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WIMBLEDON

July 10, 2016

Heather Watson

London, England

KONTINEN‑WATSON/Farah‑Groenefeld
7‑6, 6‑4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Heather, can you believe what's just happened?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, I can. Who would have thought we're here as champions, for me, after such a horrible first‑round loss. I made it to the last day of Wimbledon, which has been always one of my goals to reach just the second week of a slam.
Couldn't have chosen anybody better than with Henri. He made our time on court so fun. Off the court as well, like warming up together. It was just fun and easy.
Yeah, I'm just so freaking happy.

Q. Looked like you were having a great time the whole time. How much does it mean because it's a Wimbledon title, isn't it?
HEATHER WATSON: Some people say, like, it's fun, but don't actually really have fun. I think we did. We didn't think about winning. We just wanted to go out there and just enjoy our time and just try and play well and good.
Yeah, now we're Grand Slam champions, Wimbledon champions.

Q. Will you be playing together as a partnership in the future, I assume?
HENRI KONTINEN: No, we've retired from mixed (laughter).
HEATHER WATSON: I hope so. But depending on our rankings, I don't know if we'll get in. But, I mean, I'm bagsying Henri. Everybody stay away.

Q. Can you say what it is about Heather's play that makes her a good doubles player? We're all slightly surprised.
HEATHER WATSON: Are you? No faith.
HENRI KONTINEN: Well, I thought she played her best match actually today, which is always nice to get from a doubles partner. The bigger the match, the better if they play better. Obviously, her returning was 10 times better than me returning. It made my job at the net very easy up there.
Then obviously, again, serving well today. Even acing the guy, which is not easy for everyone. I thought she played great the whole week.

Q. You are also a Wimbledon champion. How does it feel for you?
HEATHER WATSON: Don't forget about Henri.
HENRI KONTINEN: Pretty good. I mean, yeah, I guess this is the tournament that every player has in their mind. The prestige and everything, the history here, it's pretty special. It's a special place to win.
Yeah, to, at the same time, enjoy it as much, it's a cliché, but the journey that we had, the time on court we spent every match, if we were up a break or down a break, whatever happened, we were always enjoying ourselves. To be able to do that and still win, it makes it even extra fun.

Q. Heather, to win after Andy must make it even more incredible.
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, I was following the whole of Andy's match. I thought he'd win today. He played brilliant, he did. He did everything right. I was watching in the changing rooms when he won. It's just so nice to see him do so well here and win.
Then, yeah, to get the two Brits, or three‑‑ four, yeah, win today, is great, and here at home.

Q. How do you summarize the experience? You've said before the whole thing started as a little bit of a joke. You've been through this scenario of having a couple of walkovers. The first time you played together was in your warmup for the match against Hingis, and now you've won the tournament.
HEATHER WATSON: What did you ask?

Q. How do you summarize this thing?
HEATHER WATSON: It's a great week. I'll remember this forever. It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to be a Grand Slam champion. I would take anything, singles, doubles, mixed doubles. Yeah, I've got one of those now.
I mean, I'm just really happy.

Q. You're the first woman to win since Jo Durie in 1987.
HEATHER WATSON: Another good stat.

Q. I want to know if you're ready to go to the Wimbledon dinner? Have you got a dress, a dinner suit already? It can be a bit of a panic at the end.
HEATHER WATSON: That was my preparation for the match. I was picking out my dress in the changing rooms. I'm all sorted. I'll be there.

Q. Nice one?
HEATHER WATSON: You can decide for yourself.

Q. Henri, do you have a nice one?
HENRI KONTINEN: I don't know what they gave me. They just measured me. I should be fine. We'll see how it looks.

Q. Have you started practicing your waltz? You are going to dance probably.
HEATHER WATSON: Are we? Is that what happens?

Q. I think they've taken it away.
HEATHER WATSON: You scared me there.

Q. It's early, but can you think what you might take of this experience into your singles play? Would it have to do with the psychology of how you enjoyed yourself?
HEATHER WATSON: Absolutely. I think that's one of the main reasons why we did so well. I think it's something I can use moving forward in my other matches.
I always try to play doubles as much as I can because I really enjoy it. With my game style in singles, I'm always trying to come to the net more.
I felt like my volleys have really improved this week.

Q. Henri, you are now a pure doubles player. Is that something also that can help you with your doubles, in the men's doubles?
HENRI KONTINEN: Well, it's not going to hurt it, that's for sure. Okay, maybe I'm a bit late for Hamburg which is next week. For me, they're two separate things. When I win in both. In doubles, it's more work like, I would say. This is, like, more of a way to express myself on court and have fun and enjoy, obviously hopefully improve in many things as well at the same time.
But for me they're two pretty different things. Next match I play doubles, I won't be thinking, What did I do last mixed doubles, vice versa. It's totally different things for me.

Q. But take the relaxed side to the men's double, is that a possibility?
HENRI KONTINEN: Yeah, I've never heard anyone say I wouldn't be relaxed. That's not a problem.

Q. You were introduced to each other through Chris Eaton. Did you have any kind of prior knowledge of each other?
HEATHER WATSON: I think we'd seen each other around. I don't know.
HENRI KONTINEN: I don't know. We haven't even talked about it. I know my brother was the same time with her in Florida training. But I don't think I was there at that time. So not much history.

Q. The first conversation would have been around the French Open, presumably?
HENRI KONTINEN: Yeah, a bit before.

Q. You've already said how you're preparing for tonight. Four British winners. Any special plans for the British winners to get together and have their own celebration? What else will you do to celebrate later in the week?
HEATHER WATSON: I don't know. I haven't seen them yet. But I think tonight we'll enjoy the ball. We're going to have to head off soon, get showered and made up. I am, because it takes forever.
Yeah, now it's time, for me anyway, I know you have a tournament next week, but I'm going to take a few days off. I need a little break.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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WIMBLEDON

July 10, 2016

Henri Kontinen

Heather Watson