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ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2018

Daria Gavrilova

Paris, France

E. MERTENS/D. Gavrilova

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough day for you, obviously.
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yes. Same like Sam's day.

Yeah, it wasn't great. I felt like the whole tournament I did not play my tennis. And I think Elise was playing really well, and she's really confident.

But, yeah, just couldn't find a way, and I was too passive. I was running three meters behind the baseline and, yeah, just wasn't aggressive at all.

Q. Can you take anything positive out of your few days here? Obviously, you won a match.
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Two.

Q. Oh, two.
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Yeah, it's obviously a better outcome than last year's.

But I said to my coach, I'm still disappointed that I couldn't find a way to play free. And, yeah, I just haven't been playing as well as I've been practicing, but I think I'll find a way.

And I'm still learning. So hopefully next Slam will be easier, and I'll just try and play my game and play free.

Q. What is your schedule for the buildup to Wimbledon?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: I'll play Birmingham, Eastbourne, and Wimbledon.

Q. During the match, as it was progressing, what were your thoughts? What was your mindset? What were you thinking, telling yourself, stuff like that.
DARIA GAVRILOVA: I was just trying to force myself to get back and hold the baseline. But I was just, like, always spinning the ball, was dropping the ball short. So you can't really do that, go back and hold the baseline, if you're giving a no-pace ball to your opponent.

So, yeah, I just was forcing myself to play more aggressive, but I just couldn't find a way.

Q. When you're in a situation like that and a set is running away from you or a match is running away from you, are you able to express in words the frustration that you're actually going through?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: It sucks. It's the worst feeling.

But I had really great comebacks this year, so I was believing that I still could find a way. But I think Elise just, yeah, she was just being ultra aggressive, and she didn't give me a chance to get back in the match.

Q. Did the Australian Open match flash through your mind at all or not?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Not really. It was different, completely different.

And I still believed that if I played my game that I could beat her, because I've got the weapons to beat her. But I didn't use them today.

Q. If I may, I want to ask you a couple of questions about Elise. You played four times against her. How is she progressing? Can you pinpoint that?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: You know, I think we've been in the same -- in Mouratoglou Academy for a few months, and I actually didn't know her that well. I was -- I think I was number 1 junior at that time, and she was just -- I don't know what her ranking was. I don't think she had a great junior career.

But I think it's a good example to see that someone just broke through. And she's working really hard and very friendly.

So she's always -- I see her so focused on the things she does. I think she does really well all the little one percenters. So it's great to see her break through.

Q. We have a hope of, again, I think, a top 10 player with Elise. Is that something you could relate to?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, she's almost there.

Q. She's 16?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: 16. So I think she's been playing good tennis and she's on her way up, so why not?

Q. What are your hopes for the grass court season? Expectations?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: I haven't thought about it that far. But, I mean, I'll just get ready and, for now, I'll just have a few days off. I haven't had more than two days off since Oz Open probably.

So probably going to think about it later.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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