	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2017

Timea Bacsinszky

Paris, France

T. BACSINSZKY/V. Williams

5-7, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Did that feel like a big win for you today?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Yes, definitely, because, I mean, probably she wanted the revenge of last year. Well, how the match went on like leading the first, then totally losing it, playing totally wrong, and then still coming back on court and finding a way to win it more easily than the first set -- I mean, than how the first set went.

So it was something really special. And, yeah, all the time when I step on these courts here, as I said, mentioned already earlier in this tournament, there's something special happening.

I feel really privileged to be able to play on these courts.

Q. You seemed to have a very good rapport with the crowd. How important is it for you as a player to have the backing of the crowd? How much inspiration do you get from that?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, it was kind of insane for me, like hearing my name many times and pretty loudly in the crowd. I felt really touched and honored.

As a tennis player, I mean, you dream of playing on big courts, but in my country, obviously you don't have any Grand Slams -- we could have, because one is winning everything and now the second one decided to win a lot, Grand Slams, as well, Roger and Stan. So we could organize a Grand Slam, right (smiling)?

But it's special, because you know that there's never going to be such a big tennis event in your own country. At one of the Grand Slams, one of the four Grand Slams, you hear your name, like, so loud, it's something insane. I would have never imagined that in my whole life.

Well, this is, as well, a pretty good reminder for myself that sometimes even if it's tough you have injuries or other problems that every tennis player can have. You work hard for these moments. You're privileged to be able to play on these courts. It's an honor, and it's honor to have so many people cheering, like, for me like I had today.

So I don't know why or how this bond was made, but it felt really special today. And I know it's not going to be the same for my next match (smiling).

Q. Basically gave the perfect bridge to the question that I had. Looking forward to your quarterfinals here, it's going to be a slightly different atmosphere. Maybe also a loud one, but probably supporting the opponent. How do you prepare for that sort of match and what do you expect from the match? She's also riding in on a wave of confidence. It's going to be interesting.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Yeah, it's a great challenge. This quarterfinal will be probably very challenging for both of us. I know how many wins she has this year. She's one of the best players at the moment at the race, as well, like Venus. I'm kind of playing the best players in the race right now.

It's great. I mean, it's the same. That's why we are working so hard, to be able to play these matches.

I know that the crowd will not be with me, and it's okay. I mean, I will play for sure for myself, for my whole team, as well. I know that sometimes even -- how do you say? Like a look in the eye of my coach is kind of enough for me as a booster, because he gives me a lot of confidence.

Well, we're gonna see. I mean, it's gonna be an interesting one. Maybe so many Swiss people bought the tickets. I mean, Stan is doing amazing at the French. Me, my third time in a row in the quarters. Maybe it's going to be a lot of Swiss flags. You never know.

But anyway, it's gonna be a fun one. I hope so.

Q. I know you speak a lot of languages. Mladenovic has talked about how many languages she speaks. She's been cheering on herself in Italian, which sort of confused Errani a couple rounds ago. How do you decide to speak on court with these options available to you?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: How I do speak?

Q. You have so many languages at your disposal.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, if I'm like pumping myself up, I'm doing it in my mother language and in French. So Hungarian and French, because I live in the French part of Switzerland.

When I was playing with Martina at the Olympics I was probably saying some Swiss-German words because we were mixing up everything, because, as well, we have language talents, both of us.

I mean, when I played Mladenovic in February, in Switzerland, she was more talking in Italian than in French. So, I mean, it's her pick, the language that she wants to cheer herself on.

But she's allowed to pick any of the language she knows. If she wants to cheer herself up in Hungarian, I mean, do it. I mean, what's happening on the other side is happening on the other side. I'm focusing more on my side. I'm focusing on my game more than how, what am I gonna say if I win a point. Yeah.

Q. How does it feel to be on Chatrier against a seven-time Grand Slam champion and watch as she fails to reach dropshot after dropshot after dropshot from you?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: I did not do so many dropshots. Come on. In three sets maybe I did, like, ten. It's not much.

Q. The final game though there were three in a row to end or something.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Okay. It was inspiration. I did not count.

Well, last year it was kind of different, because the conditions were like way heavier than this year. So I had to cope with that, too, today because I was remembering how I played her last year. I played her completely in a different way than I played today.

So it kind of was working pretty well. I mean, how I was playing today at the beginning until I got, like, disturbed about my ball toss, and I got the warning, which I did not understand why. We can discuss about that if you guys want.

But, well, I know that she's giving a lot of opposition and just like she's going for her shots. Just have to try to get her away from her rhythm.

Well, I tried as much as I could in the first, and I did not succeed of winning it, because she raised her level, as well, but I was pushing myself and then her too for a longer match. I know that physically I'm well prepared, so I feel especially great on clay. So I was really focusing more on that and telling myself, okay, the match is long, the match is long, make her work.

Anyway, like, winning against Venus is -- it's, yeah. It's just amazing. I mean, as I said in my prior press conference, she's a big inspiration for not only myself but probably all of the tennis players, because she's just so classy on and off the court. She -- yeah. I mean -- yeah. I can only say nice things about her. I mean, really. And I really mean it. That's why it's special if I get the chance to win against her.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Can you tell us what happened in the third set? Venus was serving, and you weren't there. Or in the final set. I think it was 3-Love, and she was sort of serving and you were still on your chair.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: No, I think it was 4-0. I had kind of a nerve in my thigh that got pinched or something, and I was sort of clumsily trying to stretch my foot, and I got my hands all filthy with clay.

