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HENGQIN LIFE WTA ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI

October 31, 2018

Garbine Muguruza

Zhuhai, China

G. MUGURUZA/S. Zhang

3-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just a tough match there and a tough battle. How were you able to come back from a set down?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I didn't start very well. Didn't find my rhythm. I was giving her a lot of free points. And she was playing very well since the beginning.

After the first set, I thought it doesn't matter really now. I have another set. Doesn't matter how I felt. It was a good challenge to look for something more and try to change it, you know, to have the chance to win the match at the end.

Q. You're one of the first to players to come to Zhuhai to play in the tournament. Can you talk about your impression of the condition and the city and the tournament? And how serious and eager are you to win the tournament?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I'm always excited to come to new tournaments because we always play the same tournaments, even though if it's good.

I was looking forward to come to Zhuhai. I know it's like around a lot of cities. I know there is the sea and water.

I heard from a bunch of players that it's actually well prepared and organized. I feel it is.

I'm here to hopefully hold the trophy like every tournament I play. Especially being the last tournament of the year and being a Masters, you kind of want to win.

Q. You had a small group of your fans, Team Mugu. Obviously they are Chinese rooting for you out there through a match against their own players maybe. How special was that kind of energy?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I thought about that, you know, to have this Team Mugu group of fans. They actually follow and go to every tournament in China, which is really incredible. They are always in my trainings and in my matches.

I feel it's excellent, to be honest. I feel lucky to have loyal fans. And today, playing against a Chinese, I'm sure they also cheered for the Chinese, but they really proved they are my fans. It's great to play having them, yeah, in the court.

Q. At some time, some people might feel a little surprised that GarbiÃ±e is in Zhuhai, not Singapore. Could you talk about what issues stop you from playing better this year, especially in the big tournaments?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I'm sorry. The last part?

Q. What reason stopped you from playing better, get a better ranking, to make the WTA final in Singapore?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think after a bunch of years in a row, you know, having qualifying, I guess this year, I didn't play, you know, in the important moments, you know, as good as the years before.

I feel like the day you don't really play not perfect, but really play good, there's all these players that are playing very well.

Yeah, I had quite some defeats in important moments and that kept me behind of still earning decisions and trying to qualify.

At some point I know -- this never going to be that consistent or, at least not for everyone. The good part is I don't lose enthusiasm of trying to do it next time and I think that is a very good goal.

Q. At the beginning of the second set you had to face, I think, seven break points. And after you hold your second service game, I noticed you throw the ball out of the court, like you were a little bit angry, or maybe you feel big relief, then you started to play better and better. Could you talk about the emotion at that stage of the match.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I think it was a very important game. I wasn't angry. I was just in fighter spirit, because it was a turning point in the game.

I was happy to get it to don't get the break and to try to break her after. But it was just, how do you say, like, I did it, let's go, you know.

Yeah, in the court, I'm a little, you know, emotional. So I think it's good. It was just, yeah, happy that I turned it around.

Q. I think including today you played against Shuai Zhang three or four times maybe already. You've won most of the match-ups. From your perspective, could you talk about how different a player she is now. It seems like she picked up her confidence lately, especially late in the season maybe.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, we played four times, with this one actually, in two years, so it's quite a lot. I saw she played very well in the Asian Swing and I'm not surprised. I feel like every time I play with her, it's a big fight. It's never an easy match. Her intensity is very fast.

I think she played very well today. Every time I see her in the draw. I know it's going to be a good match and good points because we're both aggressive players. It's a good match-up and it makes it interesting.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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