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NATURE VALLEY CLASSIC

June 19, 2019

Jelena Ostapenko

Birmingham, England

J. OSTAPENKO/J. Konta

6-3, 6-4

Q. You really seemed to have found your form. Can you talk us through the match from your perspective?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: It was a good match from my side. I had nothing to lose because Jo is in great form right now and she made the semis at Roland Garros. She is a very good player on grass. So I came into the match without any expectations, but I tried to play my game and be more aggressive. And I think that helped me to win today to be more aggressive, so I didn't really give her time to play her game.

Q. I was going to say, you were taking the ball very early today. Was that part of your game plan for Jo, or just that the grass allows you to be that much more aggressive?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think it is about grass. It's very hard to move on grass and if you hit the ball hard, it's harder for the opponent to hit the ball back because it's coming much faster than on the other surfaces, and the bounce is much lower, so I'm just trying to be even more aggressive and if I have a chance, I just got for the shots.

Q. You said yesterday that you were trying to get all the thoughts out of your head, did you succeed today?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I think so (smiling). Not very emotional today. I was a little bit calmer than usual. And I think that helped me. I was just trying to focus on my game on myself without any distractions.

Q. Are you going to try and lose your luggage before every tournament now as it seems to bring good luck to you?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: (Laughing) That's a funny thing, but my hitting partner's luggage still didn't arrive. (Laughing) And I have some of my things in there so...

Q. When you have a win like today against a really good player, does that, do you start to feel like, "I'm back, I'm playing well, I can start to win things again now."? Is that something that's come into your head at all?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Of course, it gives extra confidence and right now I know I am on the right way and it's just a matter of time but I think I'm getting there and grass is just helping me (smiling).

Q. You have a very high-risk style. You go for your shots a lot. Do you think that makes sort of the bad runs of form look worse because you are not finding the court and then when you are playing well, it looks brilliant again, is that something you find?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: It is more about the consistency. If I'm going to be more consistent, it will be harder for the players to beat me. And I'm just trying to find my consistency and get my confidence back and I think once I have it, I will be a very dangerous player (smiling).

Q. Is there a secret to what makes you consistent? Or is it little things?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Practice and also playing more matches and once you play more matches, and you start winning again, you get your confidence back and working on the practice gives you more consistency.

Q. Rafael Nadal has his things with water bottles, Dominika Cibulkova likes to smell tennis balls. Do you have any superstitions?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Rafa has what?

Q. With his water bottles in the same place?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I have like a toy I'm taking always with me, like I think it's kind of superstitious. Not that toy, it's inside of my bag, it is like -- I call it like a lucky toy, I don't know how to say it. And I was taking it since I'm like ten-years-old and this year I forgot to take it to the French Open, so when I came to Paris I was a little bit stressed because I forgot it and there was no way to get it there, so that is a toy I'm always taking with me.

Q. You will make sure you keep that in your luggage close to you all the time?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yes, I have to take it always in the hand luggage, otherwise I'm in trouble (laughing).

Q. Today your confidence is really high. You are an exciting player to watch. In your mind, like -- you know, you called yourself 'dangerous' just then, and I'm, like, "Okay, she is serious." So have you set yourself, like, a benchmark like, for here? Everybody comes to win, but like you know, is that the goal? And then you are thinking this year at Wimbledon, have you set yourself like a goal? Do you think it is possible?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I'm just trying to go on court and enjoy myself and enjoy tennis because the grass season is very short. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible and I think when I'm going to enjoy it, I'm going to play my best.

Q. What will you do to celebrate tonight? Will there be any ballroom dancing?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: There is not much to celebrate. I'm still in the tournament and I just won two matches and I want to keep on improving and, hopefully, I can go deeper in this tournament and, yeah, I just have doubles tomorrow, so I will prepare for it and I will have some rest today.

Q. In your on-court interview you said this is the first time you have won back-to-back matches...
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Second time this year.

Q. You burst out laughing at yourself. With your form being patchy, have you found it easy to not get so stressed about it and take it with a bit of humour?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: Yes, of course, because I understand if I play well, I can win many matches. And it was just the matter of the time. I was injured last season so I couldn't do the pre-season properly and that took away my confidence, of course. But know I understand if I'm going to try to play without any thoughts and work hard in the practice I will be back because I have the game to play well.

Q. A couple of years ago, when you first made waves on the tour, we saw this fiery competitor. You seem more relaxed now. Does it feel that way to you with more experience?
JELENA OSTAPENKO: I'm still a fighter. I fight almost every match. There were matches that I lost, but I was still fighting until the last point. It is, as I said, about confidence and consistency, but I'm trying to enjoy more tennis now and try to not think too much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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