	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ROGERS CUP

August 7, 2019

Simona Halep

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

S. HALEP/J. Brady

4-6, 7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk through that match, how were you feeling out there physically, mentally, all that, and can you kind of explain a little bit the ups and downs of your game today?
SIMONA HALEP: It was a very, very tough one. I expect it because I knew that she's going to serve big and also the forehand is big. I didn't feel 100% ready for the tournament because I had a long break.

But I'm really pleased with the way it was today, the fact that I fought till the end. And even if I was 4-0 up, then I lost five games in a row. It was a little bit tough at that moment, but I felt that I have an energy to turn it around and to win it.

I was tired in the third set, I felt the Achilles since the first point of the match, but it's normal after a break and also coming on the hard courts. It's very difficult for the ankles and also for the knees.

But I'm happy to go through. And hopefully tomorrow I will be okay.

Q. You said you're not fully 100% ready for the tournament. How do you mentally go into a match knowing that you're not 100% fit? Do you give yourself some leeway to fight or what goes through the process of that?
SIMONA HALEP: In my mind, it's just to get better every point, to feel the rhythm as much as possible, to fight for every ball. And knowing that if I'm doing that, I have a better chance to get the rhythm back fast.

So I feel like today I did a good job on court, and I'm sure that it's going to be much better day by day.

Q. So many of the top seeds have fallen already. They didn't get through their first and second rounds. Is that surprising or to be expected as the tour goes into hard courts? Not all of them took time off like you did.
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it's a little bit to be expected because you have -- I think most of the players have holiday after Wimbledon. It's the only time that you can take actually one or two weeks off.

But you never know coming to a tournament. The level is too high and everyone is playing great. Like the player that I played today, she's great. So this match could have gone each way.

So I'm happy about that, that I didn't lose like other seeded. But it's never easy. It's always tough.

Q. Next round you either face Vekic or Kuznetsova. You haven't played both in quite a while. So any thoughts on who you might be facing, and second part to that question is Kuznetsova potentially has been a little difficult for you. So what is it about her game that challenges you?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, both players are playing great. Vekic is having a lot of confidence lately. She won many watches. Kuznetsova is coming after an injury, so at this moment she has nothing to lose, just to play her best and feeling good on court.

I played tough matches against them, so is not going to be easy at all. But I would like to play against Kuznetsova because I love her game and also she's a great person. She's one of my friends, and it would be nice to play again with her.

Q. How much do you feel like the doubles yesterday helped take off the pressure from the first singles match today?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, it helped me a lot, the match from yesterday. I got the feeling, the touching of the ball a little bit.

I was sad a little bit that we lost it. We were very close.

But helped me a lot to have one official match before the singles.

Q. I know the Romanian fans always come out to support you in Toronto but after that championship run in Montreal last year, do you notice a difference in the atmosphere between the two cities and the energy of the crowd?
SIMONA HALEP: No, I can't say there's a difference. It's the same. Last year in Montreal, maybe more Romanians because I was in the finals, but also here three years ago when I played finals I had many Romanians.

So it's not a difference. It's always great to have them, and I want to thank them for coming.

Q. In your opinion, is women's tennis more entertaining for the fact that anybody can win on any given day and it's not perhaps as predictable as on the men?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I feel that it's more exciting. Yeah, more excitement there.

You never know what to expect from a women's match. Also at the titles, you cannot say that someone is going to win it for sure. So I feel that it's more fun for the spectators and it's better for everybody.

There is a chance for everyone. We are working hard, all of us. So it's good that there is, you know, open way for everybody.

Q. Are you concerned at all about the ankle? The Achilles?
SIMONA HALEP: Not really, because I had this pain since many years already. And always when I come after a break, I feel it.

So I'm not worried, but we will see. I will take care of it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297