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ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2016

Timea Bacsinszky

Paris, France

T. BACSINSZKY/P. Parmentier

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. What would you say about this match? I had the impression that you still have leeway. How would you describe this match?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, I didn't think I was really leading, to be frank, to have that leeway you're talking about. I know Roland Garros has a major impact on the players, French players, men and women.

And her forehand was so strong today that I had to find solutions to neutralize this forehand and then I had to play my game. And then when the balls were changed, her forehand was again very strong. It's one of the forehand shots on the courts that's the strongest of all. It's her biggest weapon.

And then I thought that afterwards if I play long rallies, if she's to make an extra effort, then maybe I'll be able to win a few points here and there, either to make her run or because she would make a mistake.

So this is what I decided to focus on, to be very consistent, to show her that she would have to fight for each point, and that I would change the game, that is, change the speed, change the angles, change the returns and my serves.

I think that during the first set I was very solid, very efficient to finish the first set. I didn't really feel I was brilliant or anything like that in the last game of the first set. But tactically speaking I managed to show her that she would have to understand what to expect from me. You know, I was showing her I am ready for this match.

And then she increased her intensity during the beginning of the second set, and, well, she tried -- well, she tried and succeeded with three or four games.

Also, sometimes, you know, being in this position myself in the past, I know that when people put more pressure on you, when intensity goes up, then there is a moment when one of the two players breaks down or it can go through with a whole set.

But I was here and, you know, I placed more intensity, okay, 1-All, but I knew that I could play what I intended to play and she would have to work hard and that the match would be long. I think that this is why, at the end of the second set, she went down a little.

Q. It is so nice to see you come to the net at the end of the match and kiss one another. Would you say that friendship among players is possible? Because Muguruza said it's impossible to be friends, you can't be friends with other women on the tour. Would you say the same or would you say it's possible to have friends when you're on the tour?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, I think you can have some type of friendship. Look at how I work with the other players on the tour. Well, I'm more or less friends with some of them. But I'm not looking for any type of conflict with any player whatsoever. It's totally useless.

So I'm really in favor of peace. If there is one of them who doesn't want to speak to me, I'm not going to come to her and speak to her. That's the way I am.

But then if I feel there is a feeling with some players, then, yeah. We'll meet -- well, perhaps not during all the tournaments. But, for instance, Pauline, well, if we're at the same hotel, sometimes, for example, in Rabat we played, both of us, and in the morning at breakfast I was alone and she asked if she could sit and have breakfast with me. And of course we did that. We had breakfast together.

And Pauline, you know, I have known her for years. We have played many matches as in the same team or against one another, together also during doubles. So, you know, I have been seeing her for a long while. So we are close.

But I wouldn't say this is deep friendship. Well, you see, I know some things about her. She knows some things about me. But, you know, my friends in Switzerland, it's totally different. I have a group of friends. That's different type of friendship, and, you know, with the players, it's not as deep.

Because I think that if you have this very profound friendship between two female players -- well, it might happen, but then if they play semis in a Grand Slam, you know what might happen? They might bicker and they might fight in a certain way, like girls do.

Well, you know, knowing someone well is something that helps you understand their tactics during the match. For instance, if someone is well organized in life, I don't think that this person on a court will do anything and everything, you know.

I can't really say, I can't give you more examples, but I was thinking, you know, what's the name? There is a Ukrainian player who is amazing, a Ukrainian player -- Dolgopolov. That's the name. I don't think in life he's very organized. I don't know. I don't know.

What happens on a tennis court is something that mirrors the person you are. I have the impression, you know, those are just my beliefs and what I think, maybe someone is going to say, No, no, no, not at all. But, you know, these are the little things that you can see in the locker rooms. If a girl, you know, folds her towels away, et cetera, everything is clean and neat, if during a match you can break her game, maybe she's going to be lost.

I don't know. These are ideas I have that come to my mind. So to have deep friendships in tennis is okay, but, you know what we want to do, tennis is our bread and butter. We want to win. We can't give too much space to others. So we have to find the right balance, I think.

Viktorija Golubic is one of my good friends on the tour.

Q. Could you perhaps tell us about the future possible opponents?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, yeah. Yeah. No, no. (Laughter.)

No, both of them play a different type of tennis. In any case, this match is going to be very difficult. It's going to be the round of 16. Nobody wants to give up. Therefore, we're going to fight hard. Either it's going to be Venus or it's going to be Alize, and I know I have time to be ready for this match, and depending on who's going to play against me, I will try and work on my tactics and my game. I want to prepare really well before the round of 16.

I know this is Timea's typical answer, I know (smiling).

