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AEGON INTERNATIONALJune 16, 2014Johanna KontaEASTBOURNE, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Nice to be at home playing on your back garden? JOHANNA KONTA: Yes, very much so. It's always nice to be at home and get to sleep in my own bed. Mom's cooking all these treats I don't get to have very often during the year. Q. How are your preparations shaping up? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I'm feeling healthy. I'm feeling good. I have had a couple of good matches on the grass in the couple weeks before in Nottingham and in Birmingham. I'm feeling prepared and looking forward to tomorrow. Q. How close do you look at the world rankings? You're obviously not far off the top 100 now. Do you ever look at it and work out what you need to do this week, for example, to get there? JOHANNA KONTA: No, not really. I just focus on each match at a time. If I do that, the results will take care of themselves and I'll find myself hopefully inside the top 100 soon. Like I said, yes, just taking it a match at a time. Q. How ambitious are you? JOHANNA KONTA: Very (smiling). I'd like to be going higher and higher. Q. What about where you are compared to this time last year coming into Eastbourne? How has the last year gone? How do you feel you've progressed? JOHANNA KONTA: I definitely think I've grown as a player. I have had results‑wise maybe a little bit of a tough beginning of the year, but I think I have been playing some good tennis over the last month or so, couple months. No, I'm feeling healthy, which is the main thing. I'm just looking forward to competing every week. Q. Pretty tough first round you had last year, wasn't it? JOHANNA KONTA: Yes. Q. You face a qualifier? JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know yet. Exactly. I don't know yet. They will finish their matches today, and then we will see. Q. How much of an incentive though is it to win in front of your home crowd? JOHANNA KONTA: I hope to do them proud, obviously. But I'm very much just focused on doing the best that I can and hopefully it will go well. Q. In the aftermath of Andy's successes at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games, is there a general feeling of progress being made with the public gaining more interest? JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, I mean, obviously Andy's success was amazing, both at Wimbledon and during the Olympics. That was a huge inspiration for every player, I believe. But in terms of the recognition, I guess it's the media that would know that. Q. I meant more with the green shoots of the game, more younger players coming through. Is there any sign with that? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I'm not involved with the development of young players. No, I'm very much focused on my own career and making sure I'm staying healthy and I'm playing. But I'm sure Andy has inspired a lot of kids to start playing, along with Laura and Heather. I'm sure they have inspired a lot of young girls. Obviously now we are doing a lot of the Rally for Bally, I'm sure that has gained a lot of recognition for tennis itself in the country. So, no, I think we're doing well. Q. How important was it for you to get direct entry into Wimbledon and not need a wildcard? JOHANNA KONTA: It's a little bit of a milestone. So when I saw that, it put a big smile on my face. Obviously I'm very grateful for the All England Club for giving me a wildcard into doubles, the main draw doubles with Tara Moore. I'm very grateful for that opportunity. But I'm also very happy to be able to get in on my own ranking into the singles. Q. You said you don't study the rankings, but how closely were you looking at that situation getting closer to the cutoff? JOHANNA KONTA: I wasn't looking at it at all. I knew when the cut was coming out, and I just waited for that and looked at it then and said, Yay. Q. Earlier in the year in Fed Cup when Laura was out injured, Heather had dropped down in the rankings, you were sort of suddenly thrust into the position as effectively the British No. 1. Do you prefer to sort of be in that situation with Heather back out there above you now, or do you feel you very much want to be British No. 1? JOHANNA KONTA: I feel like that's a very double‑edged question there (smiling). I'm very much focused on my own career. Obviously I wish every other British girl, Tara, Laura, Heather, all of them to do their best. Everyone wants to do their best in this business. But I'm very much just focused on what I need to do for my own career. I want to be the best that I can be, and we'll see where that takes me. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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