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NATURE VALLEY CLASSIC

June 20, 2018

Magdalena Rybarikova

Birmingham, England

M. RYBARIKOVA/K. Mladenovic

3-6, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Question, please.

Q. It felt like your level got better towards the end of the first. Would you say that helped you gain confidence when you started the second?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Thank you. Well, yes, I would say I was playing much better in the second and third set, but I think Kristina was serving very well in the first set and I couldn't somehow read the serves. And even at the end of the first set, I knew she was going to serve a lot of wide, but I couldn't hit the right return at that moment. Then she deserves to win the first set. She was better. Then I think I was playing much better.

Q. You talked about the importance of your first serve. Would you say that once your serve improved, the rest of your game came together?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Yeah, I think especially in the second serve, I start to serve much better and also hitting the targets, because in the first set, even I was just serving. I think I didn't serve quite close to the lines and she was reading it very well. And then, of course, when the serve works, the confidence, it's much better, and I was believing I could make a good match.

Q. Were you aware in the third set you just dropped one point on serve?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Really?

Q. Yes.
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Wow. I had no idea. That's pretty good, I would say.

Q. How did you make the transition between clay and grass?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, I have to say I was playing the tournament in Nottingham and I was really struggling. I think I was still playing little bit clay, clay court style, because I would say to my forehand especially, I was hitting a lot of topspin which is not really my game, especially on grass and the on hard courts. The difference between this year and last year was that last year I was playing only one tournament on clay, Roland Garros. So the transition is not really there. I was playing more last year on hard court during the clay season. So, yeah, it took me some time, definitely, but now I think I'm getting there to play on grass.

Q. Do think today's had a lot to do with you being patient? She played well in the first set. She defended well against what you were trying to do, but then she dropped a little bit and you took advantage of that in the second and third set.
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Yeah, definitely. I think the first set, I was little bit passive. I didn't go for it that much. Especially, as I said in the beginning, the returns weren't that good I think, and, yeah, she went for it. She was playing her game. As I said, she deserved to win the first set. The second set I think I relaxed a little bit more. I was calmer, and in my head, everything brighter I would say. I was just taking my time, and then in the third set, everything worked for me.

Q. When you get that kind of clarity, is that when you feel like you play your best?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: What is clarity?

Q. Clear thinking?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Ah, clear, clear. Yeah, yeah, definitely, I think it's for every player like that. Sometimes you get too nervous. You don't focus on the right things. Then when you're more clear in your head, you know suddenly what to do. You read better and that is the key. I think that was great for me. Especially last season, especially on the grass season, that was what I was very good in that. I was really clear in my head. I had nothing to lose, so it was very Important. If you have it during the match, it's very important. Especially it works really well for me.

Q. You mentioned becoming more aggressive. You spoke to your coach. Is that what he was trying to get you to do?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, yeah, he told me more things, obviously, than that. But I knew it when I was playing the first set that it was just not enough. I had some chances, I didn't make them. I had a lot of breakpoints and I didn't put the return in. Especially in the first game, I had a left a lot of opportunities to break her and I didn't put good returning. Then you have to take your chances, especially when you have so many breakpoints.

Q. Do you know much about your next opponent, Jakupovic? Osaka just retire.
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: That's a surprise for me. I was expecting Osaka to be honest. But I don't know much about her. I never played her. I guess she's playing well because she beat in the first round Mertens.

Q. Will you watch some footage of her before your next match?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: I will. Definitely I will. I think my coach watched the match a little bit and tell me more. Yeah, definitely right now she's playing well. Even though Osaka retired, that's going to be a tough one for sure.

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