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WIMBLEDON

July 4, 2016

Dominka Cibulkova

London, England

D. CIBULKOVA/A. Radwanska
6‑3, 5‑7, 9‑7

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the difference, do you think, between you and Agnieszka today?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: My winners was a difference. You know, today was, for me it was, I would say, the most physically tough, it was the toughest match for me I would say my whole career. I felt really, really tired when the match was going on.
It was just so, you know, so tough to go through. But I was just fighting for every single ball. And especially when you have an opponent that doesn't give you any free gifts, you just know that you have to earn every single point. It takes so much energy. It's even tougher mentally.
So, you know, today was just amazing, amazing match.

Q. What went into your choice of wedding dates? What are you thinking about it now?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, you know, we chose this because I never saw myself as such a great grass court player, you know. Yeah, but winning Eastbourne and now, being in a quarterfinals I would change my mind. We say that, but it's no problem. We can postpone it. But I'm still here and I'm playing my match tomorrow. So I have to get really ‑‑I have to get really good rest today.

Q. What has your fiancé said about the wedding date and the plans?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: What do you mean, what he said?

Q. What has he said to you about the uncertainty of the wedding?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I don't think he said ‑‑like, you know, I'm just really happy right now with my tennis and with my private life. You know, you can see it on the court. We are still keeping this date. We'll see what's gonna happen.

Q. At what stage do you have to make the call to postpone the wedding?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: If I would win tomorrow, then we will change it. Then we will postpone it, yeah, because it will be a lot of rush. It's still really, really far, you know. I want to get a good rest and I just want to play well tomorrow.

Q. How deep did you have to dig mentally to come back after serving for the match in the second set and being down a break and everything?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, I would say it was the toughest match in my career so far, physically and also mentally, as I said. After I didn't make the first match point the momentum changed and then she was up.
And today she was playing really, really good. She tried to play much more aggressive than the matches before, and her defense was just so good, as always.
Sometimes when you play against different players, it's just enough one winner, but against Aga today I felt like I have to put six, seven, eight winners to earn the point.

Q. And you know that she was in the final here at Wimbledon. This win means something special because of that? Because, I mean, if you can beat someone who gets to the final of Wimbledon, you may have a chance.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, you know, I played against her in Eastbourne last week and it was our first match on grass court and it was the toughest on the grass, I would say, for me to play against her.
So today, I mean, we played this year already this was our fourth match. We know each other so well. We just, you know, as I said, we know each other really well, and I knew it was going to be really, really tough because her game I think is the best on grass.

Q. Are you also friends since you know each other or not?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: We're fine. Yeah, we're fine. I wouldn't say we are best friends, but we are fine. We're not enemies. We're good.

Q. You have fallen in love with grass this year. What would you attribute the improvement on this surface?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, you know, we change little details with my coach. I'm playing, you know, my forehand a little bit different on the grass right now, and it was the first time we tried something different.
The whole year, you know, I was just playing so good. It just turned out that I'm right here playing really, really well and it just not fit me but suits me. We worked hard on my serve. That's also something that really improved.

Q. When you won, you put your face to the ground and were crying. Can you describe what you were feeling at that moment?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: No, it's very tough. You know, after I did it, I was really crying. It was so emotional because it was just ‑‑I was physically, like I felt, you know, I cannot move anymore, you know.
I was still playing and playing and playing. After that point, it was in the last game I think I was on the net and I won the point, and I just couldn't move anymore, you know. And then you have to play. Then I got a warning and I had to serve second serve. But it was ‑‑I can't describe how tough was it today.

Q. What is it with this warning? There is a rule but how apply the rule, do you think...
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, sometimes it takes me a longer time to get ready for the serve. I am aware of that. So I know when it takes me a long time and I agree with the umpire, but this, I would say, was a very tough call. It was 7‑All in the third set, and it was just ‑‑or 8‑7. It doesn't matter.
It was really, really tough, the rallies against her. It wasn't I was faking something. I just needed some more seconds. And it was really tough.

