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ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2019

Lesia Tsurenko

Paris, France

L. TSURENKO/A. Krunic

5-7, 7-5, 11-9

Q. You talk about the physical and mental process of getting through this match, both yesterday towards the end with the match point saved and then coming back out today.
LESIA TSURENKO: Yeah. I think the main mental problem yesterday was that I had a birthday, and I'm now 30, and I had so many things in my head that I would say it was one of the worst days of my life.

I thought I will feel good, but actually I was not feeling well since the two days ago. I start to think about that I'm 30, and I don't have much time left to play on tour and all this bad things. Were not really bad, but just some not very good for match things probably was running into my head.

And it was really tough mentally to play, and at the end my body was just not listening to me. And the only thing that I wanted to do is to finish and quit that match. But you know always being a tennis player, at some point you think no, no, no. I'm going to fight. And this is exactly what happened.

A really tough day yesterday playing with some rain, playing in the darkness. Just, yeah, saving match point, but actually with the line umpire called out and it was in, and just so many things.

And the funny thing that I broke my racket yesterday almost. Like I played with that racket because I thought it's okay but actually it's -- there is like a fracture in it.

And it was my first racket in my life that -- yeah. So yesterday many new things for me.

Yes. What else can I say? I don't know.

Q. First of all, kind of having those thoughts and it seemed like your body was kind of failing you towards the end, so what were you kind of telling -- what was the mental process of telling yourself to continue on? And were you happy with the match being called, and then when you came out today did you have a different mentality or did you have a bit of a hangover from yesterday?
LESIA TSURENKO: No, unfortunately that was the worst night of my life today because I almost didn't sleep. And I was -- I was just -- the match was on and on into my head.

And it was really, really -- it was a really, really bad night tonight. And I don't know. Today, everything that happened to me yesterday happened today but a little bit quicker. Like, again I had, like, a panic, but for a game, maybe not more than that.

But just, yeah, it was a really tough match for me, probably the toughest one ever.

Q. How you would be against Simona Halep?
LESIA TSURENKO: Hopefully much better. I hope that I can just finally let it go and just think about how I can hit the ball and that's it. Not about other things.

Because this is actually another thing that helped me yesterday. I said to myself, you can hit the ball any way. You hit it for so many years, you know exactly how to do it. So just do no mistakes or whatever it takes just to continue playing and make points longer. Do whatever you can just to stay in this match. So I know how to play tennis.

And I'm actually really excited to play Simona again this year. We played a few times already and in general -- I think, like, seven times. So I think that matches like it makes me better. Win or lose, it's always good experience and it's always, like, positive for your future.

Q. This would be your first match against Simona on clay, but clay is not one of your favorites as far as I know.
LESIA TSURENKO: Yeah, she's a clay specialist. And it's definitely a good challenge for me, and I will give my best. I will do everything that I can to fight and to beat her.

Q. What is the feeling right now? I guess you get this win, is it relief? Is it happiness. Is your head still caught up in all the stuff that's been occupying it the last two days?
LESIA TSURENKO: I feel relieved now. I feel that I said this morning to myself that probably if I'm not going to win this match there would be a very big mental problem in future for me. But I was, like, you have to win this match just to prove yourself that you can handle everything. That was my goal today. And I did it. I'm just happy that I did it.

Q. And why was it that turning 30 was this big --
LESIA TSURENKO: I have no idea. I have no idea. I have heard from other people, like, they said like, Oh, I have a birthday and I don't feel well. I said, like, Why? It's your day. You have to feel good.

But I never understood until yesterday. Just, yeah, just mostly not good thoughts were in my head. This is strange, I was trying to ignore it, but I couldn't.

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