|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NATURE VALLEY CLASSICJune 17, 2019Margarita GasparyanBirmingham, England M. GASPARYAN/E. Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 Q. What pleased you most about your performance today? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: First of all, I'm really happy that I won today because it was a really important victory. I played against a really great player. I think I'm playing really well. And, yeah, just keep going like this and let's see. Q. Are those the kind of victories you are targeting over top, really high-ranked players? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Last year I beat Kiki Bertens and this is my second big victory like this. Q. Does that give you the belief that you can beat more players of that level? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Sure. Every victory like this you feel more confident in yourself and you just feel like you can beat more and more this kind of player. Q. You had a very long time away from the tour with injury. How tough has it been sort of building up your level, building up your confidence since you came back? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yeah, it is really, really tough and it's been long for me, almost two years, but I'm happy that I'm here and I can compete. And honestly I don't want to remind this time because it is really hard for me. Q. Do you feel like -- you were No. 41 in the world. Do you feel like you are getting back to that kind of level or even better than that, perhaps? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yes, sure, but now I have different goal and I just want to win more matches that I can. And I had really great result. I was 41. But now I want to be higher. So I just want to work hard and then, yeah. I hope I will get my goals (smiling). Q. Do you enjoy playing on grass? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yes, sure, I enjoy more than clay court (laughing). The rallies are more faster and yes, I mean it's my game because I'm playing more aggressive and I feel really good here. Q. You haven't had much grass experience, but do you remember the match at Wimbledon a few years ago you had against Serena? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yeah, yeah. I didn't play a lot of tournaments on grass, but even now after some years I'm feeling really good, so it's not like I have to play a lot of tournaments to feel nice on the grass. So it's, like, it's okay for me, it's really comfortable. Q. When was the first time you played on it? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Sorry? Q. When was the first time you played on grass? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: This year? Q. Ever in your life? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: I think it was Birmingham, yeah, 2016, I played quali here, and then I played Wimbledon, yeah. So the first tournament was Birmingham (laughing). Q. You got used to it quite quickly? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: No, this time, no, because I move not so well on the grass and I was really scared, so now my physical condition is better and I feel more confidence, like, to moving on the court and, like I said, it was my first tournament. Maybe I didn't know what I have to do on the court as well. So now I know how to play on the grass more or less (laughing). Q. There aren't many women out there with a one-handed backhand, can you explain how you developed yours? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yeah, I mean, I don't know why I switch because in the beginning I play with a double backhand, two hands. And then at one point I just decide to switch because I really -- I still like the Federer -- and it was so quickly and I just switched and that's it and I really enjoy to play the one backhand. Q. There aren't many women coming up. We see on the men's tour, we see Thiem and Tsitsipas, and on the women's tour, not so many. Why do you think that is? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Not so many girls that are playing one -- Carla Suarez. Not many girls. I mean, it is difficult, it is not easy. But you have your weapons. You can play good slice. You can play good on the net. You can do drop shots, especially on the grass court because the bounce is so not so high. Q. What advice would you give to a young girl player who wanted to hit with one hand? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: One hand? Oh, I mean, just switch (laughing). Yeah. Q. Technically? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: I'm not a tennis coach, I cannot teach (smiling). Q. Do you feel at your most comfortable on court when you are being aggressive, when you are taking it on and you are going for winners? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: You mean today? Q. Well, any match, if you are... MARGARITA GASPARYAN: I always try to be aggressive, it is not like I am playing one or two shots. I'm trying to give the opponent, like, a little bit of pressure, you know, and yeah, it is my game because if I will play so far from the court and to be more, like, passive I will lose, yeah. Q. In today's match you turned it around in the first set with longer rallies. MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yes. Q. Did you realise you had to play longer rallies and not end it in three shots? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: It was really long rallies, but I just wanted to keep this rhythm because it was really important the moment in the beginning of the third set and I knew if I would play, like, consistent and aggressive, and trying to be, like, focus, every point, I would get the result. So, yeah... Q. You played the big points really well today. When it got really tense you produced some of your best tennis. What is the secret to that, do you think? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Oh, secret (smiling). I mean, I was trying to think, like, just to be, like, confident in yourself and, like, you know, do what you can do and then let's see the result because, of course, you are nervous, you have tension and you never know what you will do on the court. But if you believe in yourself, I think this is the one of the most important things. Q. Do you feel like you trust your shots at the moment, you are at a good level of confidence? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I felt really good on the court, like the shots that I'm hitting good and my ball is going deep, so I really like it. Q. Do you remember the drop shot return you hit? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: (Laughing) Yes, one time. I didn't want to do it (smiling). Q. You didn't intend to do it? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: I wanted to do slice but I realised my ball was going so short and I was, like, okay, that's a slice. Q. It's a winner. MARGARITA GASPARYAN: For the first time in my life. Q. You going to try it again? MARGARITA GASPARYAN: I will practice more this kind of shot (smiling). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|