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ROLAND GARROSJune 6, 2015Lucie SafarovaPARIS, FRANCE S. WILLIAMS/L. Safarova THE MODERATOR: Questions in English. Q. Having fought so hard to get back into that match from 4‑1 down leading 2 nil. What do you take that, a feeling of frustration or are you very proud of the way you fought back? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Well, I'm proud that I fought back in the second set, because it was looking like it will be an easy match. Serena was really strong out there. I just pushed myself to step up the level. But when she won the serve on 2‑1 she just stepped up her tennis again. She did some great shots to break me and started to play really strong. She just was playing better than me. Q. How were you feeling playing your first Grand Slam final? Were you nervous? Excited? What was it like being on that court at that time? LUCIE SAFAROVA: It was exciting. I really enjoyed it. Yeah, a little bit nervous, but not too much. It was a pleasure to play against Serena there today. Yeah, I fought. I did my best. It didn't work out. But it was a good match. Q. When Serena gets on a roll like she did in the third set, is she Olympic impossible to stop? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Yeah, at least for me today. I just couldn't find any weapon that could stop her. I was trying to mix up the serve, trying to mixup the rhythm, trying to go for risk shots. But when she was on, she was just serving amazing and going for the returns, pressuring me right away. It's just hard to do anything with that. Q. That game in the second set at 6‑5 when she was serving for the match when you broke her, was it a game where you thought a lot or didn't think at all? How would you describe how you handled that game? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I was just there and thinking, Okay, I'm going to go for it. Either she serves it out or I will just be there like going for every shot I can, 100%. I went for those shots and just went for everything, so I managed to break her and played an amazing tiebreak after. Q. Serena was ill in the couple of days before the match. Did you notice anything different about her level physically? Did she seem to be less than 100%? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Well, I don't think so today. (Laughter.) She served amazing and was rallying very well. It may be question to her, but to me she seemed pumped and ready today. Q. You also have a final tomorrow. How are you going to prepare yourself to this final? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Yeah, I hope I will at least get one title here. (Smiling.) No, I will do my best. I mean, I will do the same rhythm as every day. I won't celebrate too long. I will just have a nice family dinner and go to bed early and get ready for the finals tomorrow in doubles. Q. What did you learn or what did you prove to yourself over the course of the last two weeks? Just in singles, obviously. Your tournament isn't over. But it was an impressive two weeks. LUCIE SAFAROVA: Yeah, it was amazing two weeks for me here. I loved every second of it. I get great wins, great fight, and reached my best result in career so far. So I'm just really satisfied with the way I fought and played here, and it's something I will take for the future tournaments, the confidence and for me the ability that I am able to be here, able to play the Grand Slam finals, and hopefully one day I will get the trophy. Q. A lot of talk for Serena will turn to the calendar slam, trying to win all four of the majors this year. Is that something you think she can do? And also, did your perspective of her change at all this tournament, being in a Grand Slam for all seven matches along with Serena? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Well, she's a great player. She has obviously the experience. She won those all Grand Slams already. I think she can do it. If she's on her best and great shape, she's playing the best tennis. Q. We were speaking to Bethanie yesterday, and she was saying you're doing great in tiebreaks. She feels you're loving them and feel confident in them. You won all six you have played in singles here. Do you feel that confident that in the tight moments you can actually break through, or is this something new for you? LUCIE SAFAROVA: You know, now it's looking like that, but in tennis, sometimes it just depends. You have moments where you're really on the roll and you just keep winning though tiebreaks. I feel better in the key situation, the important situation. I wasn't overhitting. I was just going for the right shots. So, yeah, it was going well. But I remember in the future you can have also the opponent stepping up and going for it. So I'm happy I was doing so well here. Q. Just a word on this incredible atmosphere, in the end of the second set, particularly. The crowd was for you and they cheered for you all the time. LUCIE SAFAROVA: It was beautiful out there. Thank you so much for the fans, because I've got so many nice messages and the support was huge. It means a lot to me. It helps me on the court a lot, as well. I just had goosebumps hearing those people cheering. That's what it is about, in tennis, to have this atmosphere. I really enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for that. Q. You said earlier that Serena elevated her game. She raised her game at the end and probably in the beginning of the match, as well. Do you see this after the match as saying, Well, too good, Serena was just too good today, or were there moments or opportunities that you look back on where you think maybe you could have turned things around? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Yeah, there is always like ‑‑I wouldn't regret anything today. I was going for my shots. I was trying to mix it up, being aggressive and everything. She was just too good in the third set. Q. You got to a Grand Slam final. How do you think you'll cope with the next tournaments where people will be coming for you because you have been in a Grand Slam final? You'll have a new status on the circuit. LUCIE SAFAROVA: I hope it's a nice problem. (Smiling.) I'm just enjoying it, and as I said, people were really nice and I got so many nice messages and support. So I wish that will continue in the future tournaments, and I will do my best to play the great tennis that I played here. I hope this is just the beginning. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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