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AEGON INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNEJune 22, 2015Lucie SafarovaEASTBOURNE, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. What have you done since Paris? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I had a week off at home, a nice celebration. Then I started to practice again and I'm here. Q. What were the celebrations? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I had a welcome kind of question‑and‑answers and autograph session, so it was like a welcome in my club in Prostejov, which was really nice. Then every day I did something like either some TV or radio or magazine. So it was quite intense. Q. How do you parlay the success that you had in Paris and now apply it to this part of the season? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I think after waiting so long to break the top 10 and finally reaching and reaching the Grand Slam finals, it brings a lot of happiness, satisfaction, and I'm just trying to move on from there. I'm excited to be on grass. I have nice memories from last year. So I'm just enjoying. Obviously I want to do good, but, yeah, trying to keep the ball rolling. Q. You were listed as having a wrist injury a week after Paris. Was that related to (indiscernible) or did you have a genuine problem? LUCIE SAFAROVA: It was both. I needed some rest because it was a busy two weeks there in Paris. Also the injury was there, so it was needed rest. Q. Can you comment a bit about your relationship with Petra? When you have two players from the same country, there is a competitive relationship. They work together as part of a team. How do you describe your relationship with her now that you're both in the top 10? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I think we have a great relationship. We are friends. It's never easy when we face each other on court, but that's how it is. I think you can see how well we are doing in Fed Cup. It's how great of a team we are all together. Of course, there is competition, but just in a good way that when I see Petra doing so well, it just makes you thinking, oh, I hope I can do the same and gives you the extra motivation, as well. Yeah, I'm really happy to be so close now, to be in the top 10 finally. It's just amazing, yeah. Q. So is there any part of your success, anything specific that you would say that came because I saw Petra winning Wimbledon? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Not really, no, I don't think so. Of course it's nice to see a lot of Czechs around, and it's nice to go to dinners in the tournaments, different countries and everything. But I wouldn't say that any of my success was related. Tennis is individual sport and you have to do the work and you have to win by yourself. So there is no really ‑‑ like other players cannot help you to do that. Q. Did you ever think the top 10 would ever come? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I always believed it. There was never a time in my career that I would drop really so it would just go away, the dream. I was always improving slowly, but improving year by year. Yeah, first I broke through top 20. Last year was amazing year, but being around 15, 13. So now I'm really happy it happened. Q. Is playing more doubles helping your singles? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I think it helps, because obviously in doubles you have to improve different parts of the game that you don't really do in singles, and I really enjoy playing with Bethanie. I also think that winning the Grand Slam in doubles in the Australian Open gives you an extra confidence. It helped me in my singles, as well. Q. There has been talk in the men's game especially that players take too much time between points and that there might be a clock put on court to count down the time. Do you think that would be necessary? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I mean, there are some players who seem to take more time, but to put a clock, maybe it would be interesting for the fans. For us, I don't really care if there is or there isn't. I hope I don't take the time. I'm trying not to. But, yeah, for certain ‑‑is it basketball, no? They have the clock. Yeah, I wouldn't be opposed to it, but personally I don't care. Q. Is it harder to play against a player who is a little more slow moving or takes more time? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Well, I don't think that anyone is doing it extremely, because, you know, there is now, especially in Grand Slams, they really are trying to cut the time down in between points. So I haven't come to ‑‑I haven't faced a player which would use it extremely that I would be bothered by it, so not really. Q. Did you notice it against Maria at the French Open? LUCIE SAFAROVA: I'm just used to it with her (smiling). I kind of do my routine and concentrate on myself. Q. As a member of the world's top 10, most of the players who play you, it will be a bigger match for them than it would have been before. Are you prepared for that, the fact that they will all be gunning for you more than they were before? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Yeah, I think I'm just ‑‑it's very new for me, and with new positions you face new challenges. I already this year starting the year as, let's say, top 16, I faced few players who were playing amazing against me, so I realized there is a new position for me now I'm the top player and everyone has nothing to lose, so they are playing always best tennis. But it's part of the challenge, and if I play my tennis and if I play well my game, I still will reach my goals, so this is what you have to do. It's where your mind has to be. Q. Do you remember when Petra won at Wimbledon in 2011 just how you felt as her friend, seeing her do that? LUCIE SAFAROVA: Yeah, of course you have goosebumps and almost tears in your eyes when you see someone who is so close to you. I still remember Petra when she came to Prostejov, she was really young and kind of a rookie. We had first practice, and she was so nervous and excited, as well. Now you see this person winning Wimbledon, and it's a true champion. It's really nice to see that life can change so much in a good way. It should be inspiring as well for young teenagers that dreams can come true. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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