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NATURE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

June 30, 2018

Aryna Sabalenka

Eastbourne, England

C. WOZNIACKI/A. Sabalenka

7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where do you feel that match went away from you?
ARYNA SABALENKA: You mean after this final? Well, it's good for me. I have to think about good matches before the final. It's always tough to lose when you have some chance to, like set points or you lead in the tiebreak 5-2 and then you totally lose your game.

But she's a great player. Of course she's the 2nd. It's good experience for me, and I hope next time, if I will have any chance like today, so I think next time I'm going to keep it.

Q. What were you pleased that you put yourself in the position to win the sets, that you played well enough and could have won both sets, in fact?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I played well till 5-3, and on the second set it was a little bit better. But I think 15 sets before, it came and I lose my focus because it's difficult when you're tired, I told it before.

Q. So you think all the sets beforehand just eventually you were too tired?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I think so. Because probably when you're fresh and you lead, you don't think about, oh, I have pain here or there, like you're tired. You think just about you see the ball and you just hit it. Nothing more.

Q. It must give you a lot of confidence that you can go to other tournaments and reach the final again and start to win events like this?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah. Like I said, next time I will try to keep it. Actually, next time I will try to play less sets (smiling) and to save my energy for the final.

But after final, I think I will feel more confidence with, like, believe in myself more. Actually, I would like to say I found my game, and I just need to keep it for every next match, every tournament.

Q. You were able to create so many leads today. Was that at all surprising? Why or why not?
ARYNA SABALENKA: No, it wasn't surprise, because I just play my game and did my best. And then I lose my focus and I start to make mistakes, like, actually because I'm a little bit tired. But then again -- you know, the game was like this for me. I was up, down, up, down, because of the feeling.

But I have to work on it to be focus, even if I tired, to be focus till the end.

Q. What did you learn by seeing Caroline's performance in the tiebreak?
ARYNA SABALENKA: What I learn from Caroline's performance?

Q. From watching her, especially in the tiebreak. You were ahead significantly.
ARYNA SABALENKA: You know, she's great, again. She know how to win, how to come back, how to put the ball in. She played a lot of finals, won a lot of titles. She played against, like, just a young player who is just growing up. No pressure on her. It was more pressure on me. When I was 5-2 I try to play more like wide or just like in two shots. I think from 5-2 I made a lot of mistakes.

She just -- I think she just try to put the ball in, and she think, like, okay she gonna miss something. Well, this is how it was.

Q. Apart from you being tired today, is there a difference in experience between you?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Between what?

Q. The difference in experience, the two players, was that what made the difference?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Between which players, between Caroline?

Q. You and Caroline.
ARYNA SABALENKA: Caroline and me? Or who?

Q. Experience.
ARYNA SABALENKA: Her experience?

Q. Yeah, was it decisive in this situation?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I think so. Yeah. She have a lot of experience. Like I said, she know how to do it, and this helped her. I just learn. I just growing up.

I hope in few years I will be like with the same experience and I will try to, like, be more smart.

Q. Have you thought about Wimbledon yet, or are you just thinking about sleeping at this point?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Right now I think about recovery, and I already done with massage and now I feel better. Well, and Wimbledon start Monday. It's better if I can start Tuesday, but it is how it is. I looking forward for it, and I hope -- I hope Wimbledon will give me something.

Q. Has this week made you more excited for Wimbledon?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it's always better to come after the final than you lose first round and you are, like, you know, I have to win and I have to win. Now you're more relaxed because you made final. You know that you can do it. Well, it's helped a lot.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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