	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 16, 2016

Simona Halep

Indian Wells, California

S. WILLIAMS/S. Halep

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was a pretty good test, I think, probably, for you and where your game is.
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah.

Q. What's your reaction after that?
SIMONA HALEP: My reaction is that she played really well today. I have to get better to be closer to her.

I think is okay game, okay tennis, by my side.

I feel okay. I feel a little bit tired after a couple of matches.

What can I say? I'm waiting to go to Miami to start working again, but I will have two days off, for sure.

Q. After how your year started, is this still a pretty positive tournament?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it's the best tournament this year so far, so it's okay.

I had good matches. I feel good. I found my game. I can say I'm healthy, so that's the most important. I just want to keep working to get better.

Q. You seem to have a very good rapport with Darren out there today. Can you talk a little bit about the difference he's made to you? Darren?
SIMONA HALEP: That he came on court?

Q. The difference that he's made to you. You seem to have a really good...
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I had two games in first set, very good games after he came. Yeah, I just changed a little bit what I have to do.

I hit stronger a little bit, and, you know, more relaxed with my arm. Because I had the arm -- the right arm was very tight today and I couldn't hit with a good length, so she could make everything she wanted. I hit it too short and was tough for me to defend because she's strong.

But, yeah, it was okay, and I take it like a good match.

Q. How are you at understanding his Australian accent?
SIMONA HALEP: It's good. I started to understand him first after I stayed about four weeks away from him. When I came -- when I went to Vegas he started to speak and I couldn't understand anything. I said, Darren, you speak for me. Forget Australian.

So he's speaking slower now and I can understand. (Smiling.)

Q. How much does it mean to you to have so many Romanian fans? Even Serena after when she was doing her on-court interview commented on how many Romanian fans there were in the stadium.
SIMONA HALEP: Today I think they also bothered Serena.

Q. I don't know bothered. It's cool for you, I would think, to have so many. We're 10,000 miles from Romania.
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, they work here and that's why they come. But it's tough when you prepare to serve to hear everything there in this crowd.

It's nice, but it's tough sometimes when it's not the right moment. But I want to thank them for coming.

Q. Based on your prior experience in playing against Serena, how informed do you think she is? How close to 100% do you think she is?
SIMONA HALEP: Today I felt she's very well prepared. She played a good game. She was moving really good, and hit it so strong. I think she's in good shape now. Yeah, maybe she's gonna win this title. She has the chance.

She's the best player in the world and always she knows how to handle the matches and how to play when the score is just 5-4 or close to each other. She's good. (Smiling.)

Q. What do you think of her level? Last year was terrific for her, but this year it feels like maybe she's playing a little bit better, even though she didn't win Australia and doesn't have a title. What do you think her level is compared to maybe last year or...
SIMONA HALEP: Did I play against her last year? Yeah, in Cincinnati.

It's tough to answer this question because always when I play with Serena she's strong.

Now I felt her stronger a little bit. She has a lot of confidence.

I think, yeah, I think this year she can be better than last year.

Q. In Australia you said that you were trying to enjoy being on tour a little bit more. You went surfing and whatever. Have you done --
SIMONA HALEP: I enjoyed too much, obviously, off-court time. No, no, no, I'm joking.

Q. But have you done stuff that's away from the court?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I have done many things, but I did them because I was not healthy and I couldn't practice too much. So to take my mind a little bit away from what is happening on court I did a few different things.

But enjoyed and I liked them, so I'm still doing. But now priority is to work because I'm healthy.

Q. What sort of things? What kind of things?
SIMONA HALEP: Surfing, body surfing. Body surfing.

I went to the shows in Vegas. Maybe I go tomorrow again. (Smiling.)

Yeah. Normal things. Nothing special.

Q. What shows did you see?
SIMONA HALEP: Michael Jackson, O show, and Celine Dion. I went with helicopter to Grand Canyon. Every day I did something, so was good. That's why I played well, you see (Laughter.)

Q. The second time out you had with Darren kind of started with both of you guys laughing. Can you share...
SIMONA HALEP: No. You can hear because you listen.

Q. Not all of it.
SIMONA HALEP: Not all? Okay. That's good. I'm not telling. It was fun. I couldn't do anything anymore during the match. It was 5-2, no, in the second set?

Yeah, he tried to relax me, but tough. (Laughter.)

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297