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AEGON CLASSIC

June 24, 2017

Garbine Muguruza

Birmingham, England

A. BARTY/G. Muguruza

3-6, 6-4, 6-3

Q. She played very well, but was there anything you could have done today?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I agree. I think she played very well. I think the third set she livened up the match. I think she succeeded a lot with her shots. She was serving well also. So I don't know. I guess I should miss less balls or somehow hang in there longer. But I think she -- I don't know. I missed a few shots in the last game also with the forehand that I could have maybe played different. But I think it was because she was playing very good, she was forcing me a lot.

Q. She used the slice very effectively, didn't she?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah. I think she was very smart with the slice, and she executed very well, actually. And yes, I think is a very difficult shot on grass.

Q. Looking back over the whole week, are you pleased with it or a little disappointed?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Oh, yeah. Definitely I'm very pleased. Of course I'm disappointed because I thought, you know, I could do the same as the previous matches and get a victory. But I guess the other one played much better today.

But I'm happy with the week. In the first round I didn't know if I was going to lose or win, and then I managed to go through a couple more matches. And I lose the semifinals, but it's still a very good tournament.

Q. And just a shift now focus towards Wimbledon in that sense because every single match in the tournament you've played thus far must be a invaluable experience coming onto the All English tennis court tournament.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: What's the question?

Q. So just to ask about the experience of this tournament in particular. Will it help for you to then progress on to Wimbledon?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, of course. I was planning to play at Birmingham before Wimbledon because the more matches I play on grass, because it's very hard. You never know if you are going to win or lose. So for sure these matches and also today, even though it was a tough battle, it's going to help me for not only Wimbledon, but just to have a better feeling of my improvement.

Q. What's next for you now? Will you still be going to Eastbourne?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, still on my plan, for sure. I want to keep playing this way. I know sooner or later I'm going to have a good chance. Sooner or later hopefully I can get a trophy. So I'm happy that I played well here, even though this match didn't go through, but in general it's good.

Q. It's such a super quick season, grass court season. Can you sort of explain to me what it means to actually play a lot of matches ahead of a slam, because ^ it seems strange to try and get as much as you can on one surface before a Grand Slam, but actually the grass seems to be more beneficial than say if you tried to play every tournament for clay?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Sometimes it's nothing official. Sometimes I play incredible tournaments and not practicing before almost because for whatever reason. And sometimes you really prepare and it doesn't work either. So for sure I feel like it is going to help me. But there are certain players that they love grass, they have the game and maybe they don't need to, I don't know, win a tournament to feel confident, you know. So for sure, I feel more prepared now than when I started to practice.

Q. You're playing several tournaments on grass in the UK. How different are the conditions at each of them? Is it hard to adjust to the different ones?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I think they have very, very good grass courts, all of the tournaments. Probably would be more the weather. I know Eastbourne is very windy because it's on the coast. So I think it's more of these things than actually the grass because it's very flat and beautiful. So I don't think the court is that different.

Q. You reached the final of Wimbledon in 2015 obviously. How do you feel that grass benefits your style of play compared to hard court?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I think my serve works well on grass because I go for it, and I have a pretty strong one. And I think basically my shots, I look to go forward, to take the ball, to take my chances, and because it's faster, I think I get more opportunities to do it.

Q. We saw a really big beautiful Spanish flag there behind the main stands. The support from the fans, do you notice that on court? Does that mean a lot to you because I feel like you had a crazy amount of noise coming today.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I like it. I mean, of course, when they come to cheer for me, it's perfect. People feel the match, and they obviously support a player, so they get into the match. And for me it's nice to hear Â¡vamos! or, even though I'm winning or losing, it helps me.

Q. Have there been any chants for you yet, like maybe they can sing your name? Chants, like singing your name, have you ever had that from the fans? I feel like Spanish fans are quite passionate.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Oh. Like in Fed Cup? Yeah.

Q. Yeah.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, but like once or something like that.

Q. And finally, have you had a chance to experience Birmingham's culture much? Have you been out to any restaurants or seen much of the city yet?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: No. Because I feel like in this tournament the matches were so long. It was like three-hour matches and then two. I went twice to the cinema here. I went Mailbox.

Q. Yeah, yeah, BBC.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: And then to city something cinema. And yeah, I couldn't do much other than that. But at least it's something.

Q. Obviously you played Barty a couple of times in doubles. It's been a while since you've sort of done the singles and the doubles. Do you regret sort of backing off from the doubles, especially when you play someone like Barty with so much variety?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I played doubles, and it helped me a lot, but it was a period where I wanted to play doubles, I was motivated, and it helped me to improve certain things of the singles. And then we kind of relaxed a little bit because you combine for a long time, it's very difficult for me. So I still -- I feel when somebody plays doubles, you know, they have a lot more variation, good volley, good serve. But I think the ^ also help her with her game to hurt more the opponents.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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