M. ANDREEVA/O. Gadecki
4-6, 6-1, 6-2
THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. How did it feel playing here today? What do you think gave you an advantage?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, it's never easy to start the season, but I'm just happy that I got the win today. It was not an easy match to play against Olivia. She's a tough opponent to face, so I'm just happy to get the win and to start the season on a good note.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Can you just walk us through the difference from that first to second set? What changed for you there where you sort of went from behind the eight ball to motoring away with it?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, in the beginning I felt like she was, I don't know if she was more confident or whatever she was feeling. I just felt like she was going for the shots, playing very aggressive, pushing me to the limits.
Yeah, I mean, I didn't play for a long time, so I struggled with that. And then, you know, I just felt like she was playing better than me. I went on a toilet break, tried to kind of break the rhythm, just, you know, stay calm and just to try and play my game.
And then, point by point, I just tried to stay in the match, and then in the end it went my way. I just carried on, trying to play aggressive and not give her time to do whatever she wants on the court.
Q. To be someone so young, yet having already achieved what you have, seems like you have been in the top 10 for quite a while now when others might be waiting till their late 20s to be able to get that chance, can you walk us through what's been the key thing for you in the early days of your career that's made you so successful already?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, well, I can say that after I won the title in Dubai, and actually probably before the title, I was feeling very down. I don't know what's the thing with players that win big tournaments, that they always say that before the tournament I was not feeling my best, I was feeling like, you know, this obviously not going to be the tournament that I'm gonna win.
Then I guess by me not expecting much from myself, I started to play well. Then I started to believe in myself, and then that's how I won the tournament.
Then after that, I just kind of tried to carry on with the same mindset. You know, until the end of the year, sometimes it works; sometimes it didn't. That's why I didn't win every tournament that I played, obviously.
Yeah, I'm just trying to kind of play with the mindset of whatever I had in those tournaments that I won, and I think that's maybe -- maybe that's the key. I have no idea. I'm not experienced enough to say (smiling).
Q. Have you found though that getting so much success so young, you felt some expectations from people maybe outside your circle to keep performing? Is that a pressure you felt at times?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I can say that I did feel pressure from a lot of people, especially, like, after I won the two tournaments, I felt like people would expect me to win Miami, and then they would expect me to win Madrid and Rome. And I was, you know, that's basically almost not possible.
Yeah, I did feel the pressure that people were expecting me to win basically every tournament that I would play, and that was not easy, but, you know, last year I learned a lot how to deal with the pressure, how to not pay attention to what people say, and how to talk about this. Because I was talking a lot about how I felt with my team and, you know, now I feel like I know more about this. I have learned a lot from the last year, and if that happens this year, I certainly know what to do with this.
Q. We've got someone like Emerson Jones here in Australia who all it took was one match last year, and suddenly people were saying she could be the next Ash Barty. I guess that's a lot of pressure to put on someone so young. Any advice for a player like that on how to handle that and get an opportunity to go out there at their own pace?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I can say that, I mean, she's playing very well at such a young age, and I just think that if I had a chance to tell her something, maybe I would have said not to focus on whatever people say, because there's going to be a lot of people that would say, Oh, you're going to be the next Sharapova or the next Ash Barty.
You just have to focus that you are is who you are, and you have your own career and you have your own path. I'm Mirra Andreeva. She's Emerson Jones. She's not going to be the next Ash Barty, because Ash Barty stopped her career. She's not playing anymore. She's going to have her own career, and I think she should focus on making her own path in tennis.
Q. Can I get you to talk about Emerson a little bit as a player? You knew her from juniors, and you hit with her this week as well. Can I get you to talk about her as a specific player and where you think she fits long term in the game?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I've practiced with her this week. She's trying to be very aggressive. She hits hard. Yeah, I feel like I'm very different to the style of her game, but yeah, I think she's very talented, because she's very thin, she's very small, but she hits pretty hard (smiling).
Yeah, I think she's already playing well, she's winning matches on WTA circuit, so I think that she's gonna be a great player probably. Again, I also don't want to put pressure on her, as well.
Yeah, she's playing well, and I think that now she's very excited to play matches and compete in these tournaments, so I think that's going to suit her well.
Q. Going back to you again, you talked about the expectation and handling everything. There seems to be an obsession around you, you have to win a Grand Slam title to be a success. You've won at Masters 1000 level now. How do you handle that side of things where people think if you don't win a Grand Slam title it's a disappointment?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: I do have the same mindset actually. Obviously for some people, you know, when they say that they had a successful career for them, the successful career was to play healthy or not have any injuries or just to enjoy every match that you play. For someone it's if I don't win 10 Grand Slams, I'm a failure or I'm a bad player or whatever.
For me, I do feel like I have always wanted to be like Roger, like Serena, like Rafa, because, you know, I was looking up to them, and I still do, to be the best player in the world. I do put some pressure on myself sometimes, but now I have also learned that if I try to just give my best in every match that I play and at the same time enjoy the moment, then, you know, I just realize that I will just play and see what the life will bring to me, and I'm not gonna put so much pressure on myself thinking that, you know, I have to win a Grand Slam to be a successful player.
So I kind of decided to think like that this year and see where that brings me, and then we'll talk about that next year, I guess (smiling).
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports