	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2018

Alison Van Uytvanck

Wimbledon, London, England

A. VAN UYTVANCK/G. Muguruza

5-7, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your past record at Wimbledon hasn't been great. What gave you the confidence to keep on going and attacking her all through the last two sets?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I think otherwise I wouldn't have a chance. I mean, obviously she's so aggressive, so if I would keep, I mean, let her play, I would lose anyway. So I was, like, Let's try this and maybe if it works we have a chance.

So that was my plan to do in the second set and in the third, and obviously it worked well. I played actually a very good match. So really happy to actually be through to the third round for the first time for me.

Q. Did you feel that you were less aggressive in the first set, more defensive?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I mean, I was 4-2 up. I broke her, and then I think I served a little bit less. She was more aggressive on the return. It was getting a little bit tough, but, yeah, I stepped it up definitely in set 2 and 3.

Q. You looked absolutely nerveless, like you weren't at all nervous.
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: Inside I was, like, dying, especially serving out for the match, you know, (smiling).

Before it was actually quite okay. I mean, obviously you're nervous when you enter the court and you have to start the match. You always want that first game, you know. But after that, I was feeling quite good.

Confidence was there. I'm playing well the last couple of days, so that's what I took with me on the court. Like I said, in set 2 and 3 I was just there mentally. I was in the zone and just hitting every ball, and it was going my way.

Q. I wanted to ask you this at the French Open, so if it's too personal, I understand if you don't want to speak about it. You came out as gay this year. Do you feel like a role model in this moment? Has that coming out freed your mind and allowed you to play more freely? Has it taken a weight off your shoulders?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I don't think it actually changed something about that, like being more freely or something. We just decided to not make it personal and not keep it for ourselves, because I'm happy anyway if it is with a woman or a man. I just feel like we don't have to be ashamed of this, and that's why I also want to be free.

I mean, I'm not sick. I don't have a disease. But I just feel like it's good that I could come out as a gay person, yeah.

Q. Next opponent, Anett Kontaveit.
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: It's good because I didn't know who was my next opponent (smiling).

Q. What do you think of her as a player? What are your thoughts on this match?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I mean, obviously she's a great player. She has good groundstrokes, serving well. She's also very aggressive player.

So it's gonna be a little bit the same of today, I think. I have to try to or be more aggressive or try to vary the game a lot, so voila.

Q. Do you remember anything about the best matches with her?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I played her in juniors, but after that, I don't remember, even. It's been quite a while.

Q. At the moment from the outside it seems like the level of the top female players and everyone else is quite similar. Does it feel like that? Does it feel like anyone can beat anyone?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I mean, anyone on a good day can beat anyone. That's what I think. I still think the top players, their average level is higher than, let's say, sub-top players. But anyone on a good day can beat anyone, for sure.

Q. A lot of players have been upset this week.
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: Yeah, yeah, I know. But it's also we are the underdog. We don't have anything to lose, so that's probably also why we step up our game and just go for it, because anyway, we don't have anything to lose.

Q. You said that you were dying inside, but on that last serve, you had the replay and you had fun with it.
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: Yeah.

Q. Was that just your way of trying to keep the nerves at bay, or at that point did you just feel...
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: It was actually I served and the call came after she hit the ball, so it's, like, it's double. Sometimes they give you the point; sometimes they don't. But I was, like, trying to keep my nerves down with it and just saying, Okay, let's try to get another good serve and let's play this point.

Q. And then how is it that you didn't know who your next opponent was?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: Because I watch round by round (smiling).

Q. Got it.
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: I don't watch further.

Q. Speaking of your next opponent, if you were to beat Anett and go to the second week, what would that mean to you?
ALISON VAN UYTVANCK: Obviously it's great. I mean, I would love to be in the second week for the first time for me in Wimbledon. It would be great, and I will prepare everything to make it possible.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297