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ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2017

Samantha Stosur

Paris, France

J. OSTAPENKO/S. Stosur

2-6, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So you had some sort of hand issue, did you, in the third set or what happened?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. My hand's been sore for about three or four days since the day I played doubles here. Don't know what's wrong with it. But as the match -- from 5-1 in that first set, it was just really, really painful and just, yeah, wasn't going away. So yesterday I barely hit and just tried to manage it.

And, yeah, just tried to get through and did everything I could, but she started playing pretty well as well, so it made life extra hard.

Q. Any particular shot that it affected more than any other?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Every forehand and then started to hurt my serve. And pretty much the only thing I could hit without too much pain was my tops and backhand.

So, yeah, I mean, towards the end, I started hitting backhands on purpose and that's obviously not the way that I normally play. And then last game just thought, Okay, no matter what, I'm going to do everything I can to play the way I need to be playing and see what happens.

Q. I presume you have been having some treatment. Have they given you any indication of what it might be?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I had an ultrasound the other day. Nothing really showed up. But I've got to go get some sort of scan either tonight or tomorrow and find out what it is. Because it hasn't got better at all since it started.

Q. Do you think the way it is right now that you could play Wimbledon or just too early to tell?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I'm still hopeful. I didn't do anything to it, so I'm hopeful that it's nothing too serious obviously. But, yeah, I can't -- I'm still planning on sticking to my schedule. But until I know what it is, I can't really say anything.

Q. So what is the nature of it? Like, you had some ice on it. Does it feel like it's tendinitis?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I don't know what it feels like. It's just every time I impact or grip my racquet, swing it on that side, it's just been really, really sore.

Q. Have you had it before in your career or anything like this before?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No.

Q. What did you think of her performance? Obviously, she just goes for everything and it worked for her today.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. I mean, even the first set she was obviously making a few errors in that first set early on, but they weren't missing by much.

And then I think I had 15-30 or something like that at 2-1 in the second set. And then she hit a line, hit another, cross-court forehand angle winner. And things started to, you know, turn around for her a little bit there, but I still felt like I was really in control of the match and in the driver's seat and really clear on what I had needed to be doing.

And she just kept hitting winner after winner for, you know, probably 10 or 15 minutes and then got herself really back into the match. But, I mean, I knew that's how she plays. She swings hard every single time. And when she's making them, they're amazing.

So through that third set, I just again tried to hang in there. And if she misses by that much further, then you know, you're getting break points and break points and opportunities.

So it was one of those matches where it's obviously really frustrating because I couldn't really quite do what I wanted to be doing. And then, on the other hand, you got to have every little chance, because she can take it away from you very quickly as well with the way that she plays.

Q. So obviously not the end and the way you wanted to end here then, injury and not quite making the quarterfinal?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. Well, obviously. I guess the extra frustrating thing is that I actually feel pretty good with everything else. I feel like I could go out and play again now. I feel great.

So to kind of be hampered by something that's just very strange and random and don't know what it is, it's obviously, you know, really disappointing in an event where I feel like I had a really good chance to keep going and hopefully do really well.

Q. Obviously a tough way to lose the Australian No. 1 ranking after beating Dasha and she goes out first round. But what has that meant to you to have held that for so long?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. I mean, what did I get to? 453 now because it's a two-week tournament or something?

No. Look, that's something to be really proud of. It's a really long time obviously and, yeah, managed to stick through that. And, I mean, yeah, just something to be really proud off. So Dasha can take it right now and we'll see where things lie.

But obviously, yeah, that's just something I'm really, I guess, proud of.

Q. What is your schedule then before Wimbledon?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Just Eastbourne. I'll play Eastbourne, Wimbledon. And then I'm planning on playing another couple of clay events straight afterwards.

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