BELINDA BENCIC: “YOU GOTTA TAKE RISKS PLAYING AGAINST KONTAVEIT. I TRIED BUT IT WASN’T ENOUGH”

Obviously, it is sad to lose, but you had your opportunities and after you were down 4-0 in the second set it seemed as if you were ready to make a comeback, but it didn’t work. Can you just comment on that?

It was a bit frustrating, for sure the positive thing about today is that I had chances, because in the two last matches against Annette I had not much chances. At least now I felt like I had them, but the bad news – I didn’t use the. But I went for it. Against her you have to play very aggressive and try not let her dictate the game, but it is also very risky. I wasn’t really happy today how I was mentally, I didn’t manage to hold it together and it is for sure something I have to change.

How do you need to play tactically to beat a player like Kontaveit who enjoyed a great season last year?

She had a lot of indoor wins, she is very good here because I think she always tries to always push the ball earlier and she feels very well right now. If you give her a little big of a short ball, she tries to attack you and to dominate. So, I think it is important to play a bit more risky and kind of try to beat her that way. It is impossible just to wait a mistake from her. That is the way I tried today, but it was not enough from my side, but I think I did everything I could.

What are the positive things you going to bring back from this specific edition of St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy game-wise and maybe something just off-court.

There are a lot of positives to take, I won two matches again which is good for me. Every match I win is good, I am trying to play a lot of matches. I am trying to grind through the matches and even if the match is not easy, I am trying to fight and I think I did that. Off the court? I just love this city and, of course, I am going to come here next year for sure and hopefully I can regain my form again and keep going in the next tournaments.

Do you feel like you are getting step-by-step better physically after coronavirus?

In the matches it is okay, I am never going to the limit of my capacity with my breathing but the worse is in the practices. I cannot practice for 100%, I cannot make the full limit of my capacity when breathing. That is a little bit frustrating because I am not practicing as much as I want to. But I think health is first, so I really have to take it slow and try to get back in form and just accept it and use what I have right now trying to win the matches.

Do you know the basic ingredient for your favorite Russian meal syrniki?

Cottage cheese, I even know the Russian word for it – tvorog. I love tvorog and to be honest in Swiss we have a similar meal, but there it is so wet, not like in Russia.