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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2017

Kristina Mladenovic

Indian Wells, California

K. MLADENOVIC/S. Halep

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Another solid win, another top 5 win. How do you think you played today?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, I think I played obviously a great match, because you don't beat a Top 5 player just like that. I felt the conditions were extremely difficult for both of us. I could feel that -- I mean, I don't know. 36 degrees, I think, that was pretty solid for playing tennis.

We always had very tough battles. I was actually, head to head, 2-1. That's not very often against a Top 5 player. I mean, at the change of ends, when I saw, like, 2-1, 30 minutes, I was, like, Great. This is going to last forever again.

I think that match was a big win for me on the physical part, like, fitness part. I think I could see that, you know, the efforts there she gave me was like -- because I was forcing her to give it to me, because I was there solid and hanging in there and putting sometimes balls back and being brave.

I think, yeah, I think, you know, I perfectly played the game plan I had. Solid at times, make her play balls and making her take some risk at the time. Sometimes when I had the shorter one, like, stepping in it, playing my heavy shots with the forehand, and I think that worked pretty well today.

Q. It seems like from the beginning of the season you have been playing at a really high level. Is that what you did in the offseason, Fed Cup, something else?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, offseason, definitely, obviously. I mean, not many changes in my offseason, but just, like, work, working, work, kind of feeling it's paying off, and even today.

I mean, in the past I have been struggling, let's say. That kind of matches, as example, tough conditions, tough opponent, long rallies sometimes, and I came out being the winner of that point or sometimes I would be, like, pulled high wide, and I would come back stronger, hit a winner out of it, and before wasn't the case.

Yeah, like what I have been saying in my interviews lately, I just think is the consistency, like, of my shots a little bit more. Like service better, a little bit more consistent, better percentage. Second serve more risky at a time, like, faster.

And forehand obviously my big weapon, always there. And the backhand, I think, has improved a lot. Like, it's been more solid. Even today I could rally sometimes with Simona, who has a very good backhand.

And, yeah, I'm just very happy that it's, you know, paying off and in shape right now.

Q. Talk about the way in which doubles, particularly with the attacking aspects of your game, has been helpful with your singles.
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: The question, if my doubles, like...

Q. Has been helpful for your singles game, in a way.
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For sure it is. For sure it was. There is no doubt about it from my opinion.

You know, even like yesterday I had a day off, and I was just so happy. We were both actually so happy and pumped with Svetlana to go there. I was like, me, I'm pumped. I'm very happy to play with her, because that first match was so great. I was so ready to go there.

I was, like, she played three sets and conditions were similar to today. I was wondering if she would be okay. And when I met her, I mean, she was flying. She was so happy to go back there with me.

That was so funny, because she was actually talking to herself out loud in front of me. She was like, Calm down, Svetlana.

I'm very happy to play, but sometimes when you want too much, you just totally burn out and play bad.

So I was so happy to see her. I mean, she's such experienced player and already has lots of matches behind her, and to see that spirit was just so great. I was very happy to go out there on the court with her.

We played great, and we had a very good win. At the end of the match, I came out of the court and I said to my team, Look, I'm so happy. Like, you know, confidence is there at the moment in singles, but to have such a great win and to have played great shots, to have served well under pressure, like, I serve at 4-5 under pressure.

I did a great game, good serving, good shots at the time, 5-All, and then we end up winning that match. I came out of the court and said, Okay, confidence is there with my singles wins, but a win like that also in doubles puts, you know, even a little bit more of confidence.

And, like, you get confidence, like, you're more sure about your strokes working.

I would have gone on the practice court and just practiced my drills. That would be, like, okay, routine practice. But to get a win like that, like, fun on the court helps a lot. That's for sure.

Q. I think you still don't have a coach?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: No.

Q. I think you said you almost prefer not having one?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I think it's going quite well without a coach.

Q. Just talk about some of the things you have to do for yourself that help you when you don't have a coach.
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: What can I say? I just think I'm the best coach for myself so far for now. Without a coach, I think it's working really well for me at the moment.

So I think I know myself the best. I think I know what things and what I have to work. I have a big team around me, still. My fitness coach is there, my hitting partner is there, my physio, my mom is there, family is there.

Just tennis coach, I think -- I don't know. I just know it better for myself, and I feel better like that. I mean, this is, like, a big decision. I think everybody has around a tennis coach.

But I ask actually too much of a tennis coach, and I prefer to -- I mean, didn't work out in the past years. Always had the best results being alone. So that's lots of coincidence, and I just decided, like, that I won't have a tennis coach for sometimes and see how it goes and how I can perform alone. And, you know, hold my career alone and in what I believe.

In 2015, I was alone the entire year, and I end up being I think in the top 30. So far this year it's going really well. Yeah, I'm going to stay like that.

Q. Maria Sharapova is returning to the tour in Stuttgart, with a wildcard, and there has been a lot of discussion about whether or not she might get a wildcard to the French Open. Because there has been so much discussion, I wanted to ask for your thoughts on that.
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I have no comments for that. Yeah, I don't want to comment anything about Maria.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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