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NATURE VALLEY CLASSICJune 18, 2019Jelena OstapenkoBirmingham, England J. OSTAPENKO/I. Swiatek 6-0, 6-2 Q. What pleased you most about your performance today? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I went on the court, I was very positive and I just wanted to start the grass season on a good, in a good way, and I think I played pretty well today. Q. In a recent interview you talked about the mental side of tennis and how your emotions can get in the way sometimes. Do you feel like you need to be relaxed to play at your best? JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, of course. If you have too many thoughts in your mind, it is very tough to play your best because those thoughts always distract you from something and when your mind is free, it is much easier to play and yeah, that's what it was today. I was just... (Feedback from the speaker in the press room) Q. What is the transition like from clay to grass? It is a quick turnaround, how do you find that transition? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, it's completely different surfaces and I don't have so much time. I just arrived on Friday and, unfortunately, my bags didn't arrive, so I couldn't even hit on Saturday, so I basically had one day to hit before this tournament because I was playing doubles on Monday. But I think for me the less time I have the better it is because I'm more focussed and I love to play on grass and I also had good results on grass and I think it fits my game pretty well, and on grass the one who is playing more aggressive is going to win probably. Q. Where did your bags go on holiday? Where did they end up? JELENA OSTAPENKO: They arrived, but they arrived like on Sunday, around midday or even later. I was really stressed, first time ever it happened to me that my bags didn't arrive, they just disappeared and my hitting partner's bag didn't arrive yet, so they just get lost somewhere. But yeah, it's not fun that when you give your racquets and everything, you check-in and you don't have, you arrive at practice and you don't have your racquets, your clothes, nothing. Q. That is the first time since you have been on the circuit that that has ever happened to you? JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yes, it never happened to me before so I was really stressed (laughing). Q. Do you think in a strange way it helped you with your match because you were stressed about that, so you didn't have time to think about tennis? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, thank God it arrived at least because I felt if they lost it, then I mean it is tough for me to play the tournament because I don't have anything here like, I gave everything to him, but I think it gave me less time which is better for me because when I have less time I'm more focussed. Q. You have Jo next, obviously. Your thoughts on playing her on grass in the United Kingdom? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think I played her a couple of times and also last year in Eastbourne on grass. And I think we always had three-set matches. I mean she's a great player, she plays very well on grass and she is good form now, but grass is one of my favourite surfaces and I am going to try to enjoy it. Q. Do you ever find you struggle with the expectations that people have on you because you have won a Grand Slam, or is that something you have got used to now? JELENA OSTAPENKO: There was a lot of pressure before and I got used to it already and now I'm just trying to get my game back because I was injured last season, so I couldn't really do the proper pre-season, which didn't help me, and in the beginning of the season I was struggling a lot because I didn't have enough time for practice, but now I'm trying to get back in form. Q. How close do you feel to your top form? How far away do you think that might be? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think I'm getting better, especially now on grass. Today I felt really good on court and I felt that grass is something that I really love to play the surface and, yeah, I think on grass I will get my form back. Q. Do your good memories of your run to the quarterfinal here in 2016 help? JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yes, I think I remember I beat Petra Kvitova here and I had some good matches and good memories from here, but I think it was the only year I was here so it is great to be here again. Q. A quarterfinal with Keys? JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yeah, I even remember the score, I was a set and 2-zero up and I lost the match. Q. What was it like playing somebody younger than you today who is just starting out? Does it seem like a long time ago from when you started out? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean I actually knew that she is a good player and I think she won Junior Wimbledon, so I knew she knows how to play on grass and I expected a very tough match, so I prepared really well. And yeah, I think that helped me because I was playing very well today. Q. What advice would you give to younger players like her who is just starting out, what have you learnt on the way? JELENA OSTAPENKO: I mean, just try to enjoy it because I think maybe that's your first year on tour and I remember myself it was very tough because in junior matches, if you start winning, girls are not fighting to the last point, but here everybody is such a fighter and everybody wants to win, so if you want to, like, play in WTA you have to be really very consistent. Q. How do you relax when you are away from the tennis court? JELENA OSTAPENKO: It depends. I just go, maybe go out with my friends, or spend time with my family, or do ballroom dancing, and just maybe walk on the sea. Yeah, do some fun things. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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