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AEGON INTERNATIONAL

June 28, 2017

Johanna Konta

Eastbourne, England

J. KONTA/S. Cirstea

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Were you prepared for this kind of contingency? When you finish the match and there was every chance you could go on, do you warm up, or do you warm down and then warm back up again? What's the holding pattern?
JOHANNA KONTA: So obviously when I came off from my match, according to schedule, I was prepared to play again. I went straight into the locker room, showered, got dressed into my next match kit.

I went through the whole routine again as I would do before every match. So I was preparing to play until I was told otherwise, basically.

Q. Obviously after what happened the last time you played her, how did you feel sort of going into the match?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I think -- I mean, I have done the best that I could to basically put that instance behind me, and I went up against her like I go up against every other player. I'm going out there to compete, and then she did the same.

So I think we've all gone back to normal on the tour, and yeah, I think we have both just gone on with it and...

Q. Was there any sense of revenge?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, because I wasn't playing in a Fed Cup setting. I wasn't going up against an emotion and I wasn't going up against a past experience. I was going up against an opponent today who happened Sorana, and I prepared the best I could for that match. I played the ball that I had and the opponent I had today but not the circumstances that happened a month ago.

Q. It was perhaps inevitable you were going to meet each other again after that. Do you feel like today has allowed you to put the whole matter to bed?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think it may look more like (indiscernible) for you guys. For us, for me personally -- I can only speak for me personally, but I put it to bed a long time ago.

I have been moving on from that situation that I was a part of since it happened, so I definitely put it to bed a long time ago.

Q. Seemed like there was quite a lot of respect out there, nice respectful handshake at the end. Is that how it felt?
JOHANNA KONTA: Definitely. Like I said, both went out there to compete against each other today. Again, not competing or going up against emotions and situations that happened months ago.

It was second round of the Eastbourne tournament, and that's how we played the match.

Q. How do you feel about being scheduled to play twice? Obviously the rain intervened, but...
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, that's just a part of our (indiscernible), really. We are at the mercy of the weather, and everyone knows going into this part of the season that very little rain can cause a lot of backup in terms of matches.

So I'm no different. I'm just trying to really take it an hour at a time, a day, and just looking to be ready to play when the weather permits, and yeah, basically play as much as I need to.

Q. Have you done it many times before in your professional career and in singles, played two matches in one day?
JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, definitely. I mean, not just since I have played seniors. I mean even back in the junior days. I remember even when I was a young girl, I think -- yeah, definitely I've experienced this many, many times before.

Q. What's your favorite pastime when you have to while away a rain delay?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I'm quite lucky. I've got a very humorous team with me. They can be quite entertaining most of the time. I don't have to keep my mind too occupied.

Yeah, I think most importantly when there is time that drags on like this because of the weather, it's important to, yeah, for me personally to keep a light mind and just laugh at things.

Q. Are there any thoughts on being the highest British women's seed at Wimbledon for 38 years?
JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, I didn't know that. That's actually really cool. I didn't know that.

Yeah, I mean, that's certainly something that's humbling and exciting, but obviously it's not something that decides anything. You know, once I will be at the Championships next week, it will be a tough battle each match I get to play.

Q. Jelena Ostapenko next. Did you know a lot about her before the French Open? Amazing triumph she had. Have you played against her before? What do you know about her?
JOHANNA KONTA: I played her in Estonia during Fed Cut, so I have played her before. I have seen her around for a few years.

To you guys she may seem an unknown, but for us on the tour we have seen her around for many years. She made the finals of Dubai last year, so she has had already some good results. It's not as out of the blue for us as it may seem for you guys.

She's a dangerous player, and she's coming off obviously winning her maiden Grand Slam title. I think she's obviously coming in with a tremendous amount of confidence and hunger to play. I'm really looking forward to playing her. It's another opportunity to play someone who is in great form, a Grand Slam champion, and that's something that I look forward to, also playing against players like that. Overall, I'm excited to share the court with her.

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