Back Chat with New Zealand tennis star Erin Routliffe – Stuff

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Erin Routliffe will be part of the New Zealand Billie Jean King team to play in Turkey next month.

New Zealands top doubles player Erin Routliffe is having a sensation last 12 months on the WTA Tour, with the 26-year-old Auckland born, Canadian raised player ranked 33rd in the world.

We asked her to take the hot seat for Back Chat while in Indian Wells and she was happy to oblige.

Why do you think the last year has been so great for you?

Ive been working hard for a couple of years now, so its just an accumulation of everything. Trying to focus on things I can control, work on my mental game. In tennis you lose a lot no matter who you are, so youve got to take the losses and figure out what happened and then move on.

It is frowned upon in singles to try to hit your opponent, but is it acceptable in doubles?

I think its OK. If you have the entire court open, then going at a person blatantly isnt super cool. But in doubles its different. Going at them hard is a good play and you win the point a lot. I dont think players get upset if they get hit in doubles. I dont, I just move on.

Have you ever got frustrated at your partner if they have a bad miss?

For sure, but I get a lot more frustrated with myself. Everyone Im playing with is out there trying 100 per cent. Its a business now, its a job. We all have bad days and I know I do, so I try to be as positive as I can to them. If someones giving 100 per cent, then I dont mind if they double fault every game 15 times!

You grew up in Canada, so are you a big ice hockey fan?

I used to go to Toronto Maple Leafs games with my dad when I was a kid. Now I dont watch it as much. Im not a diehard fan, but I keep up with it and Im a Maple Leafs fan.

Whats your top tip for avoiding jet lag?

Emily, my fitness trainer, told me that if you stay outside as much as you can when youre jet-lagged then that helps a lot. Ever since she told me that I do it all the time and its amazing. I try to go for walks and get as much sunlight as I can.

You went the college route before going on the Tour, did you think that was the best way to go for you?

I dont think I was ready for the Tour when I was 18. I wanted to go pro, but education was important to me and my parents. We didnt have the funds either for me to go pro. I also wanted to go to college, I thought it would be a good experience.

Whats Marina Erakovic like as the Billie Jean King Cup captain?

Shes great, I really like her. She has a ton of experience on the Tour and I like picking her brain about it and how she handled things. She deals with the team environment well and is easy to be around. Ive learned a lot from her and hope I can continue to, because she was an amazing player and is a great person.

If you could change one rule in tennis, what would it be?

I would say get rid of 10-point tiebreakers and no-advantage deuces in doubles. Im a doubles player now and think that it makes it quite tough sometimes. I feel like it can be a coin toss for who wins the match, rather than whos the best on that day. Id prefer it all to be like the grand slams, where we get to play out deuces and third sets.

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Back Chat with New Zealand tennis star Erin Routliffe - Stuff