ZHUHAI, China – Timea Bacsinszky had two answers to the question of how she rebounded from Tuesday’s defeat at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai to defeat first alternate Timea Babos, 6-4, 6-2. The first involved props.

“The fun answer, which is not the official one, will be that I got inspired by your masks,” she explained at her post-match press conference, before trying on a traditional Chinese opera mask mask she had painted yesterday.

“And so with painting I got zen. I figured my inner Feng Shui or whatever you call it. I started to realize that I have a lot of power inside, that I can do it today.”

The first 10 seconds of @TimeaOfficial's presser went from this to this, showing off a gift received @WTAEliteTrophy. pic.twitter.com/VVgbKHIDnW

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) November 2, 2016

Later on, the Swiss star explained the full story of how she’ll come away from Zhuhai with a unique souvenir.

“Yesterday when I finished the press conference, we have something in the players’ lounge where you can do the nails, which I haven’t done. But you can also paint a mask and write your name in Chinese calligraphy, which I would love to, but probably it would be too complicated to write – Bacsinszky is kind of difficult.

“So the woman who was doing that, she organized me two masks for today. I would have loved to have painted them, but probably I would need like three hours for both of them. It was already 6:30, yesterday. It would have taken too long, so that’s why she said she’s going to bring it to me today.

“Thank you very much,” she added, thanking the calligraphy artist in the press room. “It’s an awesome gift.”

All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy.