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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2016

Garbine Muguruza

Cincinnati, Ohio

G. MUGURUZA/T. Babos

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I want to ask you about the match. Was it a straightforward win in your mind or more difficult? Pretty impressive.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think every time you play a very powerful game like Timea today you're all the match little bit like tense.

I'm very excited that I'm in the semifinals here because, well, didn't win a lot of matches here in the past. I think was a tough match. Was very equal. Maybe couple of serves, couple of returns make the difference.

Q. Do you feel like you've been flying under the radar this week because of all the talk with Angelique being No. 1? Just been focusing on your matches?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, actually, I always try to like don't listen a lot to what's going on with the people. I heard that Angie, if she wins she world No. 1.

I'm just concentrating on what do I have to do, what is in my hand right now. Hey, let's try to win the next match. That's it.

Q. The third game of the match you had several break point opportunities and didn't convert them; then had the changeover. How difficult is it to come back? You won the next game, but how difficult is it to come back and serve knowing you had several chances to break and didn't convert?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, yeah, I remember that game. That's the type of game where you have to be there. You have to be concentrated. Because I could win the last game. I could have a break, but that's like a test. You know, you have to get over that test. Like short-term memory. Focus on your semifinal.

It's one the toughest moments where you have to show, Hey, I'm a good player. I'm going to fight here. Doesn't matter if you had your chance or whatever, I'm back.

Q. How tough were the conditions today compared to yesterday? Easier or tougher?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think pretty similar. Well, today is more in the sun, but I think during the days were windy and in the night is a little bit more calm.

Pretty much the same: a lot of humidity. I saw couple of drops also. But, well, pretty good.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing Pliskova?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think we know each other pretty good. We played I think -- well, seems to me like a lot of times. Or practice. I saw a little bit with Kuznetsova. She's playing well. I think this surface helps her a little bit with her style of game.

Just another battle. I think I'm playing a lot of powerful girls in this tournament. Coco, Timea, Anastasia. Let's try to keep going.

Q. Do you like that, playing players who can go at you with power and maybe miss a little bit more short rallies or do you like playing ralliers?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I always say like I'm kind of mixed between the Spanish style with, you know, east Europe girls that play more faster. But I'm just good with everything. I'm going to be there. My style of game is not going to change.

Well, I don't know. It's just curious that I play a lot of girls like this. I think a lot of girls are more into this style of game. Every time you play it's almost 100% you play against someone who is going to be powerful.

Q. It's been a pretty atypical year with the Olympics wedged in. With respect to that and the Open coming up, how do you feel about you your game? Obviously you're in the semis, but how do you feel about your game as you prepare for the Open?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think we all are -- we have enough ready because you want to be perfect. For sure playing a lot of matches here is going to help me. Everybody wants to play matches before a Grand Slam and play New Haven.

I'm satisfied the way I'm fighting and my spirit and energy on the court, so hopefully I can keep this until the US Open.

Q. When you're smiley or bubbly by nature, when people are that way sometimes they're judged more harshly when they don't look like the sun is shining. At the beginning of the year when things weren't maybe going as well on the court and you maybe didn't look like the happy Garbine that most people know, do you think that people judged that more harshly than they would have because you're bubbly by nature and smiley most its time?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, everybody has their tough moments. We are in a situation that when you have with a tough moment, you shall you have a camera here. It's like we are very exposed. When you're playing. Everybody is human, especially set, mad, or super happy. Sometimes you show that.

Well, I felt like a little bit frustrated at the beginning of the year. I felt I was working, but somehow the results were not there. But I think was just a matter of time, because if you do the work, one week or the other one, you will find your game.

But I think people like to also use that situations to make more noise a little bit. You know, when you see you're a little bit bad, it's like they use that and suddenly it's everywhere. You're like, When I win it's not like this. So sometimes it's like this.

Q. Does it bother you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No. I think it's just the way it goes. I can't do anything about that. Hopefully people are nice I with me, but... (smiling.)

Q. You've had some time after winning the French Open. Have you had time to fully absorb it all?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I absorb it, no doubt about it. I actually celebrate a little bit after Wimbledon, because I felt I didn't have the time and right away. I had to play another grass tournament, then I went to Wimbledon and everything was a little bit -- I don't know.

So after Wimbledon I had the time with my family to sit down. Hey, great achievement. I don't know, I felt that was a time where I really felt it, you know. Before it was like Oh, Mallorca, Wimbledon, you know. So that was the time.

Q. You played a very aggressive match going back to the French Open against Serena, keeping her pinned at the baseline, and was probably one the most aggressive matches I've seen you play. With your tactics moving forward into the US Open, is that a large part of your game plan?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I always try to be a very aggressive player. I want to have the control in my hand. That's what I -- sometimes you can't, but I always try to. Every time I go to a match I'm like I'm going to try to dominate. I'm going to have the power and be under control. That's what I'm trying. I would rather miss me than the other one winning, you know? That's kind of what I want.

Q. Question about Roland Garros. That being your second major, how much more prepared did you feel going into that major final than your first?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: It was a big difference, I have to say. In Wimbledon everything was very new and like super pink, beautiful. But you don't really know what you're playing for because there is -- it's such a difference when you win or lose. When you win a Grand Slam, everybody's, Oh, yeah!

If you lose, nobody remembers. You know, like is a big change of winning a Grand Slam and losing in the final. That's my feeling. So when I went to the French Open final, I'm like, I don't want to feel like I felt in Wimbledon, you know.

It was more like a motivation.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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