|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
AEGON INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNEJune 23, 2015Johanna KontaEASTBOURNE, ENGLAND J. KONTA/E. Makarova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. I know you treat every match the same, but you have just beaten a top‑10 player in the world. That's got to feel different, surely. JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, it felt amazing because of the atmosphere on court. Obviously the higher profile match you play, the more people generally do watch and you get maybe put on more different courts, obviously. In terms of how satisfied I feel about the win, for me it's important for me not to treat it differently, because, you know, I do believe very much so that I do need to approach every match exactly the same with my same intentions and personal goals. I'm just happy that I was able to do that today. Looking forward to my next opportunity to be able to do that again. Q. You do appreciate it's pretty rare for a British player to beat top 10s. Doesn't happen every day. JOHANNA KONTA: That's a bit harsh (smiling). Q. But it's true. It's a massive deal. JOHANNA KONTA: Well, thank you. But, I mean, all I can say is‑‑ first of all, Heather, I'm sure, has beaten a top 10 this year, and Laura has beaten a top 10. So I don't think it's unheard of. I'm very proud of my achievement today, but I'm also keeping it into perspective that it is just one win. I do believe that, you know, and I'm still working on playing at a high level day in and day out, and I just hope that's all I am working on. I hope I can continue to do that and we will see how the week goes. Q. Do you feel in a good place right now, playing some of your best tennis? JOHANNA KONTA: I believe it's been a progression. I believe I have been fortunate enough to have played a lot of matches so far this year. I think the more matches I have played, the more momentum I'm building. That obviously puts you in the best position to play some of your best tennis. So I'm just really enjoying the opportunities and the moments I'm having, and I'm just working on, you know, just staying in the moment. I know how cliché it sounds, but I'm really taking it one point at a time and just enjoying being here. Q. Did you find yourself getting more nervous or more calm as you got closer to winning? JOHANNA KONTA:  Obviously there is a little bit of nerves at the very end, but to be honest, it's obviously some of my own but you also feed off the energies of people around you, so I wonder if it has something to do with that, as well. But in terms of throughout the whole match, I tried to stay very level, because, you know, it really never is over until the last point, and especially when you're playing such a good quality player, it really isn't. So I really was just trying to run down every ball and just give my all every single point. I just feel very fortunate and very happy that I got through that. Q. How much more special is it to do it in front of a home crowd and in your hometown? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, that is special. Because there was so much support for me, I felt the noise and the energy. I really appreciated that. That was one of the first things I said in the post‑match interview on court. So that was a pleasure. Q. What pleases you most? Is it the win or the manner in which you achieved it? JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, what I'm most happy about is how I dealt with things on court. You know, I haven't played many high‑profile matches, so I believe I felt quite proud of myself with how I dealt with things and just moved on with things quite quickly. I was really happy with that, because, you know, I had broken a few times in that second set, and she played, to her credit, some good return games and off my serve, but I feel I could have done a little bit better there. I felt I moved on from things quickly, and that gave me the best opportunity to stay in the present and keep, try and push my level to be there with hers. Q. You don't know who you're going to play next, but how far do you think you can go now? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, right now I'm in the third round, and that's as far as I am right now (smiling). We will chat again tomorrow. Q. Your progression from Nottingham to Birmingham to here, you're right, it's not just about doing well in these three weeks plus Wimbledon on grass, it's how you're going to translate into the rest of the season. You have the hard court swing but a good run here and good run at Wimbledon is going to bounce you up the rankings. How are you going to sort of adjust your mindset now after this kind of profile win? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, that's the thing: I'm going to work on not adjusting my mindset, because the way I'm working and the thought process I'm going along with, that is what has given me my best opportunity to play well and that's why I think I did well today. Now, in terms of, you know, after the grass court season, there is also a period before the grass court season, so, you know, I'm just enjoying my season as a whole. I'm enjoying the fact that I'm able to play a lot. I'm just enjoying being here and competing. Q. I know you said you take each point as it comes, but are you looking forward to Wimbledon or are you just totally sort of ignoring it? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, obviously you do look forward to Grand Slams, but in terms of where my focus is, it is here. It is today, it is right now, talking to you all lovely people (smiling). And then, you know, after I finish here I will then go home and have a good lunch kind of thing. I don't look to look ahead because I have no reason to. I cannot control what is in the future. All I can do is my best and always in the moment I'm in. Q. I seem to recall when we first spoke, must be a couple of years now down here, the goal, you were talking about breaking into the top 100. You did that. JOHANNA KONTA: Was I talking about that? Q. I think so. JOHANNA KONTA: I want to see that (smiling). Q. Post‑Wimbledon last year you got to 89. So going forward from here, what are you kind of looking at? JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, I think what I have demonstrated today and in the last few months is that if I take care of things on my end and I really stick with taking things, however cliché it sounds, one point at a time, I give my best chance to do well. By doing well, you gain points. It's a knock‑on effect. Yes, it would great to be in the top 100, but for me, the most important thing is that I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I'm healthy. You know, all I can hope for are good results. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|