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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAUMarch 26, 2015Daria GavrilovaMIAMI, FLORIDA March 27, 2015             D. GAVRILOVA/M. Sharapova 7‑6, 6‑3 An interview with: DARIA GAVRILOVA THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Now that you have had some time to think about it, can you describe how you're feeling now after this win? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, I didn't really have that much time to think about it. I still can't realize that it's my dream. I have been dreaming about beating Maria since I was probably 12 when I saw her win Wimbledon, when she beat Serena. I was like, Oh, I really want to play her and beat her. I was probably visualizing beating her since I was 12, yeah. Q. How did it compare with your visualization to actually do it? DARIA GAVRILOVA: It was probably a bit harder. (Smiling.) But I thought I was very composed and just did my best. I was believing. Q. When she came back in the first set, got the break back and forced a tiebreaker, were you thinking, Oh, no, I blew it? DARIA GAVRILOVA: To be honest, I was down 6‑5 and I was up 5‑3 and it was 30‑All, and I was just thinking, Okay, be tough, be tough; you can do it. I had some negative thoughts at that time, but I kind of got rid of them and just kept going. Q. You mentioned on the court after the match that you believed you could win this match before you went out there. Where did that confidence come from? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, I played Angelique twice this year, and I played Simona last week. I was pretty close I thought all this time. I just thought, Okay, you can do it. You're probably at this level right now. Q. Where have you been? Where have you been hiding? DARIA GAVRILOVA: I was injured. I had a knee surgery last year. So I had a pretty rough time. Q. Tore ACL. DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah. Q. Do you consider yourself a Russian or an Australian? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Australian. Q. Why is that? How did that happen? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, I have loved Australia for a long time, and I have been there for like just coming there since maybe 2010 and always loved there. And as you probably all know, I'm dating Luke. You know? (Laughter.) Okay, yeah. Q. (Question regarding Luke Saville messaging.) DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, he messaged me straightaway. I got a few messages. Q. Right when you got on the court and you saw Maria across and you had these thoughts since you were 12 years old being up against her ‑ you're kind of shorter than her and she's a big, imposing figure ‑ what were you thinking at that moment? Were you thinking, I'm taking her down tonight? What were you thinking? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, I played Serena, I mean, maybe in 2013, and I remember when I came out on court I had these like bubbles in my stomach or butterflies. This time I felt the same. I was just, I was like, Okay, get rid of them. Get rid of these butterflies. Q. Why Maria? Why did you visualize yourself to beat Maria when you were just 12? DARIA GAVRILOVA: I mean, she was my idol. She's obviously Russian. She was just huge in Russia. Q. Obviously you're still processing all of this and reeling, but what's next for you after beating your idol? What can you aspire to tomorrow? DARIA GAVRILOVA: I mean, keep beating her. I don't know. Keep winning. Yeah. Q. Can you talk about the experience of playing in center court, such a big stadium, the people being behind you? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, I was actually surprised how many people knew my nickname. A few people were saying, Yeah, Come on, Dasha. Let's go. You can do it. It was an amazing feeling. It was actually pretty crowded. Like it was packed. I was overwhelmed. Q. Tears at match point. Tears of joy? DARIA GAVRILOVA: At the end. When I sat down with my towel, I was like crying a little bit. Q. Do you know who you are going to be playing in the next round? DARIA GAVRILOVA: No, I don't. Q. You don't? DARIA GAVRILOVA: No. Maybe you guys would know. (Laughter.) Q.Couple years ago you tore your ACL, and now all of a sudden you're beating your idol. Can you describe what that journey was like over the last two years, going from an injured knee to accomplishing one of your greatest goals? DARIA GAVRILOVA: It's probably too hard to explain. I remember last year I was crying. I was like, Oh, it's so boring doing this rehab. Blah, blah, blah. It all paid off at the end. I just have to keep going. Q. (Question regarding Australian citizenship.) DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, I'm getting passport the end of this year. Q. What's it like being the one of the youngest on the WTA? DARIA GAVRILOVA: Pretty good. I'm pretty sure I'm not the youngest one. Q. One of them. DARIA GAVRILOVA: One, them, yeah. Q. (Indiscernible.) DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yes, I do. Q. Your next opponent is actually Nara, Japanese player. You have played her just once. DARIA GAVRILOVA: I have? I have never played her. Q. Three years ago you played. DARIA GAVRILOVA: Oh. Q. You don't remember anything about... DARIA GAVRILOVA: Did I win or did I lose? Q. You lost. DARIA GAVRILOVA: Okay. I don't remember it at all. I know she's shorter than me. (Laughter.) Q. Do you pattern your game at all after Cibulkova? You pattern your game after her a little bit? DARIA GAVRILOVA: A few people have told me that. I guess, yes. Q. How long does it going to take for you to get this behind you and just think about your next game? DARIA GAVRILOVA: I was actually talking to my coach and my physio. I'm saying, I'm not going to sleep tonight because my phone will be going off. And I said, Oh, I'll turn my Wi‑Fi, 4G, 3G, everything off and sleep and get ready for the next one. Q. You have said you have always wanted to beat Maria. Who is next on the list person you want to beat most? DARIA GAVRILOVA: It was always Maria and Serena, of course. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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