Transcript: Zheng Qinwen def. Maria Sakkari, 6-4, 6-1

Zheng Qinwen def. Maria Sakkari, 6-4, 6-1

Round of 32

MODERATOR: That was a pretty dominant win from you. Your thoughts on your performance, especially moving to a new surface.

QINWEN ZHENG: Yeah. I think it’s good win for me. A bit struggling the first set, just trying to find my clay court rhythm. But in the second set, seems like I found the right game and everything goes well. I’m pretty happy with my performance today.

Do you think clay can be your best surface, because in that second set especially seems like a lot of what you do works very well on clay.

QINWEN ZHENG: Yeah. But I also think I play really good on hardcourts. Yeah, I think with my game, I think I can play good on all the surfaces, hard, clay, I mean, grass. I believe as well, even though I lose two times first round in Wimbledon. That was accident for me. (Laughs). But I like to play on clay, and especially I have a heavy topspin. So I believe with the heavy topspin forehand and plus the strike flight that I have, I can be really dominating on clay court.

It seems like you were doing some damage with the backhand down the line. Were you focused on the down-the-line backhand?

QINWEN ZHENG: Yes. I do, especially in the practice, I try to be more aggressive with my backhand and then change the direction once I got the chance. And especially in these days, and from the last match I realized that my backhand can be more effective, and I tried to work on that as well during these days.

That was some really high-quality, powerful tennis played, especially in that first set. Do you look forward to those kind of matches when somebody is trying to go toe to toe with you and you guys are swinging away?

QINWEN ZHENG: Yes. That was not easy first set because I believe Sakkari she played really well there, and then was tough for me at the beginning to find the rhythm on clay court. I feel sometimes I don’t know where to move. But after more the match goes, I know exactly where I have to go, and I see the court bigger and brighter at the end. So it seems like I got those back really good in the corners and I tried to open the court better.

Going to when you were talking about opening the court, when she released the hand of the two-handed backhand, you were winning a lot of those points when she was stretched out. Were you trying to open the court like that?

QINWEN ZHENG: Yes. I’ve been focusing on trying to put my target more aggressive, more close to the line. But in the same time I have to find the balance, because if you go on the line all the time, at the end you’re going to have more mistakes. So I gotta make good decisions.

There was a report today about a letter that all the Top 20 players signed from ATP and WTA to the Grand Slams asking for a bigger percentage of prize money. I’m just curious how you came to join that and what your thoughts are on it.

QINWEN ZHENG: I think that that’s going to be more benefit for all the players, not only the top players, especially for those players that work hard during all the years and need to get paid from the Slams, and they have to survive. They also need to pay for a good team to be able to have a good chance to win the match. So I think that’s really positive, because if you look, the basketball sport, they all get paid 50/50. Because the players, we are working really hard, because I am a tennis player. I know how much I work to arrive here. So I believe that’s really positive for us, yeah.

How did you hear about the letter?

QINWEN ZHENG: Well, actually, first of all, Azarenka, she talked to me first about this idea. At the beginning I just thought it’s tough to make it happen. But somehow, you know, they really did it, and then I spoke with my manager, and it seems like it’s a positive benefit for all the tennis players. And I believe — because I really believe when you are 100 in the world, you need to have a good team to be able to arrive in a higher place. So I think it’s more benefit for those players as well.

Do you think the Grand Slams are going to listen to the players?

QINWEN ZHENG: This, I don’t know, you know. We try to do what we can do, and then let’s see what the gods brings to us and the Slams. But at least we are trying, yeah.

End of Interview