Australian Open Monday, 15 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Jessica Pegula Press Conference important. J. PEGULA/E. Svitolina Q. Elina mentioned she couldn't get her focus in the 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 game. How is your mentality going into the game and throughout the match? THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. JESSICA PEGULA: I think my mentality was just to go Q. Through to your first Grand Slam quarterfinal. out and play my game, then kind of adjust as things went The confidence must be sky high. on. I think I did a pretty good job of that. JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I can't get more confident, it I definitely, like I said, kind of was a little tentative in the is my best result yet and I'm playing good tennis and beginning of the second, and was able to kind of play a today was a hard fought win, so, yeah, feeling pretty couple good games at the end of the second to kind of good. get the momentum into the third, which I think is really important, and something that maybe people don't Q. You played Elina earlier this year, did you change realize. anything going into this next match with her? I definitely felt like I was sliding off the rails a little bit, had JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I did change a few things. I to get that back. But, yeah, I felt good. I mean, it's tough played her pretty close earlier this year. Well, one of the because she makes you play so many balls. Was it the only tournaments this year. Yeah, it was also first match perfect match, like when I won 0-1 the other day? No. I that I played, so I felt like I wasn't really kind of grounded thought I served really well. That was really important. a little bit. Q. How much in that third set were you thinking that But, yeah, I played her pretty close. I just knew that this was your match to finish, and also that Svitolina was match I had to take my break chance opportunities when on the other side? I could just because she doesn't give you a lot. JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I knew that I had to play I know that I had to take chances, but at the same time really smart. I think I was starting to overhit in the kind of not overplay, like I kind of did the second set. second. I know she was staying pretty far back. It's a good matchup for me but it's also tough because she's I did change a few things, but nothing crazy. going to sit back and take my pace fine. Q. Anything that you're really happy about this game I think I knew it was my match to take. I knew I just had in particular, anything that you want to improve on? to focus on my service games. I knew if I could just stay in there on her service games, I would get break JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I thought I served really well chances. I think I was really just focusing on that. Just pretty much the whole time. I think that I kind of got a playing smart, not overhitting, just picking when to be little tentative in the second set. I played a good game to aggressive was really big. break her, then I didn't hold serve. That was huge. Q. On the camera you wrote, 'Hi mom and dad.' How I think maybe playing those games a little bit smarter important is the family support you have? against the better players just to avoid kind of the momentum totally changing, going into a third set. JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, they've been obviously the main support system my whole life. They're always the I'm just happy that I reset at the start of the third. I think first to text me, watch all my matches. Not just my that's huge. Obviously you know you're going to go three parents, but my brother and my sisters, as well. sets eventually. I think the way I kind of switched the Obviously their support is good. momentum and turned it around was really, really 104695-1-1044 2021-02-15 04:07:00 GMT Page 1 of 3 I wrote my sister's name last time. My dad was like, among you? When are you going to write my name? They're happy he got a shout-out today. They're really happy. JESSICA PEGULA: Well, to be honest, we're pretty similar in the way we all hit pretty big, always looking for Q. Near the end of the first set, you set up set point a forehand. Probably them more than me. Then also with a 31-shot rally. Was that point a catalyst and they both serve really well. That's something that I've portend for things to come? What goes through gotten better. your mind as you're playing a 31-shot rally? Yeah, I mean, it's pretty awesome to see. I hope we can JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, that was a huge all push through. I think us and Serena in the point. Obviously I would say the longer the rally goes, it quarterfinals, which is pretty cool to see for all of us. probably favors her. I kind of knew winning that point, like, I needed to win it there. I knew we just had a really, The last, I don't know, year or so, we've really all pushed really long rally. That's going to favor her. I don't really each other. Maybe we haven't said it to each other, but I want to play this game where all of a sudden we're in think we all can feel it. They made quarters of the US these super long rallies, it's 5-4, I'm trying to serve it out. Open and I lost I think in the third round. I think they That's a big momentum game there. That could have made quarters, right? Something like that. been a huge difference. It's cool we're really all pushing each other to kind of get For me to stay in that rally and win it was obviously really to that next level. We're all a little older, too. We're not important. I knew I needed to most likely try and, I need like all 18, 19, 20. We've all been through the injuries, to buckle down and win this game right here on the first coming back, playing really well. I just think it's really try. cool to see because we've all known each other. It's definitely one of those things where that's when you Shelby, I played southern designated tournaments, we can feel the momentum. You do the best you can. go way back, playing junior tournaments in South Yeah, I'm glad that I won that long rally because I needed Carolina. It's pretty amazing we came from that, and to take a breath after that (smiling). now we're looking at a quarterfinal here, her fourth round possible, she made quarters of the US Open, too. It's a Q. You won one career title on tour at the Citi Open big deal. It's pretty cool. in Washington. Do you feel you've improved as a player since then? Q. As a former Buffalo resident, you've worked with support staff at the Sabres. There would be some JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, winning D.C. was huge. It crossover between sports. The Bills had a real good was my first pro title ever, like challenger tour, WTA Tour. year. Josh Allen had some inspirational games. I've lost in a lot of finals. It was one of those What have you learned from being around that tournaments where I, again, wasn't really playing sports environment? amazing, won some tough matches, then played lights out in the final. JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, I think I can relate to it honestly the most probably than anyone in my family, Again, I think that was something where I was kind of just being at the higher-level type athlete. It's been pretty waiting for that to happen, to have that moment where I cool to see what Josh has been able to do. Obviously could play free in a final. That was really, really big for the team got better around him. me. Even last year when he wasn't playing that well, I was I think, yeah, I'm playing a lot better now. I think I took a like, I like this kid. I loved his competitive spirit. He was lot of confidence from just competing and fighting my way a gamer. He just wanted to win. That's something you through that tournament. It definitely gave me a lot of love to see. confidence going forward. I mean, I think since I've pretty much done pretty well since then. I think I've It's definitely something I think I tried to take into my constantly been getting a little bit better as the year goes game a little bit, even watching the team getting that grit, on. that competitive attitude, having that mindset. In tennis, it's like 90% sometimes of the matches. Yeah, I think I'm playing at a higher level now than then, but that was definitely a pivotal moment in my career.