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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 13, 2017

Magdalena Rybarikova

Wimbledon, London, England

G. MUGURUZA/M. Rybarikova

6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Did you feel particularly nervous beforehand?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, yeah, it was very difficult match for me. I have to say Garbine was playing amazing match. I mean, I never saw her playing that well. Even I played against her, she never played that good.

Was very difficult for me. Obviously, I was little bit nervous in the beginning. But then she stood up, and she was playing very fast. She adapt so long. I could not do almost anything today.

Obviously was not my best day. But she didn't give me much chance to do something. So, I mean, I have to congratulate her. I'm wishing her all the best in the finals.

Q. What is going on in your mind when you're struggling? As a player, do you panic? Are you thinking, I need this game to last more than an hour? It must be very difficult psychologically.
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: It's very difficult because it's semifinals of a Grand Slam. Obviously I didn't want to lose 6-1, 6-1. Especially I've been playing here very well. I beat Karolina with a really good match, and suddenly I couldn't do anything.

I mean, it was the strokes before what I was like maybe killing or it was working before, today it didn't. But again I'm saying now it was also her because she was playing so well. Every stroke was so long from her that I couldn't do much.

I saw her playing also yesterday against Svetlana. I was like, Ooh. She's really playing amazing right now, it was going to be very difficult for me. I was hoping my game going to be working for her. But not really.

Yeah, it was very, very tough for me. I'm very disappointed. It was like 6-1, 6-1. But still I made amazing run here. I was in the semifinals. At least I'm happy about that. But right now I'm disappointed. I'm sure tomorrow is going to be better.

Q. Was it also a case of realizing how much you'd accomplished, how big the stage was, under the radar, suddenly you're in the spotlight?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Yeah, I'm not used to for this obviously. This was my first semifinal ever. I mean, I could never think I could be in the semifinal.

So, yeah, I mean, it was not pressure. Because she was the favorite, she had the pressure, she's supposed to win this match. She handled it absolutely amazing.

But I just wanted to play good match. I just wanted the crowd to enjoy that. I don't think so they did because was very fast match. Even we had some very good rallies, but I was, like, sometimes I could not believe. Sometimes I really was great, and she played even better.

I mean, I had no idea what to do a little bit on the court right now. It was really very difficult for me. Obviously, as I said, I didn't play my best, but all credit to her. Yeah, it was a good run for sure for me, to be in the semifinals.

Q. Do you think no matter who she plays, whether it's Jo or Venus, she's maybe in your eyes most likely to win?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: It's very difficult to say. 6-4 for Venus. If it's going to be Venus then, yeah, she's a Grand Slam champion, an amazing player. She maybe might be even the favorite of that match.

But, yeah, if she would play like this, I mean, she have a huge chance to win it, I'm sure. She won a Grand Slam before, so she has experience. She was a finalist here. I don't think so she's going to be nervous. For sure a little bit, but I don't think she's going to be panicking or something.

But yeah, I mean, Venus or Jo, amazing players again. It's going to be for sure difficult. One day you can play amazing, the other day you don't need to play that great. But I think every her match was pretty impressive, I have to say.

Q. What do you think you need to work out in your game to get back to this stage in the tournament?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: To beat her?

Q. To get to a semifinal again and win it.
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Work hard obviously. Yeah, I mean, I had a really good result before. Still was an ITF tournament. I'm pleased. I mean, I didn't expect I'm going to be semifinal here. But I think I played really good matches here. I beat Karolina Pliskova. She's No. 1 right now. And with my game. As she also said, she didn't play a bad match, which is great for me.

Obviously, I didn't play that well today. But again, I'm saying, Garbine played amazing. I was a little bit nervous, a little bit tired also in my legs. I just wanted to make the game, I wanted to play better, and I could not. So I was not really that relaxed like before I was.

So I just have to be more relaxed maybe next time if I would ever be again in semifinal or to have such matches. I just have to be more relaxed and more belief in myself. I was a little bit like not believing that much any more. Even though I beat her before, but still, she didn't give me today chances.

I mean, I don't remember when I played against someone who is playing that well right now. It's really difficult. I didn't know how to handle it right now.

For the next time, yeah, I have to be more focused, more prepared for that, it can come like this, she can play that well. Because I'm sure, I mean, sometimes on practice I play really amazing, so I would like to sometimes play that well on the court during the match.

But again, you know, I had really great matches here. I really played some good stuff. I'm very pleased about it.

Q. Does the tournament still feel like a fairytale?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: For sure. If somebody tell me before the tournament I'm going to be in semifinal, I for sure take it. You tell me I'm going to lose 6-1, 6-1...

Yeah, obviously it's very short after the match. Obviously I'm a little bit disappointed. But still great. Maybe it's even better. Can you imagine I would lose 8-6 in the third. That would crazy for me. I would be so close. But I was not that close today there in the final. She deserved to win completely this match.

Just next time for sure I would like to play better, also for the crowd obviously. So yeah, I mean, that's it. If somebody would tell me before, I would take it. It's for sure good tournament for me.

Q. I don't know how far in advance you planned your schedule, but obviously your ranking will take a big jump up. How does this run at Wimbledon affect your thinking in terms of scheduling leading to the US Open?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Yeah, I mean, the problem is that I had -- I was around 80 ranked before, so I don't get in many tournaments, I mean, for main draw. I wanted to play Washington. I'm not going to play qually. If I have to play qually, I would like to ask for the wild card. I won it twice, so it will be great tournament for me to play.

But if I would not get a wild card, I will not play the tournament.

Then is Toronto. Cincinnati still I have to play quallies. It's great for me that I can play US Open main draw because obviously before this tournament -- actually, I knew it before because I won two ITF titles, so it was already great for me that I could play main draw US Open. I was in February, end of February 450. That's really great for me. I never could expect it's going to be like this, top 100 by this time.

Maybe I'm going to be lucky to get a wild card, if not, then I will try to play qually. Next step is to go home and little bit relax.

Q. Can you describe the emotion you're feeling from the crowd?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, the crowd is amazing. I mean, they have been amazing also the matches before. I enjoyed so much to play here. So I wanted to give them more. But I didn't give them more. I was for sure sad for them.

I mean, even though they saw amazing tennis from Garbine, she really played well. It's great to see her playing so well.

But yeah, it was tough. I just wanted to really play well. I could not. But the crowd is really amazing here. I appreciate it so much. They were forcing me. They gave me a lot of power. But today I could just not do better, I would say.

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