At 4-0, she was already serving, and I finished the point, and I lost that in quite a tragic way. I thought, I really need to get back to my chair.

And I had already received a warning about time. We were going to talk about this warning, I hope.

So I just rushed back and said, Please, I'm really sorry, I've got clay all over my hands. I can't play properly. It's going to be too slippery. I need to wash my hands. I ran back, because I didn't want to have another penalty point. And that's it.

But, you know, I don't think I did anything wrong.

Q. Did you feel that you were hitting really hard? At least that's the impression that we had in the stands.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: I don't know. I think I was really focused. When I was serving, I don't think there was anything record beating there. Nothing new. But I think with my forehand, I try to give as much spin as possible.

I know for the past few weeks perhaps I sent quicker balls with my forehand. I think sometimes when I have the perfect timing, it can go out there like a cannonball. I just need to get the timing right.

I didn't feel that was the case all the time. Perhaps a few times.

Q. How do you think the next match is going to be? What do you think of Kristina's current level? If you talk about when you faced her in the Fed Cup when she seemed to have been a bit annoyed by the medical timeout and all that.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Quite honestly, she's just had an awesome year, as I was saying in English. In the race, I think she's in the top 3. Is it Venus who's 4? Oh, because she won today, okay, and before it was Venus. So she's 4. So I'm playing a 4 again.

She has a great level of play. She's a very versatile player who has made progress, made incredible progress in the past six months. Already in the past few years she was a great player, but this year she's particularly dangerous as an opponent.

I also think she plays very smart when she's out there. So she's a very deserving person.

I can't remember she won, what, one Grand Slam in doubles? Was it one? It's a question for you.

Oh, doubles. It was in French Open last year. And then mixed doubles. Okay.

So she knows these are big events. She's familiar with them, and she's been to a lot. So she's a potential favorite, of course.

So I know it will be a very tough match, but it's a great challenge for me, too. I think I can upset her. She can probably upset me, too, on court. So I hope it will be an interesting match.

And to answer your question, I'm totally comfortable with what I did and said during the Fed Cup. I know that the two French players were very critical. I'm not quite sure why. It wasn't a wasp trick. I was really stung by a wasp. I would have preferred not to. I had to manage the pain. At night my nose clogged up and my eyes went all puffy. I had to take anti-allergy medicine. And the medical timeout I took against Mladenovic on the second day, it showed on the videos. Even I watched them.

I had a torn ligament in 2015 in my knee. It cost me a lot in 2015. It cost me the Master's. In 2016 this internal ligament meant I missed almost three months of the year, and that I needed to fight hard for my top-10 status. There's the WTA conditions and all that.

That's why I really wanted to take no risks. Siegemund, her knee went 10 days ago, and she was a potential winner, too. When you have had such a serious injury on the tennis court, when your knee -- when I was controverted by Mladenovic, it was not -- I didn't do that to destabilize anyone.

When she said that I was known for that sort of thing on the circuit, really? I think we should ask other players if that's what they think. I hate calling the physiotherapist onto the court.

People can think what they want. Of course, it's not so cool to lose a match. Sometimes you need to take a step back, a deep breath.

Do I bear grudges? Not really. I feel comfortable with what I did. I feel comfortable what I said about people. So I think that's it, really.

Q. In men, there's always a kind of rivalry between the French and the Swiss. It is special for you to play against a French player?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Yeah, well, the audience definitely won't be behind me.

Q. In Roland Garros, but in general.
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: Well, we're a pretty neutral country in general, aren't we? And then, of course, when Thomas Wiesel is invited to Quotidien by Yann Barthes, this TV show, and trashes French politics, of course it doesn't necessarily make the Swiss very popular.

But more seriously, how do things work with the Germans or the Italians? Or do I have a special relationship with Timea Babos when I play her because I know it's going to have an influence in Hungary?

I play against people who play great tennis, and they're in the quarterfinals it's because they are great players. So that's what I'm focusing on rather than the national borders and stuff.

But of course everyone knows Swiss cheese is so much better than French cheese, and that Gruyere cheese does not have holes. You call it Emmental. You are imposters. Gruyere is a place in Switzerland with a castle there. It's a region. In the Canton of Fribourg. It's a very pretty place.

Q. Earlier we saw Mladenovic playing around with the audience. How do you think that's gonna happen? Because obviously she's going to do that, too, isn't she? How are you going to manage the match and the audience that will be backing her?
TIMEA BACSINSZKY: At least I have had prior warning. I think all of her previous opponents knew, too.

I have already played in atmospheres where absolutely no one had my back. Obviously it wasn't such a big venue, so I don't know. I'll just have to find the right solutions. The last time I played against her, it was in Switzerland. Of course there are a lot of French people who traveled there. I mean, there were a lot of people supporting me.

So I have experienced it one way, and I'll see how it goes the other way.

I think it's something that can only help me to grow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297