Q. Today they showed an incredible accomplishment where you detected the odor of the balls at four different Grand Slams. Amazing. Which is your favorite fragrance?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I would say ‑‑yeah, you know, I always love this one, but not the new balls but the balls after we play on grass. It has a special smell.

Q. How did you develop that talent? And of the Grand Slams, how do you deal with the smells at the US Open and just your favorite?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, I don't mind. It just every ball different. But it's just something I have, you know. When my coach, he walks in the morning to the car, I can tell what fragrance he's having. I have a good nose. (Laughter.)
Q. Back to your wedding, how will you break it to your guests and what will you say to them?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: They all know I'm here and playing.

Q. Will they be canceling hotels?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: No, always said ‑‑if we would really have to postpone it, then it will be like dream come true, you know, because nothing better could happen to me, you know, to me in my tennis career. It's no problem to postpone a wedding one week after, and it will be even more enjoyable.

Q. When you go to bed tonight, what will you dream about more? Your wedding on Saturday or...
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Actually, it was funny, because last week ‑‑I think it was last week, I think middle, middle of the week, I woke up and I had dream it's already Saturday, you know. And then I woke up, I say, No, I have to play match today. We are still at Wimbledon. But it's fine.

Q. What stage did it dawn on you that this might be an issue?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: What issue?

Q. The clash of dates. Clearly you didn't think you would be in this position, but when did you start thinking...
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: When? Today. (Smiling.) Just today after my win, because we were still fine, you know. It's two hours flying home to Bratislava.
So today it just when I was in ice bath after the match, I said to my team, Okay, now it's getting more serious. So I told them, If I win tomorrow, then we seriously have to deal with this. So everything, we'll see after tomorrow.

Q. The wedding is in Bratislava, then?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah.

Q. 9 is your lucky number. The 9th is Saturday. Is that the reason you chose the wedding? Can you explain why the number 9 is important?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I just like No. 9. I don't have any particular reason why No. 9.
And the date of the wedding, yeah, I know so many couples they care about the date and we didn't mind at all. We just said‑‑ because I wanted to be the wedding in the summer, and this was the only okay time to have it. Yeah.

Q. I think you saved a match point with this huge forehand. Is that possibly one of the best ways you can ever save a match point like that?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, yeah, of course. I knew it's match point, of course, but I was just going for it. With her you cannot do anything else just to go for it, and I knew I'm not feeling physically the best and I have to go for my forehand and just to play a full power, because otherwise she gets everything. I mean, anyway she gets everything, but this way at least I can have six, seven, eight ball winner.
So, yeah, it was a good forehand, I would say.

Q. What was your feeling about playing at Wimbledon before 2016? What are your feelings now that you're in the quarterfinals?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I have been here once in the quarterfinals, so grass is not ‑‑it's not new to me. I don't know how to say it in English.
But in the past I didn't have great results on the grass. So, you know, my game, it improved a lot. We worked with my coach on different things, like we changed the way I play my forehand on grass a little bit. We improved my serve.
My return is much better. And the most important, you know, we work a lot on the mental exercises, and I feel it's helping me.

Q. I'd like to know how many have you invited to your wedding? Not that I want to go. And if there are many tennis players, and by chance anyone who is involved in Wimbledon doesn't know if they can come because maybe he has to play?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, has to play. My agent is coming, for sure. But I invited also Marion Bartoli. We are very good friends. But she is commentating the finals, so if she would commentate me, I wouldn't mind, because next week she can come.
As I said, it's still really far. I just invited Barbora Strycova. She's playing doubles today. The Czech girl. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Q. What does it mean to you to kind of be able to turn around that matchup against Aga? Because that's three straight to you. Always been difficult matches before. Especially with the comeback and everything?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, this year this was the fourth match, and the first one I lost from the match point in Indian Wells. I lost 7‑5 in the third set. Then I beat her in Madrid and Eastbourne and now here. But it means so much ‑‑it gives me a lot of confidence, because she's the player that you have to earn your victory, you know.
You just really have to play ‑‑when she has a day like this, you have to play your best tennis. I think this is the stage where she really, really want to do well. I just play really, really good. I would say one of the best tennis.

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