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QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 15, 2017

Garbine Muguruza

Doha, Qatar

ZHANG S./G. Muguruza

7-6, 3-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously a long day, and you had to play two matches. Can you talk us through that second match. You were fighting in the end, but what made the difference?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think I'm still figuring out, honestly. I woke up thinking that I was going to have a very tough day. I mean, I couldn't play yesterday. So this morning I warm up like at 8:00 in the morning -- sorry, 9:00 in the morning. I was like, Okay, let's go for it. Let's see what happens. I played pretty good the first match. Hopefully was not that long.

The second one, I think Zhang played very well. Honestly, the conditions were difficult. We were in a court where there was another court next to us. There was a lot of wind. She was finding her shots.

I just said I was going to fight. I came here to play. I had it very clear. You know, I fight.

At the end I think was, like, two points difference, honestly, and they went to her side.

Q. After you took the second set, she had maybe a calf problem, got some treatment. Did that interrupt the momentum for you at all?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I didn't see any problem in her calf, honestly, when she was playing.

But, no, I honestly didn't care. I stick with my game. I'm like, I don't care what the other one's doing. In the third set, everybody makes weird stuff, honestly. So I try to be focus with my game, and that's it.

Q. You obviously had the breakthrough year last year at the French. Do you think that puts a little bit more pressure on you when you go out on court, or has it only made you believe in yourself more?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think it's a little bit of both. For sure, it makes you a little bit more, you know, 'responsible' might be the word, not 'pressure'. You have the responsibility of being Grand Slam champion, to always be in the last rounds, I guess.

At the end I always take the good part of that. I have the trophy. I have the self-confidence, like you said, that gave me. That's what I take, honestly.

Q. You had to come here late because of Fed Cup. Your reaction to the whole process of losing there, then coming here? How did these few days go for you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, every time I play Fed Cup, I enjoy a lot the week. But it's also very difficult for me because, you know, we had a very tough opponent. We played Czech Republic, which was, like, very bad draw. My matches were very hard. You're playing, and you're thinking, I have to give it all, I have to play for my team. You're so motivated.

Then you're thinking, Tomorrow I have to rush to another place. They're waiting for me. You have this on your mind, Man, I don't know how I'm going to do it.

That's the bad side of playing Fed Cup. But you make choices. You sometimes rather play or not play.

Q. Is it emotionally draining, perhaps, going there and then having a tournament right away? Did you feel mentally fresh coming into this one?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, no, for me the Fed Cup week is a lot for me. I go out there and I try to give my best. I do everything for my team. I take it very seriously.

After that week, I'm a little bit down. But I'm pretty happy the way I played here, honestly. Two very good matches.

Q. Do you think you will play against France? There will be the same problem with the Stuttgart tournament the week after the Fed Cup.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I know that. I played the last three ties. I know that the next week is a very hard week to adjust.

For now, I didn't even think about it. I saw the other day was France, which is again very tough. I will consider it, for sure. I mean, I'm always up to the Fed Cup. So we'll see when the time comes.

Q. Obviously Dubai is coming up next. When will you go? Are you feeling good about your game in general going there?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I'm feeling good. Honestly, I've been practicing hard. I feel on shape. I felt today, you know, I had two tough matches, but I felt good physically on the court, which is very important.

I think I'm going to go as soon as possible. Now that I didn't have the time here to adjust, I want to go in Dubai, try to have a few days of training, recovery, as well, take it very seriously.

I think Dubai is a big tournament this year for us. I want to maybe do well there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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