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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORP

January 7, 2016

Carla Suarez Navarro

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

C. SUAREZ NAVARRO/V. Lepchenko

4-6, 6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very tough match out there. Physically how do you feel right now?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Well, I feel a little bit tired, you know. We were two hours and 45 minutes there, but I feel good. Is my first time in semifinal. You know, the first tournament of the year.

It's not easy. I play three match already. I'm happy and happy for be in semifinal.

Q. With the way that maybe last season ended for you, is making the semifinals here a bit of almost like you can restart and believe a little bit more again?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, yeah, I believe in me. You know, it's a new season. Yes, this match give me a lot of confidence. We are playing hardcourt. For me, you know, sometimes is tough.

But, yeah, I'm feeling good. I'm happy, you know, because we were at home practicing really hard for these moments for the competition. Yeah, I feel with confident for tomorrow, even if I know that Angie is playing good also.

She's so regular. Maybe she will be more fresh than me, but I have time to rest, recover, and be ready.

Q. In the off-season with your coach did you change anything?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, we want to play more aggressive, no? More aggressive, but not only one hour. Just try to play more aggressive two hours. Be focusing in my game for making possible for playing aggressive two hours, you know.

I think it's the key to be in the top 10, in the top 5. Try to be more regular. Not only in the season, just also in the tournaments, no? Try to not losing in first round or quarterfinals. Try to be every week in the two finals players.

Q. You were saying at times last year you weren't as aggressive. Maybe after May. The first four months of last year you played great the whole time. By June/July you kind of stopped. Why was that? All the way to Rome and then after Rome you slid a little bit. Talk about that.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yes, after Rome I feel tired mentally. Not too much physical, but mentally, because for being in the top 10 or top 5 of the best players in the world you have to be focus all the time. Not only one week. There is a lot of weeks and big tournaments and Grand Slams.

I was there all the time, all the weeks, and after Rome, or after Wimbledon -- I lost confidence also with the match that I play in Wimbledon. At this level is not easy have again confidence or feel good on court.

So after US Open, in Asia I start to play a little bit better, a little bit not too nervous, just more relax than after Wimbledon. In the off-season I was good, you know. Was practicing and I try or I want to try that month that I have at the beginning of the last season, try to have more months.

Q. What do you think happened in that Wimbledon match especially? Very strange match from you.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: I was so nervous, you know. I play with young player. I play on grass. I don't feel really good there. I know I can play good there because I can slice or I can play different, but I don't like too much.

I was losing in first round in Australian Open; in Roland Garros I play good, but not really good.

I want to make good in Grand Slams. Maybe I put more pressure and was that. I was nervous. She play really good. But the key was I put a lot of pressure on me that I don't need to put it.

Q. When you talk about playing more aggressively, when you talk with your coach in the off-season, is the focus on your court positioning? About hitting a flatter, faster ball? Shot selection? What is it that makes you an aggressive player?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, playing faster, but also trying to -- I don't know how to say in English -- but not only playing fast, you know, because playing fast, all the players can play fast.

But try to choose every time the good hit, or when I am also running, I can hit the ball with aggressive. Not only put the ball in the court, you know? More aggressive with my returns and also with my serve.

Yeah.

Q. Makes sense. You said you wanted to play aggressively for the whole match rather than just a period. What's the most difficult part of keeping the aggression through the whole encounter?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, for me playing aggressive is difficult because I'm not too a tall, I don't have long arms, and it's not easy. Every time I hit the ball the ball need to fall down to up.

If I have 180 I can hit for up to down, you know? It's not easy for me. I have to run a lot sometimes. Yeah, also when I serve, if I want to be more aggressive, is not easy. I'm 162, so...

Yeah, is all in my game. Try to be more aggressive in all the things that I do every time.

Q. You were talking about top 10, 5. Is that your goal? Do you see yourself as a top 10, top 5 player?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, I want to be there. I was there last year. I have numbers of top 10 during long time of the season. I think I have the game to be there and enjoy the moment to be there.

I know that being to the top 5 are big words, I know, but it's my goal. First also the top 10 because is coming first. But, yeah, I believe in me. I think I can be there.

Q. Have you thought at all about the Olympics and doubles pairings for women's doubles and mixed doubles? You've had great doubles results lately, too.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, I know it's a difficult week, because if we want to play the three competition is not easy in seven or eight days.

I want to play the singles for sure, the doubles with Garbine, and yeah, Nadal if Nadal or Ferrer or Feliciano, Verdasco, they want to play with me and we have the ranking, yeah. Is a new opportunity. I think I will enjoy, and we have tennis for making good results there.

Q. Would you ever try playing mixed at a Grand Slam to prepare?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: No, no. This year I don't want to play mixed doubles. I know is not a good preparation, but I want to play only singles in Melbourne and not doubles there.

Just to try to be in the final rounds.

Q. Were you very surprised that Serena, Maria, and Garbine, and Petra and someone else...
THE MODERATOR: Halep.

Q. Almost in one day they all pulled out and it's the first week of the year.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, it's not usual, you know. We have off-season. We try to make good practice or try to feel good with our body, but I don't know the reason of the withdrawal. Is tough when you play all the year. We only have one month to be relax at home, and you can arrive here and be practicing and feel pain.

We know that we have Melbourne in ten days, twelve days, and it's the most important tournament of this Asia tournaments. I hope that they can play there, because the draw need them. I know the fans want them good. I don't know. It's not a good new, I know.

Q. So when the season is over, do you actually rest for a long time? Do you say, Okay, I'm going to rest for one week and practice the whole time and then when I get here in January I'm tired already?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: No. I finish in Zhuhai the first week of November, and then I have two weeks of holidays with no racquets, no running, nothing. Yeah, then I practice for four weeks.

But, yeah, when I was practicing, I say, Oh, my God, in three weeks I need to go again. Yeah, it's not easy, but it's our job. We want to be here. We want to be ready. Not only me, all the players. They need to withdraw, but I think for being ready for Melbourne.

Q. You think Garbine will play next week in Sydney and definitely Australian Open or...
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: I don't know what she has in her foot, but I think -- I know Garbine, and if she is ready for play in Sydney, she play Sydney.

But if she feel pain a little bit, I think the more intelligent thing is...

Q. Rest?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, rest, and then be in Melbourne.

Q. With all the injury problems at the top of the game, do you think there is a big opportunity for someone new to win a Grand Slam from Melbourne? Is it more possible than normal?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Someone new like me?

Q. Exactly.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, maybe yes. For sure if the best players are not really good the other players have more chances. But I don't think that this is the problem, because they will be ready for Melbourne.

I don't know. I don't know. But, yeah, when Flavia and Roberta make final in US Open, the rest of the player, I think they say, Okay, now all the players can make good results there. There was a door open for the young player, for the players who were there like six seven years, make quarterfinals.

Q. What do you think of what Roberta did at the US Open beating Serena? Did you watch that match?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: No, I don't watch. I don't watch. But I think was the most amazing victory of the year for sure.

Nobody believe in Roberta. Roberta no believe in she. I don't know how to say, but...

Every person in the world think that Serena will make the Grand Slam, but I was so happy for Roberta. I have a good friendship with her.

But also I was sad for Serena, because the Grand Slam in one year I think is so beautiful. But Roberta was there all the time. She won. She was enjoying the moment there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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