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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

September 28, 2016

Simona Halep

Wuhan, Hubei, China

S. HALEP/Y. Shvedova

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you think you played today in that match?
SIMONA HALEP: I feel that I played really well. I was strong. I return very strong. Also I served well. I think I was staying very aggressive whole match. I was staying close to the baseline.

She hits very strong, the balls, so I had just to be there strong on my legs to block some balls, and sometimes to hit the balls.

Q. What happened yesterday?
SIMONA HALEP: We were playing just the beginning of the match. Was a long rally. They moved down the line, both players, from the baseline. Me and Mattek-Sands, we were at the net. Ostapenko wanted to hit the backhand from down the middle, or forehand, I'm not sure. I was with my eyes forward.

She hit me just here (left side of the head). She hit me with the ball like 150 kilometers per hour. I was dizzy in the first moment, but then was much better.

So now I feel pain all around here, but it's okay.

Q. You got checked out and there's no problem?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I checked the doctors few times, also this morning. But last night I slept well and helped me.

Q. Against Madison, do you think a match like today against Shvedova will help?
SIMONA HALEP: Good preparation. But still it's going to be tough. Tough to play two times in a row with big hitters. I just want to remember what I did in Wimbledon and also in Montreal.

I know always is tough to play against her. She is very strong. But I beat her last two times. I just want to go there with confidence, to play as I did today, and just enjoy.

Q. I was talking about Mladenovic and Garcia yesterday about the evolution of the game. They said the modern game is being aggressive, going for your shots. It's tough to do that from January to October, November. It takes a lot of energy. Have you noticed that change and do you also feel it's a difficult kind of game style to produce all the time?
SIMONA HALEP: You ask me if it's difficult?

Q. The game has become more aggressive, and if it's difficult to keep that kind of intensity and level.
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it's difficult to play all year the same rhythm, same level. But I'm working to do that. I can get better, I'm sure.

At the beginning of this year, I was a little bit sick and I couldn't be so aggressive. I didn't have energy. But then after, like, April, in May I started to play aggressive, I started to play well. I still play, I think. I feel that I still play. I got better a little bit now after U.S.

So, yeah, it's difficult. But if you want to be a champion or if you want to be in the top 5, top 3, you have to keep the rhythm all year.

Q. Does it feel natural? Does it feel like you're fighting against your nature by being so aggressive all the time?
SIMONA HALEP: I can say yes. I was playing the same in juniors. Yeah, now I'm used to it. Sometimes I think when the players are going a little bit back from the baseline, it's because of the confidence. Your style is always the same, but if you have confidence, you can go more, and if not, you stay back.

Q. Australia being four months away, one more month of play, then the off-season, how do you think about the season right now? Is this a build towards next season?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah.

Q. Or is it to just get through this season?
SIMONA HALEP: No, it's for the next year. I'm trying to improve. Every match I take like a practice one, official practice. Of course, I play for winning because naturally it's coming from inside. But I try to improve some things during the matches.

I'm thinking already for the next year. I really want to do something better than this year. Also the off-season I'm thinking to change some things. So, yeah, everything is improving, and my mind adapts to this schedule.

This is the most important thing: that I accepted to change things.

Q. Tennis players, they don't like changes too much. You have your routine.
SIMONA HALEP: I didn't like change. That's why I say now that I started to accept (smiling).

Q. What was the process to finally accept changing? Was it trusting Darren?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, because of Darren, because his style is very relaxed. He doesn't think that it's a big deal if you change something. He shows me it's not a big deal if I change something. So now I'm more relaxed to change things and I'm more relaxed to try to do better. Even if next day is not going to work as I want, maybe in the future is going to work how we want, how we wish.

Yeah, now it's much easier for me to change things. It is much easier to listen, to accept things that I have to change and just going forward.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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