TENNIS WTA CINCINNATI – 14th of August 2014. S. Kuznetsova d. E. Bouchard 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. An interview with Eugenie Bouchard
Q. Obviously a tough opponent for a first match. How did you feel getting thrown into the deep end right off the bat?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, definitely a tough opponent. I think Svetlana was pretty solid. For me, you know, it’s still a work in progress. I know that, you know, with all the time I took off and everything it would kind of be a long journey back to get back to where I was and to get better than that.
But I feel better this week than last week, so that’s a positive. It’s all about moving forward.
Q. Maybe a little bit too much time off? Are you thinking that?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: No. It was really necessary for me. Just something I had to do. Yeah, you know, it takes a while to feel kind of good on the court again. I definitely felt better in the match than last time.
But, you know, still a few too many unforced errors and things like that. But I’m definitely, you know, seeing some positives of today.
Q. Obviously you planned on being here and playing deeper in the tournament. What’s the plan B in terms of prep for the Open?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I’m playing New Haven next week, so the plan is, yeah, to just get ready for that and hopefully get some matches in before the Open. That’s been the goal this summer.
Yeah, even though I lost today, it was a good match for me to get in and just kind of get back into match situations.
Q. What’s the most disappointing thing right now? Is it timing, you’re not timing the ball like you want to? Decision making, going down the line when you want crosscourt? Serve? Right now what do you feel is the biggest gap?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, for me I feel like I’m hitting the ball well. It’s kind of in point situations, I guess. Just not as used to maybe just the quick reflexes, you know, seeing the ball as early as I see it.
A little bit of shot making decisions, as well. But, you know, I stayed in there. I fought. I tried to turn things around.
But, you know, it just didn’t go my way. Just more and more time on the match court like that will help me get, you know, back to where I feel really good on the court.
Q. The tough stretch the last couple of weeks, does this change your expectations or outlook going to New York at all?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Not really. You know, I feel like maybe it’s good to get some bad stuff out before the Open if there has to be. And I knew that, you know, it would be kind of a bit maybe ugly the first few steps I take kind of trying to get back to where I was.
Yeah, so it’s just kind of another step in the road. You know, I hope things will go better from here.
Q. Is it easy for you to take a step back and kind of have some perspective? You know, the Australian Open, weren’t coming in with a ton of form; made the semifinals. You won a title before the French. Wimbledon, didn’t have a ton of leadup. Are you able to step back and see that it’s not so bad or anything like that?
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, for sure. I mean, you know, sometimes you guys ask me the questions and then you sound more kind of negative than I feel. I’m like, Well, okay. It’s just interesting for me to note that before the French I won a title and I had to play, you know, 48 hours after.
Wimbledon I lost first round the week before. You know, there is no secret recipe. So it’s just, you know, trying to do as well as you can all the time. So it doesn’t worry me if I have kind of a different leadup to a slam than I have in the past, because it’s been so different for me and I have still managed to do well.
You never know what’s gonna happen. I could crash out early. But I’m not really kind of stressed about the perfect leadup.
Q. Why do you think you have been able to play your best at slams in your career? Your results in slams just as a group are better than your results in the smaller tournaments this year probably.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I feel like I can rise to the occasion well and raise my level where it counts.
Obviously those are the most prestigious tournaments and the most exciting. You know, I feel like I play well in kind of high pressure situations and can really play my best tennis when it counts.
So maybe that’s why I have been able to play better at the slams.
You know, there’s ups and downs in tennis and in life, so, you know, I have been doing well at slams. Maybe have some downs kind of in between, which is better than the opposite, I guess. Of course you want to be a bit more consistent than that probably.
But, you know, I can realize that and it won’t always be amazing.
