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U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2016

Simona Halep

New York, NY, USA

S. HALEP/T. Babos

6-1, 2-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Does it feel good to get through a tough one to finish off the first week?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, of course it feels good that I could win the match. It was really tough. She played unbelievable second and third set. She didn't miss at all. She was hitting very strong, so it was a good challenge for me and it was a good match.

I'm really proud that I could win it and come back from 3-1 down in the third set.

Q. She was hitting the ball incredibly clean. You said on the court that you have no idea how you came back. It's been a little bit of time. Do you have any better sense of how you were able to win this match?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah. I talked also with my coach, and I know now what I did. Because of this thing I won.

I just tried to open the court more. I was hitting strong also, but I was too far back and my ball was too short always. She had too much time to come in and be aggressive to dominate me.

Then I started to play deeper and I think that made the situation to be changed.

Q. What are you most pleased with in the tournament so far?
SIMONA HALEP: That I'm in the fourth round, first thing. (Smiling.) And I'm playing good. Even if today I didn't play my best, I played good tennis, good level.

I was moving very well. I am happy to be back in the fourth round two years in a row, so it's a good thing. I enjoy a lot being here, so it's nice.

Q. Do you have the sense that the players that didn't go to Rio are a little bit fresher than some of the other players that did?
SIMONA HALEP: Maybe, yeah, can be. You know, the trip is very long and it's very tiring to go there and to come back.

But it's enough time already from Rio to here. They have time to recover. But I did a good decision in my opinion and I'm happy with that thing.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, from second round the air conditioning was too strong on court. When I got back at the hotel I felt I could not move anymore. It's nothing dangerous. It's not like an injury. It's just blocked.

So if I warm up it's getting better. But still some points, some movements it's tough for me to get up and to leave.

Q. It was chilly out there today. How did you adjust?
SIMONA HALEP: Because the roof was closed. That's why they put air conditioning. Today was better. I didn't feel.

But I had hot pack around my back and was much better to play with it.

It's nice. The court is huge, and all the time is air moving there. For everybody is the same.

Q. What is your opinion of the acoustics, the noise level, with it open versus closed?
SIMONA HALEP: Closed the noise is bigger a little bit and you feel -- it's indoor so you feel different. When it's open I don't feel the wind that much than the previous years.

I feel better the ball. I think it's a good thing with the roof. It's good when it's raining. I didn't have to wait the second round to play.

Q. Have you ever done commentary? How do you think you'd be as a commentator?
SIMONA HALEP: Me?

Q. Yeah.
SIMONA HALEP: No. Very bad, I think. (Smiling.) I'm not a good commentator. Even in Romania, not just in English. I don't like to talk. I don't like to speak. I feel some things, but I cannot explain them in words. So it's better to stay with my job: playing tennis.

Q. In the past maybe three, four years ago, you maybe have occasionally those matches, especially at the slams, where you couldn't fight back, where you struggled with it. I know you were frustrated with it back then, you know, especially the this summer we have seen you battle through these three-set matches. Can you talk about that evolution a little bit?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I was working on this thing. I'm stronger mentally and I don't give up anymore during the matches, even if I'm down.

I think also that I'm feeling the game pretty well and I feel strong on my legs. I feel safe when I'm on court. That's why I refuse to lose. I just say all the time, every point, that I have another chance to get back and to win the match.

Today I had in my head just that I can win the match, and I have just to take point by point. So it was a good thing, and I want also to improve more in this. I don't want to go again to 1-3 in the third set.

Q. Romanian and Hungarian teams meet each other, there is always some tension because of historical reasons. Do you think in the future this is going to be changed, this one like positive, like with you, new generation representative and totally different approach and sports is going to be the first place?
SIMONA HALEP: I think this thing was in the past. I don't feel that at all. Timea is a very nice girl. I'm talking with her all the time. She's very, very cool and we have no problems.

So I never had problems with Hungarian people. It's just normal for me.

I take it on court when I am I take all the opponents just to fight against them, but nothing bad or nothing just negative. Just positive and just who is is gonna be better or win.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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