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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 6, 2017

Kristina Mladenovic

Wimbledon, London, England

A. RISKE/K. Mladenovic

2-6, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk about the match, also how you're feeling physically.
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I feel bad. The match, well, I think was still overall a good match. I mean, a fight. 6-4 in the third. With the conditions that were proposed to us, I think we both played quite a quality game, knowing the difficulties.

Q. What were the problems with the court?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I mean, it's quite unique with your opponent, after two games, you both agree on stopping playing in a slam. You asking the referee to tell you what's the rule if the both players don't want to keep on playing. And the answer is that they just can't do anything, unfortunately, and you have to keep on playing. In case something bad happens...

We just had to keep on playing. I'm not sure how the other courts are, if they're damaged that much as Court 18. I play on Court 3 my first round. Didn't look bad at all. But it was first round.

I think you can all pretty much see. First of all, I don't know, the color of the court, the fact that there's no more grass, the fact that the baseline where we are running, it's very slippery. There's no grass. I don't know how to describe it. It's not even clay. It's not flat. I mean, I don't know.

So it makes, of course, it tough to put your strong footwork. You kind of have to run light and be careful, I don't know, not to push or press too much, too hard, which is strange to play on.

But, yeah, I'm just honestly very happy and blessed that I didn't injure myself that much.

Q. You said the main issue is where there was no grass in the back of the court?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Sorry?

Q. You said it was the footing where there was no footing in the brown parts?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: All this part is slippery because I think there is no more grass. That part is quite huge, I think. If you look at the screen, it is everywhere where we are supposed to run. Was a huge hole on the sides where Pam, the referee, came to actually took pictures of it. Was a hole. So it was not even flat.

I realized that because at the warmup I kind of twisted a little bit my ankle, so yeah.

Q. You've played here a number of times. Are you surprised at the quality of the courts of a major Grand Slam like Wimbledon?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, I feel it's totally different than the previous years. But, you know, I'm not criticizing. I'm not an expert at all on grass courts. I guess the climate doesn't help, the fact that it's too nice, too hot, to sunny, makes everything very dry. That's what we got as an answer from the officials.

And it also makes it super slow. I mean, there's no more grass on the court, Court 18. The balls were there bouncing. There's not much grass. Yeah, I was used more to greener grass, the fact that it's grass, you can run, play fast, not have to deal with things like that.

But I guess it's happening. Maybe all courts are not like that. I heard lots of complaining. Honestly, my point of view is not criticize. I'm just very blessed and happy I'm not injured right now, because we saw worse today.

Q. What would you have wanted? What, in your opinion, is the right way to have dealt with your situation today when both of the players are saying something?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I mean, it's still fresh right now to talk about it. You know, I'm the one that lost the match. I don't want to take it as an excuse. I don't know if Alison talked about it during the press conference.

It was quite obvious that we had the referee at the end of the warmup. It's nothing to do with the match. After 1-All, two games, it's quite unique. It never happened to me to have such a situation.

I don't know, I don't want to call it negligence or anything, but yeah, I just hope nobody gets injured. That's the thing. That's a tricky feeling.

I would like to be disappointed about my match, my loss. I'm just actually feeling happy that I didn't injure myself much because I really felt bad with my knee when I fell down.

Q. You mentioned people getting worse injuries. You tweeted about Bethanie. What are your thoughts when you think about that? Did it make you think at all of the conditions you played in today? Do you think that might have been a factor for her court, as well?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I mean, yeah, she slipped. I guess she's not the only one. I am not the only one. There were many others, I guess. It's about her knee.

My brother just show me my picture. I was still shocked, because that's exactly what I was feeling. My knee went totally inside. It'll very swollen right now. I will need an MRI.

But I'm not in her position, so I hope it's not that bad. Honestly, the feeling is that I couldn't care less if I lost the match today, I just want to be healthy.

Q. You said there had been many complaints. Is this something that's been discussed in the locker room by other players?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, yeah.

Q. Just that court or other courts?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Lots of courts. I'm not sure where the girls played. I am on the ladies member locker room, so I don't meet many players. But the one I talk to, they -- I don't know in which court Radwanska played, but she said it was horrible, as well. I don't know.

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