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ROLAND GARROS

June 7, 2017

Elina Svitolina

Paris, France

S. HALEP/E. Svitolina

3-6, 7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Obviously you had a great, great start, first half of this match. Did you feel something change dramatically? Was it smaller differences that made the score change so much?
ELINA SVITOLINA: I think there was -- yeah, it was a good match for me. I don't do, you know, to make it a bad match or a bad day.

I think she start playing much better. Of course, I let her a little bit back into the game, but she knows how to come back in the matches, and she always fights for every ball. So I was expecting this. It was quite normal.

But I don't really need to talk about this match as, like, a bad experience or something. I think it's good. Okay, I am sad today, but tomorrow is gonna be another day, you know, and life continues. It's nothing I can do.

For me, yeah, I think it's just a bad, maybe unlucky a little bit at some point, but it's not a bad life or something. I'm still gonna be five in the world next week, and I have my four titles. No one takes them away from me.

I think cannot be sad tomorrow (smiling).

Q. Was the last point of the second set what turned around the match? What are your expectations? How are you approaching the grass season?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Last point didn't turn anything. It was lucky for her but unlucky for me. But, you know, it's life. It's tennis. There is one point can change everything. One point can, yeah, do something. But it's life.

You know, like, two days ago I was already packing my bag and leaving in the fourth round, losing, I could lose the match.

So, you know, it's tennis, it's life, it happens. Yeah, I cannot say that this changed something, because really, you know, I had match point. It's tennis.

My grass courts, yeah, first days I have holidays, completely off of tennis, off everything. And then, yeah, I play Birmingham. So I will speak with my team probably tomorrow what's gonna be the plan.

Yeah, I'm looking forward. Yeah, I will have some time to prepare there, and then just play Birmingham and then Wimbledon. Spend some time in London. Yeah, it's nice.

Q. What do you think that you were doing so well to build the 6-3, 5-1 lead in your game? And from there, what do you think maybe from your side of the court changed a little bit? Was it just misses here and there? Did you feel you got a little bit more passive and let her be more aggressive? What do you think worked for you up until that point and then what maybe shifted a little bit.
ELINA SVITOLINA: I think a little bit of both. I start maybe going for too much sometimes and then she was back into the game. A little bit of nerves, of course, played the trick. But, yeah, it was quite expected and such a -- yeah, such a big event. It can happen.

Yeah, as I said, it's tennis and everything can turn around in just couple of points. It can happen, yeah, it can change the momentum.

But I give the credit to Simona that she was keep fighting, and, yeah, doing what she can in that moment. But, you know, I cannot be sad the way I played until that moment. And it's just one point that changed everything or maybe couple of points, so I cannot say that I played bad today. So, yeah, I can only be positive today.

Q. You tell us you can only be positive about the match and that you've had a great clay court season, but how difficult is it to just be positive about that and not let this sort of frustration, disappointment, maybe a little bit of bad luck, in a way, take over and let that frustration take over after that match?
ELINA SVITOLINA: You want me to cry, no?

You know, I cannot be more positive (smiling). Yeah, of course, it's tough. It's very disappointed, you know, that I had the chance, but it happens. You know, it's tennis. And as I said, few points can change everything. It can change the game.

But there is only one winner and today she was, yeah, more -- yeah, just probably missed my chance, and she took hers. Yes, it's tennis. That's what happens, what can happen.

Q. In the third set, she got off to a very fast lead. Was that all third set just momentum from the second set, do you think, or was there something you think you could have done better to slow it down a little bit? It went quickly, third set.
ELINA SVITOLINA: I think I was a little bit off mentally. Yeah, it was very tough to come back after the tough match, tough second set because, you know, there was so much -- yeah, so much tension in the head. So after it was, like, so down.

But I don't take the third set as a -- yeah, as something sad or -- yeah, I don't know. I tried to don't think about it so much, to don't affect my tennis, because I was completely off.

Q. Changing the perspective, you said that only you can be positive about this match. You obviously had two great weeks. What are the positive things that you're bringing with you from these two weeks?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, the way I play, the way I handled the matches, yeah, I think I was playing good. I start feeling the ball well. I start moving well. Everything comes together, and, yeah, that's what makes the result. The way I'm playing now, the way I'm showing tennis, good tennis, that's what we are working on with my team.

Yeah, I'm happy the way I am playing now.

Q. The trying to be positive and everything, is that kind of -- in years past, I have talked to you after losses and you have been a bit more down. Is this part of the maturity process or something you're trying to force yourself to kind of change a little bit in terms of reacting to losses and tough losses like this?
ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, of course. This is the part of the more mature, you know? There is life after tennis (smiling). I think I need to be, yeah, more open-minded on some things.

I am much better since this year. You know, I try to don't only focus on tennis. Of course, tennis is my life, but, you know, after this kind of matches, you know, you go back in the hotel, you still have your family, and that's, yeah, what matters.

After probably ten years I'm probably gonna finish tennis, so I'm going to have my life and gonna live happily after tennis, as well. Now I need to build something besides this, and, yeah, it's important for me to click, you know, to have something different in my life, and that's what I'm working on.

I think it's very good to don't focus, like, 100% on tennis. Then there is pressure and some kind of things like this. So for me it's important these kind of switch.

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