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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2017

Garbine Muguruza

Cincinnati, Ohio

G. MUGURUZA/K. Pliskova

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First time you have beaten her since the first time you played her almost four-and-a-half years ago. Given your troubles with her in the past and the form you're in now, what were you looking to do differently that you were able to execute today?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, today I think I was very precise with my shots. I also played very well. I don't know. I wanted just to be more aggressive, you know, trying to take my shots, don't think a lot about her, because I know she played very aggressive, as well.

I'm working hard on trying to face these aggressive opponents. So today I felt a little bit better.

Q. First game of the second set, take us through that one and how that helped you with confidence through the rest of the match.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, that was a tough one, because, you know, I had some break points, I think.

But I wasn't panicking at any moment, because I know she, you know, she returns very well. I knew I was going to be in danger at some point, so I stayed calm. I managed, don't lose the courage, and I turned around.

Q. Do you think that was the best, you know, hard court match you have played during the summer hard court season just in terms of your level and everything? What do you think?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I don't know. Well, for sure, you know, to beat the player that is now No. 1, it's very good match always. I don't know. Now I'm thinking about all the matches that I played. But for sure one of them. I felt pretty good out there and in control. Everything was going my way.

Q. Do you feel you're playing more freely after Wimbledon, swinging freely again, the confidence factor and things are getting better?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: No, I don't think I'm playing more freely. I agree that it helps my confidence, but it's not playing freely, because you always have pressure. If you don't win, you have pressure because you want to win, and if you win, you have pressure because you want to not lose.

It's always tricky. But for sure confidence in dealing with these tough matches and difficult situations.

Q. What's your best advice to a player about handling pressure?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Pressure? Pressure is a pain (smiling). But the ones who have pressure are the ones that, you know, people believe they could be good. I don't know. They have hope in them. So I think it's a good thing overall, but it's painful sometimes.

Q. David Ferrer said yesterday, Every match is a gift and a blessing, and I play every match like a final. What do you take from that? Is there anything that resonates?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I don't know. I always like David Ferrer. I watched the other day a little bit of his match. I'm extremely happy to see him winning, because I really like him and he's such a good person. I mean, maybe -- I don't know. Maybe he has another perspective also in his career now, you know, also.

But I agree that every match there is not not-important matches. Every match is very important. Maybe it's a final. Everybody looks at their different way. But I agree that, like me, every match I'm playing since, you know, it's very serious and there is no little match. So like a final.

Q. What would it mean for you to kind of have the confidence going into New York of, you know, having the title, moving on so quickly from everything that happened over the summer, all that? How big is tomorrow's match for you, do you think?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Is not going to make a big difference, because I already played a lot, trained hard. I got the matches that I wanted to go through a hard court Grand Slam, but I know that even if you play a terrible match before a Grand Slam, like it happened in Wimbledon, doesn't really matter, or even if you win a tournament, after, it's a completely new tournament.

I will see how it goes. For sure it's going to help, of course. We cannot compare.

Q. How do you process that? There isn't a formula that, yeah, you can lose to Strycova easily and then go and win Wimbledon, and you can go into a slam and be winning titles and lose in the first round. There is no formula, no system to success at a slam. How do you kind of process that?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I would say there is a system, of course. You have to build your confidence and hopefully play some good matches. We can joke now about maybe such a bad result, but I also did a good tournament the week before. Even if that match or that tournament didn't go my way at all, I already felt good on grass, you know, prepared at least. After, we see what happens.

So for sure you need few matches. After, the magic happens, but you cannot hold to the magic always, you know.

Q. You don't know who you're going to play next, Simona or Sloane. Can you just talk through each opponent? What do you think is the challenge against Halep and what do you think maybe against Sloane, who's played some good tennis over the last two weeks?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: It was a very long time that I don't play with Halep, but she's playing very good. She's strong and, you know, she has a lot of matches. I saw her a little bit these days, so tough. Solid opponent.

And Stephens, I didn't see her a lot. I know she's coming back from an injury, but she's hungry. I saw her playing incredible matches in Toronto and winning big opponents. She's super excited, I guess.

Q. I'm curious about sleep habits for tennis players, because the schedule can be so different from day to day. Would you say you're a night person or a morning person?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I would say I'm a morning person, but coming from Spain, not that early, I would say (smiling). Not 7:00. 9:00. Let's say 9:00.

Q. Say you go on for a match at 11:00, how, as someone who may have been up since 7:00 in the morning, how do you deal with that?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I deal good. I mean, I feel I already know what to do. I like playing first match. Normally 11:00 is the earliest maybe we can play. We normally don't play at 10:00. It's 12:00, 11:00. It's not that early. There is no matches at 9:00 in the morning.

Q. What about 11:00 p.m., though? Say you go on late, late at night.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Sometimes when you play very late, it's just that you are waiting so long to play that the day makes it, like, forever. So sometimes I want to go out there, play first match and then enjoy the day and not be waiting until 9:00. When I see "Not before 9:00 p.m.," I'm like, Oh, my goodness. What I'm going to do the entire day?

Q. Caroline Wozniacki said she never looks at the draw. What's your perspective on that?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Me? I don't remember the last time I looked at a draw.

I do remember. It was many years ago. I decided that day, because I couldn't play first round because I was thinking already about the second round. Since that day, I said, I will never look at the draw again, and I never did.

So I never know who I'm playing. Maybe the day before I ask my team who I'm playing, just to... But I never look. It's easier like that.

Q. Does it make it easier to just prepare your game and play your game?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: In my case, yes, because I like to focus on me. Well, I want to know before to adjust few things, but in general, it's not very important, yeah.

Q. Do you get annoyed when the media after your first round, somebody says, Oh, and you're on a crash course with so-and-so in the quarterfinals? Do you get annoyed when that happens?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I think most of the people know already. If I see it coming, Shh. I know where you're going. Stop.

Sometimes first round, you know, they say, In semifinals you can face, and I didn't still play first round. But that's fine. Everybody knows now.

Q. What's next week now? Is it any different going into New York than a week before any other major?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Just more noisy. It's a noisy city. Just taking my time, especially after here, a lot of matches in a row. I would like to rest a couple of days and combine practice, relax, and to start fresh.

Q. The leg injury, is it just a matter of managing it? Like, do you feel it? Does it get better some days? What's the status of the leg?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I played some tough matches, and it's -- you know, if you play every day, you never really clean everything. So you want to protect a little bit yourself.

So that's what I'm trying to do. Coming from three hours almost yesterday and the day before, you know, I want to not go for more, so that's my way of protect.

Q. One of the photographers mentioned they really could see your team pumping you up, really focusing on keeping you positive today. Talk a little bit about your team and how they are successful with you in that area.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I like that my team is really behind me, you know, because it's a team. Even though out in the court tennis is a lonely sport, I feel like everybody feels what I feel. Yeah, I would not be here if I didn't have a good team, for sure, so I feel like I have a good back.

Q. I want to ask you, you played with Simona about two or three years ago in Fed Cup in Romania. What do you remember from that match? And also, how did your game and her game change since then?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I think it was just a completely different match, you know, Fed Cup, and I was playing in Romania. I remember there was a lot of people, a lot of Romanian people (smiling).

It's always tricky, Fed Cup. I know it was a good match. Tough, also. But it's gonna be exciting if Simona wins.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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