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My Question To Su-Wei Hsieh at Miami Open
13 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Scoop
Su-Wei Hsieh continued her sensational 2019 with another stunning display of tennis genius today, defeating Caroline Wozniacki for the first time in her career, after three failures, 63 67 62.
The 33 year old from China Taipei is now into the quarterfinals.
After the match, Hsieh did a press conference where five reporters attended and it was another discussion filled with laughs and smiles and insights.
No player entertains in the press conference like the bubbly, candid and funny, witty Hsieh who speaks straight from her heart exactly how she feels, she has such a funny spirit. How nice it is to look around and see the smiles on the faces of Ben Rothenberg and Courtney Nguyen, listening to a magical tennis player share answers and insights that no other does.
I decided to ask Hsieh this question…
Q. This week you have beaten two players you have never beaten before. How do you explain that? Did you figure them out? What happened?
SU-WEI HSIEH: I think the worst thing, it just going to 0-4 or 0-5, so I have nothing to worry about it. Yeah, so I never beat them before, so I have less pressure than them.
As now I feel like when I go on the court, I feel more relaxed than before. I don’t know why. Because before you go into the big court, I feel I’m a new girl and I never been to this court, and I feel like, Wow, I’m, like, 18 years old, I walk into this big court, and now I little bit get into the situation, so I feel better.
Q. Are you playing your best tennis now?
SU-WEI HSIEH: You feel I play better now? How do you think? Yes?
Q. Yes.
Okay. Then I play better. Thank you.
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Here are the other reporter interactions with Hsieh at her press conference…
Q. Was it easy after having a big win over No. 1 to put that behind you and start over for a new match? Because sometimes after players have a huge win they are still distracted or something in the next match.
SU-WEI HSIEH: I don’t have this problem (smiling).
Q. Can you just talk through the match a little bit today? First of all, with your preparation, what your game plan was against Wozniacki, and then what do you think you did particularly well to get the win?
SU-WEI HSIEH: I was thinking to be aggressive, but mostly I was thinking she gonna make no mistake, she gonna catch all the balls, and she does.
So sometime I was trying too much, you know, because with her game, if you go a little bit slower, she coming in and she can attack. If you hitting the ball big, she still can catch the ball. So sometime you don’t win the point, and then you go a little bit more you can make more mistake. And I did, as well.
So I try to fix my, how to say the reason, and put my pace a little bit more in the court today. This, it going very well today. Yeah.
Q. Having played and won so many matches this year, do you feel like that experience really helped you today? Whereas maybe in the past it might have been a different story in the third set?
SU-WEI HSIEH: I don’t know. You know, last year I have a very tough schedule in Seoul. I play four match in 22 hours, including two singles and two doubles. So every time (indiscernible) I will say nothing is worse than Seoul. So I will be fine, I will be good, and I will feel fresh.
Q. A lot of different players now have been talking about you and your game and how different it is. Do you sense a different reaction from players now when you’re coming to play matches against them? They know you’re going to be very difficult to beat?
SU-WEI HSIEH: Okay, I will try to work hard. Thank you, girls.
Q. Up next you play Anett Kontaveit. Anett said that you’d practiced and shared a coach at some point. Can you talk about her as an opponent?
SU-WEI HSIEH: Yes, a very, very lovely, nice girl. She hit the ball different than other girls. Maybe more like Naomi Osaka, because they both very aggressive.
I don’t know. I will wait what my team, my brother and my boyfriend say. So I cannot comment more right now.
Q. Just going back to Kontaveit, she said you were practice partners. Was this during the off-season? Can you give a little bit more explanation as to when that time was?
SU-WEI HSIEH: Oh, that was a few years ago. That’s only time I practice with a girl I make three ace. I still remember. Because normally my game is not like ace, ace, ace, but that time was just practice, and she was hitting the ball so hard. So I was thinking, okay, it’s a practice. So I gonna go super hard.
So I remember the practice only the three ace, and she hit the ball very hard. I don’t remember other stuff.
Q. Do you like practicing against players that are powerful like that? Or do you prefer players who can catch a lot of balls?
SU-WEI HSIEH: You know, I have a very difficult situation this year. Since Australian Open or Auckland, I’m pretty hard to get one game in the practice. So I was, like, Okay, I don’t know what happen on the court. Maybe it gonna happen like this on the court. So I just go on the court.
If I play really bad, I don’t sweat (phonetic). So I need to be patient and stay at the court and I hope I can smile if I play something really bad, and I do it very well, and then I win some matches. So thank you.
After the conference and before Rothenberg did a one on one with her, I gave Su-Wei a copy of Facing Safin which last year we talked about and she shared her insights on the mighty Russian who she admires.
She said thank you and Good to see you again.
Tomorrow Hsieh will play Kontaveit and doubles after with partner Barbora Strycova.
catherine · March 26, 2019 at 3:12 am
Very interesting interview Scoop, thanks. Do you think we’re going to see a lot of girls abandon ball bashing and start doing it the Su-wei way ?
What’s this about the magic five in press conferences ? Were there only five chairs in the room ? Always seems to be five hacks.
Hartt · March 26, 2019 at 8:29 am
She seems totally charming, and she is so much fun to watch.
catherine · March 26, 2019 at 8:53 am
Comment from Simona on Hsieh’s game (tennis now):
‘ She hides the ball – she has it in her hands, she just feels the ball. I cannot describe her game’. She went on to say how Hsieh’s game is ‘not about learning’ and doubts anyone could be coached that way.
S-W also uses an extended racquet, whatever that means. Is it just a normal racquet with a longer handle ?
She appeared for this match in black, with a Nike top. Good free ad for Nike 🙂
Dan Markowitz · March 26, 2019 at 10:55 am
Scoop and I watched a captivating slug-fest on Court 1 yesterday that Danil Medvedev won in three tie-break sets against Riley Opelka, who’s now coached by former top 10, Jay Berger. We sat with Weller Evans, formerly of the ATP, and Robert Kaplan, both Jersey boys like Scoop. Kaplan was once Virginia Ruzici of Romania.
Berger, who coached Jack Sock, before he swooned in the rankings, has done a nice job in cleaning up Opelka’s game, but the big Floridian’s serve, especially out wide on the forehand side, is like a canon.
Sock is out after having hurt his hand snow-boarding.
Scoop Malinowski · March 26, 2019 at 10:56 am
No Catherine, I think Su-Wei Hsieh is one in a billion or trillion. No one else can play tennis like she does. They can try but she is an original and you can’t copy that. A lot of people tried to copy Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali but nobody can imitate that kind of rare genius special talent. It’s more than talent it’s also mental talent, drive, work, visions all rolled into one. No, there will never be anything like Hsieh ever again. Enjoy her while you can.
Scoop Malinowski · March 26, 2019 at 11:00 am
Well, the interview room his an elevator ride down to the first floor and it’s a slow elevator sometimes. Plus the writers have the option to just read the interview transcripts of the press conference about 45 minutes after the conference. Plus there’s always a lot going on, matches, and the press room is very comfortable and the lunch and dinner meals and the special desserts have been four or five star quality 🙂 Must add that interacting with other journalists and discussions and trading stories is also very interesting and could tend to keep some reporters up in the box instead of the interview rooms and courts.
Scoop Malinowski · March 26, 2019 at 11:02 am
Hartt, a most unique personality. I will never forget the visions of seeing the smiles and amusement on the faces of Rothenberg and Nguyen intently listening to her press conference answers. The most charming and amusing personality I have ever seen in pro tennis. Unlike any other player there ever was. You just can’t believe she really made it to the top of the sport. She’s a miracle in many ways.
Scoop Malinowski · March 26, 2019 at 11:03 am
Catherine I learned the story about how she began using her current Yonex, will post story later today.
catherine · March 26, 2019 at 11:49 am
‘Kaplan was once Virginia Ruzici of Roumania’ ? Did Virginia go trangender ? Last I heard she was Halep’s manager and still called Virginia Ruzici or Ruzica. I’m fascinated.Do you mean coach ?
Rio Yu · March 26, 2019 at 11:54 am
So proud of this girl who comes from Taiwa! She can always bring us a vivid match no matter W/L.
So sad that the name and the colors of taiwan still cannot be shown on court since China’s suppression. sincerely hope you can use the name “Chinese Taipei” which is for temporary use due to so many complicated reasons rather than “China Taipei”. Lots of taiwanese will be so appreciated of your consideration.
Anyway, thank you all for loving Su-Wei style! Let’s look forward to more suprise Hsieh will bring to us in the future!
Scoop Malinowski · March 26, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Catherine, Dan made that comment on his phone so it got broken up, he meant to say Kaplan was the hitting partner and friend of Virgnia Ruzici for a year. And her best results came when they were together.
Jason · March 26, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Thanks for the sharing. It’s quite entertaining to watch her play 🙂
Kindly remind that Su-Wei is from Taiwan, rather than China. It would be good if you can revise the country name. Even Chinese Taipei, which is commonly used in the Olympic Games, would be a better alternative to avoid misunderstanding.
Scoop Malinowski · March 26, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Rio Yu, I didn’t understand the Taiwan – Chinese Taipei situation, I just put Taipei because it is next to her name in all the draw sheets and schedules. Okay I will now say she is from Taiwan.