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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2018

Simona Halep

Wimbledon, London, England

S. HALEP/Zheng Saisai

7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Give us your thoughts on the match overall.
SIMONA HALEP: I think there are very good thoughts because I came back after 5-3 down. I started to play much better. I started to calm down and just opening the court better.

I stopped missing that much. Again, the serve was pretty, pretty good today.

Q. 7-5, it felt like you just flipped a switch almost. Was it that easy?
SIMONA HALEP: It was not easy. I had pressure little bit of losing that set. But I didn't panic. I think this was the best thing that I did. I didn't panic. I was just calm, just to play every ball.

I really believe that I have the power to come back if I stay focused. As I said, I just opened the game better, I opened the court, then I went to the net pretty much today. After the first set, was much better.

Q. This is obviously the first time you've come here as a Grand Slam winner. Does it feel any different pressure-wise or anything?
SIMONA HALEP: Pressure, no. Definitely no. No more. I'm relaxed. Of course, is not easy to play on grass. I didn't have official matches before this.

But step by step I start to feel better the game. I start to feel better on the court. Even if I have pain everywhere because of the grass, it's okay. I just started to get used to it.

But as I said many times, on grass you never know what is going to happen on court. Every match is really important. Every match I'm going there very focused.

Q. In the recent past we've seen established players such as Kerber and Muguruza win their first slam, then struggle a bit to back it up. Is that something you've thought about heading into Wimbledon? Is it something that has been on your mind as you struggled in the first set today?
SIMONA HALEP: Not really. If you struggle, you struggle in the first round. I've been okay in the first round. Today, in my opinion, I was okay. Just the game was a little bit different. She played a lot of slices. It was really tough to get the rhythm. The ball didn't bounce that much.

But then I started to stop missing, to roll the ball better, then just played. I don't feel pressure. The Grand Slam, of course, is going to be forever there, but it's gone. Now it's another tournament. The life goes on.

I just try to give my best every time I step on the court. When I finish this tournament, I will enjoy the Grand Slam title.

Q. You said grass is a tough surface. We know you are great on clay and hard. Do you actually like grass?
SIMONA HALEP: I can't say I don't like, no. I like. I like to play here. It's very special. But it's very different than clay. Playing so well in the clay court season, it was tough for me to adjust myself here.

But as I said, match by match is getting better. I hope the next round I can play a better tennis and feeling better on court, like moving.

Q. If clay is 10 out of 10, how would you rate grass?
SIMONA HALEP: Let's say 8 (smiling), and hard is 9.

Q. We saw how much it meant to you when you won in Paris. Given that grass is probably the most difficult of the four for you, how much would it mean to you if you could win this one?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, yeah, itself going to be a huge thing, of course, to win Wimbledon. But in this moment, I'm really far to do that. You need a better game, in my opinion, to win on grass. You have to be more aggressive, to go to the net more. I'm trying just to adjust myself on this surface as much as possible.

Of course, I have the courage to say maybe I have a chance to win this title. But I don't want to focus on that. I just want to focus match by match. If I will be in the end of the tournament, that is going to be a big challenge.

Q. What do you make of all the top seeds who have fallen so far? What effect do you think that has on you and the rest of the draw?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, doesn't affect me with anything. Doesn't mean that I will win the tournament because they lost. Every match is really difficult here. I'm just trying to be concentrated on what I have to play, not against who I play, and not also what is happening on the draw.

The next round is really important. I'm sure that it's going to be tough again. I play against a tricky player, very talented. I'm just waiting to play and to try to give my best to win it.

Q. Do you have a theory as to why so many top seeds have lost early?
SIMONA HALEP: No. I'm not thinking about that. Can happen also to me. I'm open to everything. I'm just trying to stay there point by point, just thinking positive, nothing else.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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