E. SVITOLINA/E. Alexandrova
3-6, 6-0, 6-3
Q. Curious your mindset after the first set, and what you felt was the reason that allowed you to come back and win the match?
ELINA SVITOLINA: I think she was playing really well, serving really unreturnable, to be fair. I had to really try to find opportunities to see the ball better and, yeah, I think focusing on myself more.
She gave me a little bit more second serves that really I think changed the momentum. I found my game, and was playing really well from the baseline after. Yeah, I think it really shifted from then on, from the first couple of games in the second.
Q. Does it feel like a super emotional match out there to you? Because watching, some of the points were so long, the rallies were so intense, you got all the Ukrainian flags, there's maybe a little bit more at stake with you and who your opponent is. Do you feel that as well out there?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, of course, I feel a little bit more pressure than playing any other player, and especially on this kind of stage when it's quarterfinal, and the only one Ukrainian left.
Toronto has always lots of Ukrainians, but it's a champagne problem to have, to be fair. It's a great support that they give me, you know, backing me up.
Also it inspires me. Not only like when I'm stepping on the court, but also when I'm set down, and I'm not feeling very well, I still keep finding and finding the way.
So, you know, they really support me in these kind of moments, and to not let my country down.
Q. How do you see the semifinal matchup that you'll face?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it's against Iga. Of course, we played many times. We practiced many times as well. We know each other's game.
We had a great match, I think from my side it was a great match, I don't know, I won't judge from her side, but in Rome we had a great match.
Yeah, for me it will be important to stay physical. It's going to be lots of long rallies. I feel I will just work on few things, tactical things tomorrow. It's nice to have a day where I can work on few things for the semifinal.
Q. Do you think playing Washington, I know you had a couple matches there, kind of benefited you in terms of getting adjusted back to the hard courts to help you go further here?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Tough to say because I had a terrible, not terrible, okay, but was not easy match with Aryna here in the second round. So I don't know if I would say that it helped me.
But this was the idea, to be fair. Because I didn't play so well at Wimbledon, so I wanted to get in as early as possible to the hard courts, to find the rhythm. The transition from clay to grass and then to hard can be not an easy one.
So, yeah, I think I picked it up a little bit later in the tournament a good level, and, yeah, happy with the way that I'm playing now, and it puts me in a good position.
Q. Going back to your next opponent, Iga, you've played her twice this year. Can you think of anything in mind that helped you in particular be successful against her? Are there any areas that you want to bring from those matches into this match for the semifinal?
ELINA SVITOLINA: I think the things that I can control is my mindset and taking one point at a time. She's also a great fighter and brought her fighting spirit and her great, like, intentions and fearlessness, it's also brought her a lot of titles.
So, yeah, it's going to be about trying to find the keys in that game, trying to find the particular patterns that are going to work against her.
I mean, we are at the highest level of women's tennis. Everybody knows how to hit forehand and backhand, so it's about, you know, putting another pattern against each other, and trying to perform as best as possible on that day.
Q. Nine years since you won the title here in 2017, and just with everything that you've gone through in life, from getting married, having a child, things back home, what does it mean to you that you're one win away from being back in that final match all this time later?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I have great memories, and of course it's, yeah, amazing that it's been that long ago. I feel also I won, I think in that year maybe I won Rome, and also this year I won Rome.
So, yeah, I feel like, you know, it's in a good position, but I take one match at a time. Of course, it would be unbelievable to play in the final in another 1000.
I only look back and, you know, look at the positives that I have here. I also had a tough draw. So, yeah, it's nice. I have a great support, lots of Ukrainians, so yeah, it really inspires me to do my very best.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports