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Tennis News –
In an exclusive interview with BTU, Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska spoke about the best season start of her career and shared her thoughts ahead of her upcoming match against world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.Dayana Yastremska ahead of Swiatek clash: "I'll use my strengths and stay in the moment" - Dayana, you've already won 12 matches this year, marking your best season start ever before Indian Wells. Here you've played two matches, both quite confidently in terms of score and performance. How comfortable are you feeling on court now, and what's changed to enable these results? "The start of the year was tough because I had to defend points from last year's Australian Open semifinal and knew I risked dropping out of the top 100. After the Australian Open, when my ranking dropped, I felt a bit empty but also relieved. Flying to Linz, I accepted that I'd need to start fresh in some ways, and since then, I've taken things easier. Nothing drastic has changed—I'm just working hard, training well, playing to my strengths, and enjoying the game. I don't obsess about rankings or results; I just play," Yastremska said with a smile. - You're facing world No. 2 Iga Swiatek next. Recently, you played a competitive first set against her in Dubai but had noticeable shoulder issues afterward. How's your shoulder feeling now, based on your first two matches here? "Honestly, I wasn't feeling physically great in Dubai—my shoulder and neck were tight. Since last year's shoulder injury, it tends to get tight often, but I've been working on it, and thankfully, it's good now! Conditions here in Indian Wells aren't easy due to the strong winds, but I'm used to it (laughs). Every day is different, so I adjust depending on how I feel." - How would you describe Swiatek's game? Is her style particularly challenging for you, and will you apply anything from your Dubai match experience? "Iga has great fitness and court vision. My strengths are speed and powerful hitting. My serve let me down last time, so this time I'll just try to use all my best qualities. I'll play in the moment," she added with a smile. - There has been a lot of discussion recently about the court surface in Indian Wells. Some say it's faster, others slower, while some haven't noticed any changes. Which category are you in, and how does the new surface feel? "Honestly, I didn't even know they'd changed the surface (laughs). On the first day, there was lots of wind and sand on the court, making it faster. Now, to me, it's just a normal court—you just have to move your feet, and everything will be fine (laughs)." - You've been in the US for a while now, and given the current political events involving our country, have you felt any difference in how fans or people around the tournament treat you compared to previous years? "In the last match, fans clearly supported Jabeur more, but it didn't bother me. There were Ukrainians in the stands, my family, my team—and that's enough for me. I'm my own support system. I know I have my community, my fans, and my country behind me! Also, there were Americans supporting me, so overall, it's all good." |
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