Q. Once again, we had two fighters in the crowd. Did you manage to speak to them?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Yeah, there was Nino but also Fanny Smith who was there, and also a friend I was at school with. I was in Belmont, in the town of Belmont, at school with her for many years. She had taken tickets for the Lenglen, and yesterday she wrote to me and said, Oh, you're playing on the Chatrier. What can we do? I said, Oh, come to my box.

You know, it's nice to see these guys and to be able to play in front of these people. I know -- either I have known them very closely or not, but I didn't have time to speak with these two gentlemen except for these 20 minutes, you know, when I was in the players' lounge.

I met Fanny. I discussed with her, she comes from Villars sur Olon. Her parents have come to my hotel when I was working in the hotel, and it's nice to have her here at Roland Garros.

But the men weren't, no. We didn't see them. They decided to have a walk around. Maybe I'll meet them after the press conference. But then, you know, that's how it is. I'm here to work. Even though you don't have the impression perhaps that I'm working, it looks like it's really cool. But then they are here to make the most of the weekend, to enjoy the weekend.

So I do understand that maybe we will not meet this time, but maybe next time I go to Switzerland, the German-speaking Switzerland, I'll be able to say something like (speaking Swiss-German) or something like this.

Q. What about the game conditions? Tuesday was rather cold. You were on the small court. Here this court is a lot bigger and it's warmer. How have conditions changed? That is the clay, the balls, et cetera.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, I think that the weather conditions have changed quite a lot in the recent days. We have to deal with them, with the weather. You shouldn't try and prepare things too much ahead of time. Yesterday, you know, I practiced at Jean Bouin, and the clay is heavier and the balls are different from the ones we use here and therefore practice is a bit different and the conditions were different.

It was rather sunny yesterday when I played. I would say, well, the clay was slow, but it was rather sunny, so the balls were quick, special conditions, I'd say.

But you know what? We have to be ready to expect anything. We have to be able to adapt. You don't want to be destabilized by the conditions.

Of course, all players have their preferences. Some players like playing on dry clay. Others would like to have a heavier, damper type of clay.

But, you know, that's weather forecasts, and the weather is something you can't change. It's up to us to adapt to the conditions.

For the time being, I think I have managed to do this rather well.

Q. I think that Rafa has played 55 times on the central court. For you, it was the third time. Would you say that you managed to get used to the court?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, okay, I don't mind if I have to play again 50 times on this court. No problem. I'm very open on that.

I think, you know, for a tennis player what's important is that, you know, if you don't like playing on a big court, you aren't doing the right job, I think. The higher you go in the rankings, the more tournaments you play, the more you're given this honor. I take it this way. It's an honor to be able to play on the biggest courts.

This is what people expect. They want a show. It really is status enhancing. We practice sometimes in the dark when no one is looking at us, when we're doubting. And all the sports people will tell you the same.

You know, if the career is going up all the time, no, no, this never happens. It has ups and downs. So if you're on the central court anywhere in the world, then this is a moment to remember, a moment you will remember. It's always something special to play on a big court.

I'll never be fed up with that except the day I decide to withdraw altogether. But that's not what I intend to do.

Q. Your French colleagues, women colleagues, are complaining, because they are saying the media are not talking enough about women's tennis. What do you say about this? Would you say in Switzerland the media talk enough about women and about you, as well?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Excellent question. I don't know what the situation is like in France. What I expect is not to be in the spotlight. You know, to be in the spotlights, you have to deserve it.

I'll never think, Okay, why are they talking more about Stan and Rog when I've just won a match? Look at all the titles they have. I have perhaps something like 10% of Rog's titles or wins. This would be my dream. And sometimes, you know, it's not contrary -- not the contrary, no, sorry, I was saying something totally silly.

But anyway, there was a moment when I thought or I felt, rather, it was last year, Federer had two matches that he won, and, you know, but he had done that before, but for us it's different.

I don't know about the French. I don't know if the French, if the Frenchmen are, how can I say, have results that are a lot better than women's results. I don't know.

But I have always wondered about this. And, you know, again, it's me, me talking to myself, me to myself.

You know, if you want people to talk more about yourself, play better. Be better. You know, you can't expect anything else.

Being ranked 50th in the world, I wouldn't expect anybody to praise my games. You know, it's very nice to be 50, to be around 50. It's really good. 50th in the world. It's so big, so huge.

But then some people are doing better than that, so if there is less buzz, less buzz, about women's tennis, I don't know what the reason is. It's been the case for years and years. So what's the point in fighting and struggling and saying, Okay, we shouldn't talk about women's tennis this way. We should change -- no, it's a fact. Either you accept it or not.

People talk about men's tennis. You know, I don't want to go against this trend. I'm trying to do my best. And that's about it.

Then if people talk about me, that's good. If nobody talks about me, you know, what's the saying, I think in French we say, to live happily you have to live in the dark. That's good for me. I don't want to always be in the spotlight.

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