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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 10, 2017

Jelena Ostapenko

Wimbledon, London, England

J. OSTAPENKO/E. Svitolina

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Making it into the quarterfinals, how does it feel? Do you feel like you're continuing your French Open momentum, or is it totally different here?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, first matches were very tough, like very close matches. But today also was a tough match. I think I play better with every match, also like at the French.

So I hope I can keep it up.

Q. You look so fearless when you're playing tennis. How do you feel about your next opponent, Venus?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I mean, she's such a great player. I will just go on court and enjoy the match because I really have nothing to lose.

Q. How did it feel that she was saving all these match points? How did you stay in the zone?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, she was playing really well. She was running well, serving well. I really needed to stay very aggressive to win the point. Even the match points, the rallies were really long. I really had to, like, go for it to win the match.

Q. They're scheduling many more men's matches on Centre Court and Court 1, which means high-ranking female players are playing on outside courts. Do you think that's unfair?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, honestly I didn't think about that. But, I mean, yeah, I think I deserve to play on a better court than Court 12, I guess.

Q. Were you surprised when you saw the schedule?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, yes. Also, Elina is No. 4 in the world. I think our match was a very interesting match for the people to watch. They put us on Court 12. Is still good. I mean, has the Hawk-Eye. But I thought we would play on a bigger court.

Q. Do you also worry in your next match it's going to be the first time for you to play on Centre Court in this tournament? Is it a bit of a disadvantage for you that your opponent had that experience already?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Not really. I like to play with a lot of people watching me, with a crowd. I really enjoy that. I don't like when I play and nobody's watching the match, like very few people. I mean, it's not fun. It's more fun when a lot of people are watching it and the crowd is really loud.

Q. Do you think the fact you like playing on a big stage, has that helped you sort of step up and win a Grand Slam, reach the quarterfinals here as well? Is it easier for you because you like the big stage?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think so, yeah. At the French it was really nice. A lot of people were cheering for me. I really enjoyed to play out there.

Q. What are your earliest memories of watching Venus Williams?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Like her matches?

Q. Yes, on TV. Can you remember when you were a kid, first time you can remember it.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think I was watching more her sister's matches because she was kind of my idol. Maybe I saw, like, a couple of finals, she was playing the Grand Slams. Honestly, I don't remember that.

Q. Why did you like Serena more?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, because she's such a great player and playing very aggressive. She won so many Grand Slams. So I really enjoyed watching her.

Q. With Serena not playing here, before the tournament many people said the field is wide open. Now approaching the quarterfinals, how do you assess the field?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, still there are so many good players in the draw. Every match is a very tough match. So I think still without Serena, there are a lot of great players in the draw.

Q. Wide open or just a couple who can win it?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, it depends how the players will play in the quarterfinals. Somebody may be nervous or tight. But I think every match is a very tough match because we're already in a quarterfinals.

Q. Do you ever get nervous yourself? You don't look very nervous when you're playing.
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, today I was a little bit nervous because I was, like, 6-3, 5-3 up, 40-15 and serving. I didn't serve so well. So after that, I was a little bit nervous because I also was 6-5, 30-Love down, and she was serving.

I'm glad that I fight and won the match.

Q. Do you feel confident about your own chances of winning the tournament?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, I will take one match at the time, and just play. Every match, as I said, it's a tough match. I will just take one at a time.

Q. What do you think the key to the match against Venus will be tactically?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think the most important is to serve well and return well, still to play aggressive.

Q. The other day you discussed your name, the other name people call you. As you get deeper in the tournament, are more people calling you by the other name?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Actually, yeah. Today when we were warming up, the chair umpire didn't say 'Jelena,' she said 'Alona.' That was, like, surprise about that. Yeah, people were cheering for me and saying Alona today, so that was nice.

Q. How popular is that name becoming? How does it make you feel?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: My real name, Alona?

Q. Yes. How popular is your name becoming and how does that make you feel?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think it's becoming more popular because it's a very rare name. Especially in Latvia, they put this name in the calendar now. I have a special day when is my name's day.

Q. What day is it?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I didn't check that yet. They have one day that is Court 12 my name.

Q. There's an Alona day?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, name's day, Alona.

Q. What does that mean?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: In our country we have a name's day, that every name has a separate day. It's like a birthday, but for the name. Kind of like name's day. Before I didn't have one because there was one day Court 12 for the names that are not in the calendar. Now they made a special name's day for me.

Q. You don't know exactly when that is?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: No, because they just made it like one week ago or something. I still wasn't home.

Q. Sometimes young players after having a huge victory have a letdown. After you won the French Open, what did you say to yourself to keep on going?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, the first couple of matches were tough. I wasn't playing my best. But I still won. I was fighting. So I think that's the key for getting your confidence and playing better and better with every match.

Q. What do you think your single best quality is as a tennis player?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think that I'm fighting until the last point, and I never give up.

Q. You mentioned the match point. It actually took eight match points to win the match. Were you frustrated at all by that?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: A little bit. When I was serving for the match, 5-3, 40-15, I knew if I make a good serve or something, I can win it. Then it went the away. I lost, like, three games in a row.

But I'm glad that I was still fighting and won the match.

Q. Were you relieved you didn't have to play a third set at that point?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I didn't really want to play the third set, so I was trying to fight as much as I can.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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