

Q. What are your thoughts on your next potential opponents for the semis?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I know that I’m going to play either Elena or Sofia. I know Sofia pretty well. We’ve been playing doubles together last year.

I know that if we compare both of them, I think that Sofia is more she sees the court well, she plays deep, she likes to play with the ball. She goes for some dropshots. She kind of plays smart. She doesn’t just go for stupid shots. She always sets up good. She likes to mix it up. Well, I’m going to talk to Conchita if I’m right. She’s going to tell me what to do.

If I play Elena, I know big server. She goes for her shots. She’s very aggressive. In a way I think they’re a bit similar with Aryna. I played both of them already.

It’s going to be anyway an interesting match. It’s not going to be easy because it’s semifinal. I think we are both going to get some pressure. I just hope that either way it’s going to be an entertaining match. I think the stronger one tomorrow wins.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports