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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 8, 2019

Barbora Strycova

Wimbledon, London, England

B. STRYCOVA/E. Mertens

4-6, 7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to be in the quarterfinals second time here?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: It feels great. I was nearly out. I was 5-7, 2-5 down, but I managed to somehow -- not somehow. I managed to pull it through. It feels great. I just don't really feel -- I'm just empty, but it's a good feeling.

Q. How did you pull it out? What did you do to change that match?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, I didn't change much in a way that once she was serving 5-3, I felt like she was really nervous. She made a lot of easy mistakes.

And then when I was 5-4 sitting on the bench I was, like, Okay, just try to put first serve in and focus on every ball, to put it in the court, because I felt like she's really, really nervous.

So that was the key. And then I was kind of -- I closed myself. I didn't really focus on my team. I felt like there is no one on the court. Just me and the ball (smiling).

Q. You won eight straight games. Pretty good.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yeah. And I was also playing like that. I was playing very clever. I was playing a lot of serve and volley. Yeah, that worked.

Q. You play the winner of Konta and Kvitova next. Petra you played last time you were in the quarterfinals?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yeah, 2014.

Q. What do you think about each of those opponents?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Last time I played Petra here. Obviously she's amazing player, especially on grass, because she's striking the ball very hard and very quick. So I have to be just ready.

You know, it's just always about me, about my game, how I will play serve and volleys and just to mix it up. Because I don't have the power to overpower the girls.

So it's the same with Konta. Focusing on myself and we see how it goes.

Q. If you play Konta, it could be quite interesting atmosphere. Will that be something you'll really look forward to?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, it would be great atmosphere even though I play Konta or Petra. Obviously if I play Johanna, it will be against me. But I really don't mind. I like these kind of matches and playing on big courts. That's why I train for it. That's why I am here. I will try to enjoy myself.

Q. You played just once before with each other?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Against Johanna?

Q. Yeah. In Tokyo?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: True. Yeah, just once. Couple years ago, right? It was a pretty good match. I won that one.

But she's at home. She will be maybe the favorite a little bit (smiling). So the pressure a little bit on her. But, yeah, it's quarters, and, yeah, I just go out there and enjoy.

Q. Did you have any specific goal when you got here at the start of Wimbledon, any specific goal? What was your plan when you came here? Obviously to go as far as you can, but any specific goal, like, I really need to get to the second week or the quarters?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: No, I wasn't talking like that to myself. This is my 17th Wimbledon, so I just said to myself, Okay, I try to enjoy every single moment on the court, and every match I play and every match I win it's a bonus for me.

So I'm looking at it this way, and it really helps me not to put so much pressure on myself. I enjoy it even. I go there. I enjoy the moments when it's, like, 4-All and you're serving because it's nice. It's what I love to do, and it's working so far.

Q. It's a fantastic time for the Czech players. I see there is another battle going on at the moment. We don't know which Karolina is going to get through. Do you feel you're part, in a sense, of -- well, you're the oldest of that group, in a sense. Do you enjoy to overlook all these girls?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yeah, I do. Of course we won many times Fed Cup, and the level of our girls, of us, it's great, and we are last 16 for Czech players, such a small country. I'm so proud to be part of it.

I'm also proud of the girls, because the youngsters are coming and we can see that they are playing well. It's nice to see, because, yeah, it's amazing for -- I don't know why is that? I can't answer this question. But we kind of putting, like, someone is playing well so you want to do well, as well. It's good motivation.

Q. That 2014 run that you had when you played Petra in the quarters, was that the best, most exciting run at a slam?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: It was.

Q. Is this one now matching it for anticipation?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, I have much more experience. It's four years, five years. So I have more experience than before. So I am approaching the quarterfinals a little bit different. I was so excited there.

So I'm very happy now, but I know that I have to keep focused still and save some energy, because I also have doubles. Yeah, I'm happy but I'm still in the draw and I want to go as far as I can.

Q. Do you ever look at your draw against Kvitova, particularly, because it's not the greatest record you have against her?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: It is not (smiling). I think I beat her once and she beat me ten times. Well, but you never know. I think I'm playing very good tennis. I'm playing also very tricky tennis on grass, so it can hurt her.

We will see. I don't want to think about the matches I lost against her. You know, if she plays well, she can beat anybody. So I will just try my best and we see.

Q. You mentioned that at 5-2 you thought she might be a little bit nervous and make a mistake or two.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: I didn't thought it. I saw it.

Q. But also you had great success coming to the net after that point. After that point you only lost one point at net for the rest of the match. Do you attribute that to her getting nervous, or were you approaching more effectively after that point?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, the first set I wanted to go, but I always step back and it wasn't the right play. I was just, like, I have nothing lose. So just go there and swing the ball and go to the net.

So maybe that was the cause what makes her nervous. But I have to be honest that I was also very nervous when I had 5-2 and match point, but I kept telling myself to just swing the ball and go forward, because it helped me and it helped also my strokes. I was just focusing on that.

Q. You think this could be your last Wimbledon?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: It can be. Maybe not. I'm 33.

Q. Does that make you approach this year differently?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yes. But not just this tournament. I look at it very different way that I appreciate the stuff much more. Every day, even if I have a day off, I walk around the court and looking where I was playing when I was juniors and you kind of -- I'm proud of myself. It's my 17th time here, and you just try to be happy. And I am very happy what I'm doing, and I am happy to play the quarters.

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