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ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2015

Alize Cornet

PARIS, FRANCE

A. CORNET/R. Vinci
4-6, 6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I actually had a question about a comment yesterday that was made by Caroline Garcia after she played on Chatrier. She said that she had requested a smaller court and that it was too much for her to play on Chatrier. I wondered what your opinion was playing on the same court as a French seeded player, what your reaction was to those comments, and how do you personally find playing on the big court?
ALIZE CORNET: Well, I actually didn't know about this comment, but I can understand it, you know. Caroline has a little bit less experience than me in Roland Garros. Sometimes you can get a little bit impressed by this big court. Actually, I love the Philippe Chatrier. It's my favorite court. I'm always very happy to step in and play the match. I was really glad that this court was chosen for me today. The ambience on this court is amazing. I think that's why I could actually come back in this match, because the people were behind me. It's just a great atmosphere in this court. So, you know, every player has a different feeling about it, and I hope next match I will be as well on this one (smiling). There is one I like less is the Suzanne Lenglen, I have no idea, but I have bad memory on this court. Otherwise all the other courts in Roland Garros are great for me. Even the small courts, like No. 2, there is always really good vibes. It helps a lot of players, I mean, at least the French players.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. When we talked to you in Strasbourg you were saying don't expect anything from me at Roland Garros. At the end of the day we do expect something.
ALIZE CORNET: It's only the second day, so don't go too fast. But it's good for me to win here on the central court. I eventually found the key to defeat her. And even after I lost the first set I was very much in the match. I put more power in my balls, and I reacted. I felt a bit frustrated at the beginning of the second set, but I think that was good because I felt the games were flying by and I couldn't manage to react. I sort of kicked myself in the ass, and that did me good. I used the atmosphere on the court. The crowd was getting bigger and bigger, and they were very supportive and it was very helpful. So, you see, one day to the next you can have different feelings, and I'm happy I had good feelings here today.

Q. What exactly did you change at 2-1 in the second set?
ALIZE CORNET: From a tactical perspective, I think I was doing things fine since the beginning of the match. But I was making too many unforced errors. At the beginning of the second set, I started putting more power. I tried to cheer myself. Come on, go on. And I think I managed to get the support of the crowd. Then she probably also had a low in her physical strength, which I obviously used. It's a beautiful satisfaction for me, because I was not focusing on the result, on the score. I managed to continue with the tactic I had worked on before the match. That's good, because when you have something in your mind when you walk on the court, it's very helpful, and today I proved that my tactic was the right one.

Q. I understood that your last defeat helped you a lot preparing for this match. What was your preparation?
ALIZE CORNET: My last defeat against her?

Q. Yes.
ALIZE CORNET: Yes, you're right. It was very helpful, because I played her three weeks ago, so I had a very precise idea of how she plays. I knew exactly how I had to be on the court. Now, execution was slightly more difficult than expected. This is why it didn't work out well for the first set. But little by little my mind became more clear, and I found my bearings on the court. I relaxed a bit more. This defeat in Madrid was helpful for the match today. That's a great satisfaction just because great champions use their defeats in order to progress, and this is what I did and I'm proud of that.

Q. Concretely speaking, what did you change and what was your plan for today?
ALIZE CORNET: Play along the line and deeper instead of playing on her crosscourt backhand. This is not something I'm very comfortable with, but I proved that I can do it and do it well, so that helps build your confidence. And play less on her backhand. It's her more annoying shot, if I may say so. So I tried to play on her forehand and I served better than in Madrid, so that was a big help, as well. I was more in a winning state of mind.

Q. She almost managed to -- she had a back spin. She managed to put a mess in your momentum, and then she had a down physically, so she was not playing that well in the second set. This is when you took your opportunity.
ALIZE CORNET: Of course. She played shorter because I was playing longer. She was not feeling all that good because I was making her run a lot. I was more in the court. She was more and more behind the line. She had a difficult week in Nuremberg, so it probably was in my favor, but I was also tired. But I managed to take the lead and stick to my plan till the end.

Q. It's your 11th participation to this tournament. Is this your best match here?
ALIZE CORNET: I can't remember all the matches I have played here, but it's probably one of the more precise matches I ever played here. But, okay, it was a good match. I already played good matches here in Paris. But it was a big challenge for me to play Vinci today. I have been thinking about it at all times for two days. I knew exactly what I had to do. I didn't know if I would be able to execute that, but I managed to remain focused during the entire match, and it was a big match, which places me on the right track for the next round, even though the next round is not going to be easy.

Q. You had some difficult matches this season. Do you think this match can be kind of a booster for you?
ALIZE CORNET: I don't know, because I think the same question was asked for me after I won to Halep in Madrid. But that's the kind of match that puts me back on the right track, so I enjoy these matches. I try and learn as much as I can. That's how I can build up confidence. That's how I get a feeling of where I'm heading to, and this match helps me build confidence, but it doesn't mean anything. But it's still very good, and I will keep it in mind for the rest of the tournament.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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