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ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2015

Heather Watson

PARIS, FRANCE

H. WATSON/M. Johansson
6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Do you think the difference was you were steadier...
HEATHER WATSON: You're straight in there.

Q. Not sure it's working anyway. Do you think the difference was when the pressure was on you raised your game and she didn't keep up with you then?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, I think I dealt with the important moments and points well today. I won them when I needed to win them. I didn't necessarily do anything special. I just made her play and made her play that extra ball. I felt from the first ball she was playing very well, especially returning very well, and hitting a lot of winners. But I knew she was going to, so I just made sure I stayed there, because I was also expecting some errors as well.

Q. How difficult is it to play an opponent as erratic as that? One minute she's hitting amazing winners and the next minute she was hitting unbelievable unforced errors. How do you maintain your consistency?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, it's very tough. I didn't get a chance to really feel the ball. I don't think we had a point longer than maybe three or four shots. So, you know, when I had the ball to hit I didn't always do a great job because I didn't feel like I had a chance to be aggressive today. I just had to be solid.

Q. Can we just ask you about your potential next opponent, Sloane? You've got a very good record against her, haven't you?
HEATHER WATSON: Yes, I have a good record against Sloane. Yeah, I played her this year in Hobart. She's obviously a great player. Every time I've played her I've played very well. Whoever I play I know I'm going to have to play very, very well in all aspects of my game, serving and from the ground.

Q. And Venus, you've only played her once I think, in Beijing last year, wasn't it?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah. I only played Venus once; I played Sloane a lot of times. Yeah, that was a weird match. I was 3-Love up and lost 6-3, 6-Love. But, yeah, they both hit the ball very hard and heavy. They'll be a lot more consistent, I think.

Q. And if it was Venus, you would enjoy that as a big occasion, wouldn't you, playing someone like her at a Grand Slam?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, definitely. Whoever I play I'll look forward to it. I'll be a bit nervous, but very pumped because I want to make it to the next round, whoever it is.

Q. Just on Venus, how much do you admire the way she's come back in her career from illness, and what would it mean to beat one of the legends of the game if that were to happen?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, she's a great player. I respect her. I respect all the players on tour. She's still going, and I don't know how old she is. I think she's 34, and she is still motivated, still fighting every week. Growing up seeing her on telly, seeing her win Wimbledon, and then slowly me playing tennis and being there with her, it's great.

Q. What does winning a Grand Slam do for your confidence after the recent weeks when it hasn't gone so well?
HEATHER WATSON: What does winning...

Q. Winning the first round of a Grand Slam.
HEATHER WATSON: I was going to say, I don't know what it's like to win a Grand Slam.

Q. Yet.
HEATHER WATSON: Yet. Definitely pleased with winning today. You know, I think maybe I was the one that was maybe supposed to win and had a good draw, but I think in those situations you can put too much pressure on yourself and just think about the outcome instead of playing your tennis. So I think it was very important for me to get through today, and it's definitely given me some confidence.

Q. There are five Britons playing today, and you Andy are the British No. 1s and the seeded players expected to win. Do you enjoy that responsibility and being on par with Andy, that we're all here thinking you're the two who should win? Do you like that?
HEATHER WATSON: I don't think I'm on a par with Andy yet. (Smiling.) But I think it's great, especially having so many Brits in the draw. I think is it five? Yeah, it's just brilliant for British tennis. Hopefully it just keeps getting better and there are more Brits in the draw and we can help push each other along.

Q. The crowd, should we say, was just a little bit behind her today. Did you feel like one on your own out there?
HEATHER WATSON: You know, when we walked on the court and the referee introduced us, I actually got a louder cheer than she did. But then I think the French fans woke up as the match went on. But I definitely heard the Brits in different areas of the court, so that definitely helped me. I don't think it really affects me at all. If anything, it would motivate me more if the crowd was against me.

Q. Speaking of the other five Brits, were you able to see any of the other matches? Were you aware of Konta going 18-16 in the tiebreak?
HEATHER WATSON: Oh, my goodness.

Q. Was it 17?
HEATHER WATSON: No, I had no idea. I think we were all playing around same time, fourth on. But I saw Andy won the first set and I saw Jo was 5-All in the first, and then I'm I've come here. Did she win it, the first set?

Q. No.
HEATHER WATSON: Oh. And do you know -- I won't go into that. Yeah, it's great that, again, there are quite a few Brits around.
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