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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 18, 2017

Simona Halep

Rome, Italy

S. HALEP/A. Pavlyuchenkova

6-1, 4-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How good are you feeling about your tennis right now with what you have been able to do over the past month or so?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I feel great. I feel my game, I feel strong on court, my legs are strong, mentally strong, so I feel good on court.

Q. Can you talk about the middle set for us? You're saying you felt strong, but you had to sort of dig deep to come back after Anastasia leveled the match.
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I think in the second set I changed a little bit and I played faster and flatter. She likes this game. So she was putting some power on her shots and was more difficult for me to return. I played short, I think. Of course she played much better than first set.

But it's good that I could change in the third set, and I change exactly what I did in the first set and went very well for me opening the court and just take off a little bit the power.

Q. Of course there is no match that's easy and no opponent that's easy, but do you feel that the ball flows a little bit easier off of your racquet at the moment after the win in Madrid, just that it feels right?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I think yes, but I think it's because of the confidence. I feel every shot I hit; I feel every ball. Doesn't matter where I am on court. I just feel good, and I have confidence that I can return the ball pretty well.

Q. What's your feeling like when you're on court with a player who is wearing the same outfit as you?
SIMONA HALEP: Weird. I was thinking before the match we were exactly the same, apart the shoes. No one has my shoes, so it's good (smiling).

Q. It's happened to you before, I'm guessing, but if you can explain more why it's weird.
SIMONA HALEP: Because you see exactly the same clothes. But has to be like this. I mean, many players are with adidas, and many players have this outfit.

It's nothing bad, in my opinion, but just looks weird a little bit.

Q. Would you ever go up to her in the locker room and say, Hey, I'm going to wear blue, you should wear white today, something like that?
SIMONA HALEP: It's just one line. One line of clothes.

Q. You have to wear it?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah.

Q. Neither of you have any choice?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah.

Q. Quarterfinals here. You made semis on two different occasions. Then ended up losing French quite early. I don't know if you like to hear that, but every time you get to the semis here, then you are losing French first or second round. Do you actually believe in this kind of coincidence?
SIMONA HALEP: No.

Q. It's like whatever, even if it's, like, good things? Doesn't give you any boost or confidence?
SIMONA HALEP: No. French Open is different tournament. It's far. I have two more weeks, this week and one more week. It's totally different. The court is different. The atmosphere is different there. Everything is huge.

I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking just finish this tournament. And even if I will win tomorrow and I will lose in the semis, I'm not thinking that it's going to be bad for French Open. Every match played here I think it's a plus for French Open.

Had also different caps.

Q. Oh, I noticed that. You were wearing white. Was that intentional? You saw her wear the blue, and you were, like, I'm going to wear the white?
SIMONA HALEP: No, no, we didn't talk about. I just like the white one.

Q. When you watch a match on TV or in person between two players wearing the same outfit -- I'm sure you have seen it before.
SIMONA HALEP: You have something with the outfit today.

Q. Exactly.
SIMONA HALEP: We have to call adidas. You want?

Q. What do you think when you watch a match? Adidas or two Nike -- it happens with many brands. What do you think?
SIMONA HALEP: I think that it's normal at this level, because as I said, many players are with adidas. Many players are with other brands. It's one line. So just some players have different lines, like special lines. So we are not in that -- I'm not in that position, so I have to wear what others wear.

Q. Just in terms of on clay right now, are you feeling as good in your chances and your game in this tournament and maybe into the French Open, also, as you ever have in the past? Because you are doing well. Also, there is a lot of other big players who aren't here. I don't know if that makes a difference in your thinking.
SIMONA HALEP: It's tough to say, to talk about the next Grand Slam. It's difficult. And I don't want to comment much, because I don't what is going to happen.

But in this position now, in this moment, I feel confident. I feel that I have my chance.

But as we all know, every match is different. Even if I won against some players, maybe next tournament I will lose against them. But is nothing the same.

So is different, and I just want to go through the weeks exactly the same with confidence and giving everything.

Q. You're playing Anett Kontaveit next round. I don't know what you know of her. Pretty good mover on clay, hits pretty good balls, especially off the backhand. Do you have any expectations of that?
SIMONA HALEP: I think I played in Miami against her. It was not easy. It was a difficult match.

But I was strong at that moment. I don't know how she plays on clay court. Maybe I will watch a little bit.

We are in the quarterfinals, so everyone has to play good tennis. I expect a tough one tomorrow, but I definitely think that I have my chance, even if I don't know her on clay.

Q. If you can choose a color for the next outfit, which color you like?
SIMONA HALEP: Green with white, because I know it's -- that one.

Q. And when you are outside tennis, I mean, you come back to hotel after dinner, you go out?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah.

Q. What do you like to do? Do you read which sort of book?
SIMONA HALEP: Read.

Q. Read what?
SIMONA HALEP: Psychology, a little bit, because I want to work on this part with myself. So most of the books are of psychology.

Q. Do you watch something, movies?
SIMONA HALEP: Turkish movie. I have a Turkish movie I'm watching on laptop. But movies, not much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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