INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

September 17, 2020

Marketa Vondrousova

Press Conference

M. VONDROUSOVA/A. Rus

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was that your best performance since you started playing again?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, for sure. It was a great match. It took almost two hours, 6-3, 6-3, but it was long and tough match for me, but I think I played a good one.

Q. For you, do you like being back on clay?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: For sure. So I played last year very good on clay and I grew up on clay, so it's my favorite surface.

Q. Since you came back, did you find it quite difficult in the U.S., for example?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I mean, yeah, the first matches was tough, also without fans, but now I think I'm getting used to it. And also, I'm playing better on clay now, so I think it's a good sign for me.

Q. How is your wrist now? Is that all okay?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I'm healthy and happy (smiling).

Q. When you came back playing at the start of the year, was that difficult? You had one or two good results but also some losses, didn't you?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, so I played I think four tournaments and then it stopped. So I had just like few chances to play some matches. Then we had, like, six months off so it was tough.

But now the wrist is okay and I feel better, so we will see.

Q. It was obviously bad for everyone when the tournaments stopped, but for you in particular because you didn't play in the last six months of the year. That must have made it very difficult?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: So then we had some matches in Czech with Czech girls in Corona times, so at least I played some of the matches there, but of course it's not a tournament.

I think for everyone it was different and tough, but I think I'm just getting better and better. I'm happy that we can play on clay also (smiling).

Q. Did you spend all the lockdown in the Czech Republic?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I was in Prague and my family is two hours from Prague, so I was with them also but mostly in Prague.

Q. But it must have been good, as well, because there is a lot of very good Czech players. You were able to practice with them, were you?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, for sure. And also we had the matches, so we had two teams and we had, like, six and six players. So it was perfect. We played so many matches.

Of course we have, like, I don't know, like eight girls in top 100, so it's perfect.

Q. You must be looking forward to going back to Roland Garros.

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I am. Yeah, of course. It's going to be amazing. I love Paris, and I had such great memories last year. So I can't wait to be back.

Q. What is your best memory of last year?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: So I think my family and also friends, they came for the finals. Then we spent some time together after.

Of course I lost, but it was just a great memory to have the family there, my mom and my friends, so it was perfect.

Q. What was the best match that you think you played last year at Roland Garros?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: So I think that would be one with Petra Martic. It was I think quarterfinals, and I never beat her before. It was like I had 4-0 maybe with her, and it was the first match I beat her, so it was amazing.

Q. When you were younger, did you play on clay a lot?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: So in Czech, many kids are playing on clay because we are growing up on clay. We don't have much, like, I don't know, like hard courts. We are playing mostly on clay.

Q. When you start playing again on clay, do you find it quite easy to change to the surface?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Also, I think my game is just, for clay, it's good. Also for me I feel good on clay, and I don't find it very difficult to go from hard to clay. So it's not so bad for me.

Q. Do you have any plans to play next week?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, so I'm supposed to play Strasbourg, but I have to talk with my coach, because obviously it's starting on Sunday, I think, and I am playing tomorrow, so we will see.

Q. The audio stopped. Where are you playing next week?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Supposed to play in Strasbourg, in France.

Q. But you're going to wait and see what happens here?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, for sure (smiling).

Q. Maybe if you're playing until Sunday you won't play?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah.