Veronica Cepede Royg, the 27-year-old from Paraguay, was one of the few players who was able to walk off the court with a smile despite some brutal heat that has hit Flushing Meadows on Day 1 of US Open Qualifying action. Taking on Susanne Celik of Sweden, she moved one match closer to the main draw with a 6-3, 7-6 victory.
Despite standing at 5-foot-4, Cepede Royg is a very powerful and explosive player. She uses her strong legs to her advantage, as she stays low on her ground strokes and gets a high contact point on her serve.
Currently ranked No. 154 in the world, Cepede Royg has competed in all four Grand Slam events. Her best result thus far has been at the 2017 French Open, where she reached the fourth round before falling to former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. It is no coincidence there; Cepede Royg admits that her favorite and most comfortable surface is clay. Today, she had her hands full with Celik on the New York hard courts.
It was Cepede Royg on Court 12 in control until late in the second set, when the match evened up. Was it nerves, heat or an improvement from Celik?
USOpen.org caught up with Cepede Royg after her first-round victory.
USOpen.org: How did you play and feel out there today?
Veronica Cepede Royg: I thought I played well until 6-3, 5-2, when the nerves hit me. It’s always tough to close or finish the match, which caused me to miss more. She also started making more balls in the court, forcing me to over hit a little bit. Overall, I am just proud that I was able to win the match and come through despite the nerves.
USOpen.org: Do you feel confident moving forward, and is there anything you want to touch up on before Round 2?
Veronica Cepede Royg: I would like to be able to close out the match faster when I have the opportunity. It’s not easy for anyone to close out a tough opponent, especially when there are nerves, but I tried focusing hard on my game, and that’s how I got the job done. Winning this match alone will give me the confidence needed moving forward.
USOpen.org: How will you recover for the next round both mentally and physically, especially with this heat?
Veronica Cepede Royg: I will hit 15-20 minutes now to feel the ball and get that nice rhythm. After, I will recover at the gym, take a shower, get a massage, see the physio, eat good food, then do nothing! I get a day off tomorrow, so that will help me recover, for sure.
USOpen.org: How does it feel to be in New York at the US Open?
Veronica Cepede Royg: Oh, come on, it’s New York. It’s such a beautiful city, and everything is so good. It is such a positive place to be!
