Former World No. 21 Jil Teichman reached the finals of the WTA L&T 125 Mumbai Open after a straight sets win over the 15-yr old prodigy Maaya Revathi.

Jil took time to speak to the media after her match. Transcript is below

Interviewer: Jil, congratulations on reaching the final! The crowd was very supportive of Maaya. How was that experience for you as her opponent?

Jil Teichmann: Luckily, it’s not my first time experiencing a crowd that’s not entirely against me. I understand it’s for the national player, but it was a fair crowd, so it was nice. I really enjoy a good energy in the crowd; it adds so much to the game.

Interviewer: Everyone’s been talking about Maaya this week, a 15-year-old making a great run. What was it like facing her? Did she exceed your expectations in any way?

Jil Teichmann: Definitely. I didn’t know her before this tournament. She had a great run. I told her at the net to keep going. She has a good, powerful game, and she will have a bright future.

Interviewer: In the first set, you started strong, but then she broke you, I think at 4-1, and then held. You had a tricky hold at 5-2. Did you sense that was a turning point, as she seemed to have some momentum?

Jil Teichmann: Yes, for sure. The conditions are heavy here, and the ball gets bigger after four or five games. It changes the whole match. I knew the game would change, and I was observing what she was doing and what I needed to do. That hold at 5-2 (or the break, I’m not sure which it was) was very important to keep the distance. And then, after that, the new balls also make a big difference.

Interviewer: You’ve been as high as 21 in the world and played Grand Slams, but your ranking has dropped. How difficult is it to reset and build back up again?

Jil Teichmann: I’m not going to lie; I’ve had some tough moments. I’m still in the middle of the process. Looking back, I’m grateful because it gave me a chance to learn a lot about myself, both as a person and as a player, to reflect more. When things are good, we don’t always reflect. It’s when things aren’t going well that we start thinking. So, yeah, it has been good. I’m happy it happened, and I’m learning through it.

Interviewer: How important is this run to the final for that process of getting back?

Jil Teichmann: Very important. I played well in Australia and Singapore last week, where I lost a very long match against Wang Xinyu. I knew I had my level. I just needed to keep my head down and keep going. I knew I would create chances. I started this week fresh, went match by match, and now I’m in the final.

Interviewer: Could you tell us about your tattoos?

Jil Teichmann: They’re all a bit different. Some have meaning, some are just with friends. This one here [points] is with my brother. We got it together, which was really nice. I’m very close to him. This one is with a couple of friends. These two faces are more artistic, so they don’t always have a meaning. This one is a saying in Spanish: “La vida es conocimiento más habilidad por actitud” – Life is knowledge plus ability times attitude. It’s about having a great attitude.

Interviewer: Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final, what are your thoughts on your opponent? Have you played her before?

Jil Teichmann: No, I haven’t. I’ve seen her on the swing. She also played Singapore and had a great week, just like me. She’s been playing a lot of matches, just as I have, so I think we’re both in good shape. I haven’t studied her yet. I’m still digesting this match and recovering. I’ll focus on her tomorrow.

Interviewer: This is your first tournament in Mumbai. What has your experience been like so far?

Jil Teichmann: So far, so good! I haven’t had a chance to see much. I arrived late Saturday evening, so I’ve been focusing on playing. But that’s a good problem to have! It’s nice here. It’s a good court, and the people are really nice and welcoming. And the crowd today was great.

Interviewer: Thank you, Jil, and good luck in the final!