M. KOSTYUK/C. Gauff
3-6, 6-4, 7-6
THE MODERATOR: Marta, just give us quickly your overall thoughts on the match and how you got through that, basically.
MARTA KOSTYUK: I don't know (smiling). Was very intense match. I honestly, from the beginning of the match, I think I was really off. I couldn't find a way to, like, put myself together really.
Yeah, and then slowly by slowly she made some unforced errors in the second set, and I just kind of got it back and I had some chances in the beginning of the third, which I didn't use. Yeah, I mean, it was a bit of a roller coaster, but a really incredible ending, definitely.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. You said yesterday that probably the reason or the secret about those match points was not counting them.
MARTA KOSTYUK: Yeah.
Q. Today was...
MARTA KOSTYUK: I didn't count them as well. I don't know. I mean, I knew I had a lot, but I didn't know how many (smiling).
I mean, it's also different to have match points when you are on return, because you are on return. You know, you are already in kind of defending position. So she played really good on all of them, like, really offensive.
I mean, I had chances, of course, because it was match points, but, you know, she did a good job. Nothing to regret.
Q. Marta, third straight semifinal, from San Diego, Indian Wells, now here. Not too bad.
MARTA KOSTYUK: Okay, not too bad (smiling).
Q. What does that level of consistency mean for you and what does it mean for you to make it to the semifinals in Stuttgart?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Well, definitely means a lot, because, you know, to be consistent in tennis, it takes a lot of work and a lot of discipline. You know, everything around you has to work really well.
So I'm glad with, you know, how we're kind of, you know, keeping it together, and in the same time, you know, like I didn't even know it's my third semifinal, third straight semifinal, because I take every match, like, by match. I don't focus on the result.
You know, I was coming here and I was, like, okay, this is my first event on clay, and I'm prepping for Paris here or for bigger tournaments. Because you need to use some tournaments to not have this kind of pressure that it's a big one, you need to perform really well here.
So I'm taking this tournament the same, like match by match. It's incredibly difficult and one of the strongest tournaments in the world, so yeah, it's amazing to be in the semis here.
Q. Marta, congrats. It was tough match. My question is about Hawk-Eye system. Right now you played, it was not all points were, like, clear what's happened. What do you think, should this system put in clay tournaments like this?
MARTA KOSTYUK: I think they had Hawk-Eye in Madrid last year, and it really didn't work well. There were some really big mistakes.
On clay I think, yeah, I mean, everyone makes mistakes. I think for hard court, it's amazing, this system. I don't think it ever makes any mistakes. It's very, very precise.
But on clay it's a little bit different. I think the machine are making the same mistakes as chair umpires can. I don't see it really as, like, a necessity on clay. I don't think so.
Q. Marta, congratulations. It was an epic match. Your matches with Coco start to be epic because of the Australian Open was also the same. We were here to get on the numbers, and we saw, like, there were 31 games and 16 breaks.
MARTA KOSTYUK: Nice. Thank you, WTA (smiling).
Q. Yeah, it was a crazy game. I wanted to ask you, what did you think made you win this match in the end?
MARTA KOSTYUK: I don't know. I don't know. Because we both were struggling on serve, you know, and we were struggling throughout the match as well.
Yeah, I don't know. I think it's the same like yesterday. It's the matter of a point or two, you know. You just play, you fight till the end, and then whoever is better wins. I don't know.
Like, I don't know how it works really, because I wish I knew. Then I would win I think everything, you know. I don't know.
It's very, very close. I was also returning really well today, especially her first serves, I feel like I was doing really well and she felt under pressure all the time. I was just serving not good.
So I don't know. I think it's just, yeah, really a matter of couple of points. I don't think there is something major that's made the difference.
Q. What makes Marketa a difficult semifinal opponent?
MARTA KOSTYUK: I played against her last year in Fed Cup. I think this is the only time I played her.
I mean, she plays great on clay. She uses the whole court. She takes your pace. You know, she's very different from all the players I played this week. And I think this is what makes tennis really beautiful and interesting sport, because everyone is completely different.
I don't know. I think she's just a very solid, very, very good and solid player. It was actually so funny, because I remember now that last year before the beginning of our tie, I said, You know, Marketa didn't have good results recently, but for me, she's the player who can win Grand Slams, and two months later she wins Wimbledon. I'm, like, Great.
I think, you know, I hope tomorrow will be another great match, another great show. Yeah, let's play some beautiful tennis.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports