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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 7, 2017

Carla Suarez Navarro

Madrid, Spain

C. SUAREZ NAVARRO/Peng Shuai

3-6, 7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. Can you tell us how you felt during the match. It was a complicated match, you managed to come back.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Well, when you're a set down, and then in the second set you're down, as well, there's some moments where you see the end very close.

But the good thing is that tennis is different. Until the last moment, you're not out. Of course, it was a difficult start. I didn't find the right way to play against her. But I was patient, knowing that there's always time to come back.

Well, once again, I did it. And overall I'm happy because of the final result, but not so much by the way that I did it.

Q. Do all the Spanish players have a little bit more pressure playing here in Madrid? Also, talking about your next opponent, do you think you will have not as much attention because you made it through the first round?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Yeah, I think we all agree that we so few weeks in Spain, especially Madrid being such an important tournament for all of us, I think the will for us to do things properly, not just at home, but the type of tournament we have here, it's hard.

It's true that after years you do everything better. Because of the experience that he we have, you do things better. You are mature and you know how to do things better.

Well, it's true that it's complicated. Here in Madrid there's a lot of pressure. I think that it's always going to be there. We're always going to be nervous, no matter if it's the first or second match.

We're playing in Madrid. We just need to cope with it and we need to try to focus on ourselves and not be influenced by those things, then let's see what I can do tomorrow.

I will try to start better. The opponent I'm playing tomorrow, if you start badly, or if you give her a lot of opportunities, she plays very well, and it will be hard for me.

Q. How will you face tomorrow's match? I remember you played against her in Stuttgart 2013. How will you approach that match, now that you've made it through the first round?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Well, I think it's a match that I have to be very patient. I know she's a top player. Physically she's very strong. She plays long matches. She has a lot of experience. I think mentally she's very strong, too. Even if she's down in the match, she always tries to come back, and manages to do it many times.

I think that's going to be the key of the match. I'll try to play as solid as I can, maybe try to be more aggressive than her, but most of all try to be very patient.

Q. I wanted to ask you about how you're feeling physically. I don't know if you're playing at 100%, 70%, 50%.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: No, yesterday I had a small issue. But I think that I'm very fit. I think I made it okay in the match physically. This season I haven't played matches more than one and a half hour or two hour matches. You have to adapt for that.

You also now have to cope with that. Physically I would like to feel better. I'm not going to lie to you. But I think to be physically ready, it's just a matter of playing a lot of matches.

We always like to come to the tournaments having played a lot of matches. I think it's just like an exam to know if you're physically fit. But I have a day ahead tomorrow to try to recover as much as possible. But I think I did pretty well, and I have to try to play Wozniacki in a short match. Hopefully it won't go very long.

Q. What do you think this tournament has? There's not a clear favorite. There's not someone that has been winning this tournament year after year.
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Well, I really don't know what the issue is. If I had won here, I company tell you.

But I think that Madrid is different. There's a little bit of altitude here. I don't know what might happen. I think there's a couple of players that have been playing a lot of tournaments. Maybe they don't make it here with perfect conditions, also because we have Roland Garros in two or three weeks. I think people think a lot about Roland Garros. It's their priority.

But I think it's more a matter of the altitude. You have to pick up the right feelings here. But sincerely I don't know. It also makes a difference if you play here during the day or at night.

I don't know how that affects us, but I think there are a lot of things that can influence you in this court. I really don't know.

I think it's better there's not a clear favorite that wins every single year. That means we all have our chances, our opportunities.

Q. A question about the crowd. How do you think the crowd was?
CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO: Good. I think Madrid Saturday and Sunday, it's always full. People take advantage of it. They try to come and watch some tennis.

I've always said I really like to play on the center court. I like to play Arantxa Sanchez or Court 3, because you can feel the people, because they are closer to you. On the other hand, in center court, things are much more open. Maybe the stadium is not full. That's something that you feel.

I think that the crowd supports mere here in Madrid. They are always incredible. Today from the first till the last minute, they were cheering me on. I think that's a very positive thing, that it helps us quite a lot, especially me. Then I know there's a factor, there's the audience behind me. During the rest of the year, I don't have them behind me, but this week I do. I'm very happy about that. I wish that I can take advantage of that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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