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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 29, 2020

Simona Halep

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

S. HALEP/A. Kontaveit

6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What did you have for breakfast?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I played really well? Same thing. I have two weeks eating the same thing: ham and cheese.

Q. Is there anything you felt that you did wrong today?
SIMONA HALEP: Perfection doesn't exist, but I'm very happy with the way I played. I felt great on court. I was moving great. I felt the ball, like, really, really good. It was a great match.

Q. Two years ago when you had such a long series of matches, it was a lot hotter, too.
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it's the opposite this year. It's better, though. I feel with more energy going to the semifinals. I feel more confident. I feel my game.

Tomorrow is going to be a tough one, I know that. I expect a very difficult match. But it's semifinals, so it should be like that.

I'm all in. I'm confident.

Q. Going to be extremely hot tomorrow. How do you cope with the heat? Do you mind playing in extreme temperatures?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I like the heat. I like to play in warm conditions. We will see tomorrow how it's going to be.

But I feel ready to face this weather. Actually we missed a little bit the hot weather here in Australia. So we will see tomorrow. I think it's a good thing for me.

Q. You said on court you spent the off-season abroad, not at home. Where did you go?
SIMONA HALEP: Dubai. I've been there almost three weeks. I have worked more professional than before. That's why I left home, because I can keep focused on what I have to do every day, no days off.

Q. You look so comfortable this year. I know you love playing here. Is there any reason why everything seems to be clicking this year in particular?
SIMONA HALEP: Not really. Nothing special. Just feeling good. I trained hard before coming here. I had a tough tournament in Adelaide. Then I just shake it off. I said that I have to be confident even if didn't work very well in Adelaide.

I just started to feel well day by day.

Q. Thoughts on Ash? What are the main parts of her game you've seen an improvement in in the last 12 months?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I think she's improving in everything. She has a great form now. The slice is amazing for the girl's game. She's serving well, even if she's not very tall. We are actually the same.

I think she's very talented. She has self-confidence at very high level now.

Q. We don't know who you're playing yet. Could you talk about Garbine and Nastia separately?
SIMONA HALEP: I think is going to be a similar match with both of them. They're big hitters. They like to play strong. They like to serve strong. I think it's going to be almost the same tactic.

But main thing is going to be to focus on myself, as I did every match here. I will talk about the match tomorrow with my team. I will be ready.

I just want to enjoy it because I feel happy that I was able to actually play the semifinals with no sets lost.

Q. After you won Wimbledon last year, so you've won French Open and Wimbledon, how much is your focus now on getting the other two? Is Australia and US more of a 2020 priority now?
SIMONA HALEP: Any Grand Slam, it's a priority. I will not just choose one. But, of course, it's going to be great if I will be able to win one on hard court.

Q. (Question about off-court distractions.)
SIMONA HALEP: No, I'm not saying. But every time I buy something. Little things, but I buy.

Q. What is the tally now of you having a go at Darren? Do you know how much you've raised?
SIMONA HALEP: No, after the tournament he told me he will let me know. But today I was pretty good. I expect a good amount (smiling).

Q. Was it more than usual in outbursts you've given him?
SIMONA HALEP: Not like in the past. I've been much better as attitude. But I did more than I should do (smiling).

Q. You said the other day winning Roland Garros, after making the three finals, not being able to do it, that you felt now it's not impossible. Does it feel easier to win a slam? Is it different in your mind than that?
SIMONA HALEP: It's different in my mind. It's not easier at all. You still feel the pressure. You still feel the heaviness of this tournament.

I just feel more confident and I feel like I'm able to do it. It's just a feeling that you don't see this trophy is impossible anymore. This is what I'm feeling about the Grand Slams now.

Q. You said when you played the Wimbledon final, that was the best you've ever played. It's hard to compare, but do you feel like that is the level you're approaching or you have reached already?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I feel like I'm there. It's different, though. It's different surface, different opponent. I cannot really compare, as you said.

But today I felt really, really good on court. I felt like my game was great.

Q. You hit five aces today, didn't drop that many points on serve. How proud are you of that part? Does it stand out to you?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, the serve, it's been very important here during this tournament. I feel confident when I serve. I'm not scared anymore.

But, you know, is just a working thing. I work hard on that. Finally I got the feeling of it. Let's hope for tomorrow again.

Q. You'll be back to No. 2 on Monday after this tournament. You were on ESPN, they were talking to you about being one of the consistent players in the top 10. How exhausting is that? Can you articulate how it's been?
SIMONA HALEP: Sometimes I felt exhausted, I have to admit. It's like the pressure of being good every week I think is the most important thing, is the most difficult thing to do.

But after two, three years, you get used to it. You just take every week as a challenge to see how much you can go ahead. Now I'm not feeling any more pressure. It's just a bonus when it comes.

I'm trying just to be as much as possible there. But the main goal, let's say, is not the ranking anymore for me. The titles and the big matches...

Q. I know you watch quite a bit of tennis. Did you see Roger saving seven match points yesterday?
SIMONA HALEP: I saw that, yeah.

Q. What was your reaction?
SIMONA HALEP: I said my TV is on all the time in the room, but I don't want to watch tennis that much. But, yeah, I watch him. Unbelievable what he did actually. The way that he actually accepted what is going on, that he's not fit, then just fought for every ball. Yeah, I have to learn from that.

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