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ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2015

Elina Svitolina

PARIS, FRANCE

E. SVITOLINA/A. Cornet
6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. It was tough conditions of play today. How much was it about holding your nerves on this court and dealing with the wind and dealing with your level of game?
ELINA SVITOLINA: It was really tough to play today. I think for both of us it was really challenging. Yeah, it was, we needed to adjust our game, I think, our plan. Just was trying -- I was trying to move my feet faster and to adjust really fast, you know, to react on the wind, because it was changing all the time. It was not going one way. It was like going side to side, forward and back. It was really tough. But I'm really happy that I could win first set and then second to finish, two sets.

Q. At 4-2 in the second set you were 40-Love on her serve and then the momentum kind of changed. Are you maybe proud of this because you succeed to hold under pressure at the end?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I don't think I did something wrong on that game, because she served ace and then a few really good points from her. She didn't miss much in that following games. But it was just trying to forget and move on from that moment, because it was really close to go 5-2. It was tough, but, you know, I tried to forget and to go for the next point, for the next game.

Q. I apologize because I'm sure you have been asked this question many, many times before. You have a British coach. Can you just tell me how you met up with Iain and how the relationship formed and everything?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, met four or five years ago when I was practicing in Belgium in Justine Henin Academy. He was there, also. He was working with guys before, juniors, as well, and I knew that he's a good coach. I had few practice with him when I was there in the academy. Unfortunately we couldn't continue. So after Wimbledon last year, I met him by accident, and the idea came in my mind that maybe, you know, we can renew our work and I can work with him. Because I still have in my mind that, you know, he was great and really enjoyed being on court with him. So, you know, it's going well now, and I'm really happy that we achieved this together.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the end, the tiebreak? Because she kept fighting back and the crowd was getting into it. How was that experience for you?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I mean, I have been expecting this from here, because she's obviously a great fighter. I have been now a lot of matches when she was winning when she was so down. I was expecting this, but actually I was trying to stay calm and just play my game. Of course, it was tough with the wind against the crowd and against the player. She was fighting. I think she gave her best, and, yeah, I'm really happy that I could, that the last point was on my side.

Q. What does it mean to you to reach your first Grand Slam quarterfinal? Did you come to this tournament thinking you were ready for making a deep run like that?
ELINA SVITOLINA: I was -- of course I was expecting because I was working really hard to achieve this. But it's happened in this tournament. Of course, it's great. It's great for me, and it shows that I'm moving right way. Brings me a lot of confidence this win. And of course from this tournament I will take a lot of positive things from me. And of course, yeah, I have been showing good spirit, good fight, few matches before when I was down, and today I was up and losing few games, which I normally win. So there is a lot of things to take from this tournament, and it's not finished yet. I will try my best in quarterfinal. And, yeah, I'm looking forward to it and feeling really confident from today's match.

Q. Alize got very upset about one very specific line call. There was another incident yesterday, I don't know whether you saw it, between Azarenka and Serena.
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah.

Q. There is a lot of debate starting off about whether they should employ Hawk-Eye on the clay. Do you think that's the right thing to do?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I have seen yesterday this incident. I don't know. I don't know why I stop the rally, because it was really brave from me I think to stop when it was just, you know, millimeter or maybe -- for me, I think it was out because the wind was going -- I was playing against the wind, so she was playing with the wind, so I thought that the ball was going out. That's why I stopped. The ball was really, like 99% the ball was out. So maybe 1% it touched, but, you know, it's -- you don't know. So I decided to stop. I don't know if they should do Hawk-Eye, but still there is a mark. There is a chair umpire who decides. On this time it was on my side, so just, yeah, I don't know. I don't think they should do a Hawk-Eye on clay court because there is a chair umpire who is deciding and seeing the mark.

Q. Maybe you could talk a little bit about your quarterfinal opponent, Ivanovic. I know you have played her a lot, but you have never beaten her. Will it be a different story this time around?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, of course, it will be different match. Been playing her many times, and it's always tough to play against her. Of course she been winning here, and looking forward to the next match. Yeah, I will just, you know, change something from the last match. Will speak to my coach. Maybe will do other plan. So at the end, I don't really think about it now, because just finish the match against Alize. So I will sit down with my coach and have a plan against her, and I will try my best to do -- I will try to do something different than the matches before. Yeah, I'm just looking forward. I hope I can serve better, of course, because I have been serving not so good, not good enough against her when I was playing in Madrid. Yeah. So, yeah, I will just try my best, and we will see what I can do against her this time.

Q. Do you think experience matters at all going into a match like this? She's played, won matches at this stage of a Grand Slam. You haven't.
ELINA SVITOLINA: Of course it matters. But when you are, for example, 3-All deuce, I don't think it really matters. When it's long point, when it's windy. I don't know about the conditions, what is Tuesday is going to bring us. So I think it's just the matter of skills and -- yeah. I think we are both confident going into this match. So we will see who is better prepared, who is luckier, maybe, on that day. Yeah, I will try my best, and of course I will fight until the last point.

Q. You improved a lot lately, and the ranking, it's showing. What would you say is the biggest improvement you made on your approach on your game?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, the ranking goes I think by itself when you are getting better in your game. And of course, it brings me a lot of confidence going up in the rankings. But still, you know, I'm not really looking at the ranking. Sometimes, you know, when you play a good match, even if you lose, it brings you more experience than when you win the match. So for me is just a matter of working hard and playing some matches like this, like today, you know, when it's tiebreak, when it's 7-All, 8-All, you know, and what you can do in this moment, and, yeah, that you are not pushing the ball. You are just going for the shots and you are feeling, you know, confident and you are going forward, you know, to the net, for example, and making some winners. So I think for me it's the most important, you know, that I'm building the point for myself and of course winning some important points, playing aggressive. So that's the most important for me and what I have been working on doing this one year with my coach.
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