“Elina held a press conference after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open”, — write: sport.ua
– Elina, congratulations on reaching the fourth quarter-final here. What are the feelings?
– Yes, it’s great. Another chance, maybe to play in the semi-finals. But I am very satisfied with the match, very satisfied with the performance today. I think I executed the plan well. Very satisfied with the result.
– Your next opponent will be Coco. Speaking of the build-up to this match in terms of temperature, I believe the conditions will be similar to yesterday, with the same heat. I know that you don’t know yet when and where you will play. How do you prepare for conditions when the temperature will be very high?
– Actually, I didn’t think about it. I tried to prepare for today’s match. Someone told me a few days ago that Tuesday was going to be hot. So I will have to prepare. I think the preparation will start tomorrow with hydration, trying to stay calm. I think it’s important to just prepare as best as you can, but we’re both going to be in the same situation. It’s important to just use tomorrow to rest and prepare for this intense heat.
– You had some incredible matches with Coco. What do you expect and what do you need to do to get to the semi-finals?
– I need to discuss the plan with the coach and understand how to execute it. We’ve had tough matches, the last two seem to have been three sets. We played in the final in Oakland a couple of years ago and at the US Open. We know each other’s game well. Tomorrow it is important to work on some points, discuss with the coach and be ready for extreme heat. We will be playing not only against each other, but also against conditions in which we will have to play in the heat.
– Are you more comfortable playing in daylight or under a roof?
– Of course, it is better to play later. But I don’t decide the schedule. Perhaps one match will be in the afternoon, the other in the evening. In the evening it is more pleasant, although the ball still flies quickly due to the heat, but in general everything will be fine.
– What does reaching the semi-finals mean for you, considering the three previous quarter-finals?
– Of course, it means a lot to me, but I don’t want to think about it too much. This is another opportunity to go far in the tournament. I want to focus on recovery and on the game plan, which I have to execute well. These are my priorities now. If everything works out, there will be a chance to win the next match.
– What in your game now gives confidence that you can take one or two more steps forward?
– We had a good pre-season training. We worked on several things, on tactical points. It was important to analyze what went well in 2025 and understand what and how to improve. We’ve been working on stats, looking at where I can improve my serving, receiving and other aspects of the game. It opened my eyes to some things that I continue to work on. Everything is working, but the year is long, we need to continue. The main priority is to stay in shape.
– In today’s match against Mirra, you won 15 of 20 points on her second serve – 75%. Was it planned? How much did that help you win in straight sets?
– It was important for me to exert pressure. After all, if I let her take advantage of the draw, she can very well hit the ball and win the point. She knows how to win matches, win tournaments. So it was important for me to try to take the initiative first and find a way to win, because she is a very cunning tennis player. It changes the tempo, the length of the strokes. Therefore, you need to adapt very quickly and make decisions in a fraction of a second to either go for the ball or try to direct it to the right place.
– Today Oleksandra Oliynykva again commented on the situation with the war and said that she is not satisfied that Arina Sobolenko has large advertising contracts. Do you have an opinion on Russian and Belarusian players, their sponsorship deals and participation in the Tours?
– Actually, I have nothing to say about this. I don’t know exactly what she said, so I’m not in the know.
