Amanda Anisimova

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/A. Blinkova

5-7, 6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Well done. Turned it around in the second set. What made the difference today?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think I picked my level up. Got used to the conditions a bit and tried to get some energy going. I feel like, yeah, I tried to play more aggressive, which is my game style. Yeah, I'm just happy I was able to pick it up.

Yeah, it was a tough match against a tough opponent. Happy to be through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. This hasn't always been your best tournament in terms of suitability. I'm wondering, now that you have been on tour a few years, how you see an evolution in your game or other players' games in terms of surface and court adaptability. Like I'm thinking Maria Sharapova winning her final two slams at the French Open would have been unlikely at the start of her career. Do you see yourself evolving and what works for you?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think it's just a matter of adapting. I think I'm a player who can play well on all surfaces as long as I pull all the things together for myself.

Like you said, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the courts here. I had a great run when I was 16 and played well and really found my rhythm that year and was playing really well and felt really comfortable.

There were other times with the conditions, with the wind here it can get difficult. I mean, I haven't played this tournament that many times, and I feel like with each year that I play, I kind of learn something about how I can adapt better, how I can ease my game to my advantage. I'm someone who likes to play on slow courts, as well, so I feel like this tournament can actually suit me very well.

Yeah, today was a big confidence booster, in a way. I was able to figure it out and kind of adjust to the courts. So hopefully I can build off of that. I'm a player who likes to gain momentum throughout the tournament, so I'm hoping that that will be the case for the week.

Yeah, I love this tournament. Hoping for a longer stay this time, but yeah, just enjoying every single day. Yeah, as you said with the clay courts, I think some players are just able to play on all surfaces, and I'm hoping to be a player that can do that.

Q. You said after the match, you always thank the crowd for pulling you through. Places like here, New York, Miami, where you get a lot of love and a lot of energy, does that really make a difference for you? How would you quantify it in terms of it helping you get over the hump?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, for sure, I don't think I would be able to play if there wasn't a crowd. I'm someone who loves to ride off of that energy. I feed off of it. I love playing in packed stadiums when I see there's a lot of people coming out to watch.

It really motivates me, it keeps me going. So I love it, and I love playing at home tournaments. Yeah, I'm always excited for these tournaments, and especially my family and my friends come out. So it's always a lot of fun.

I feel like there is a little bit of pressure with that, but I try to use it to my advantage. Especially when I play like that in the first set and I feel like I'm not really playing to my game, I kind of just try to use that as motivation to get myself going. I feel like I did that today with, like, the crowd and all the energy.

Q. Are there things you hear, things you feel from them? Or is it maybe you giving them energy and then they give it back?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I'm definitely not the player who riles the crowd up. Yeah, I don't think I have ever -- I don't how to do that (laughter). It's not really in me. So, yeah, when I win a big point, when I'm down like 4-1 like today, and the whole crowd is kind of cheering for my name, that's kind of when I use it, like okay, come on, show them some better tennis and try to put up a fight.

Yeah, I love matches like that when there is a fight. So that's why I was trying to even out the score and just get myself back in the match.

Q. There have been some incidents reported by players in the last few days about threats. Have you heard about that, and what are your thoughts? Obviously harassment online has been a big issue in the tour.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, it was a super scary post that I saw the other day with Panna. Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. It's really crazy and I don't think she got any sleep the night before her match, which is just unbelievable that, yeah, she gets threats like that to her family and close, I mean, super horrible, really scary.

The only thing is that I hope that there are safety measures, security measures, and I feel like they were taken seriously in the post from what I have read that a lot of people are trying to step in and help and make her feel safe.

I think that's the most important thing. Hopefully, yeah, there was a lot of people trying to make her feel secure and that everything is going to be fine.

Yeah, I don't want to see anyone going through that, and I hope that there will be better safety measures taken, but at the end of the day, like, how do you stop crazy people from their actions? I don't know. But, yeah, I think the most important is that there's just rules and the safety measures, and that's all we can do.

Q. Has that ever happened to you?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Not to that extent. I don't think I have ever seen something like it.

Q. Thoughts on facing Emma Raducanu in the next round. You were able to solve her in your third meeting last summer. Was there something you figured out about facing her? What do you think about the challenge of the way she plays?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think the last time I faced her I was just playing really well. I played the way I wanted to play.

Yeah, at the end of the day, I mean, there is a certain way I like to play. I think I also had found my rhythm. I think it might have been the second or third match I played last year.

Yeah, it was a great match. She's not an easy opponent to face. She always brings high-quality tennis.

Yeah, I have had some great matches was her. Hoping for another good one.

Q. You talk about the change of all conditions here, the court surface, wind, cold, hot. Is Tennis Paradise a bit of a misnomer?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I mean, at the end of the day, like, you can't control the weather, and I think it's kind of fun, because it brings a challenge for all the players. I mean, I don't think it's fun for everybody.

I personally like to try and adapt and adjust to certain challenges, but when you look out, I mean, it's still paradise because of the scenery and how beautiful it is here.

At least it doesn't rain. So at least we have that. Yeah, it's great to play here. You can't really see it on the TV, I think, when it's crazy windy or if there is a sandstorm it still looks beautiful.

I mean, I love playing here. I think it's very pretty at the end of the day despite the extreme temperatures or the wind. I still enjoy it.

Q. One thing players have mentioned about what they like here in the past is that they can stay at rental houses and have more of a home feeling versus a hotel. What kind of accommodations do you have? Are you taking advantage of rental homes?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I stayed at a house last year. This year I'm staying at a hotel, but it's more like a villa-resort style. I feel all the accommodations here are super nice. I feel like it's different to what we normally stay at. It feels very resorty, but then you back to work.

No, at the end of the day it's really nice to relax. I feel like most of the time we're outdoors with the types of accommodation that we stay at. So it's a really nice feeling.