INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

September 18, 2020

Garbine Muguruza

Press Conference

G. MUGURUZA/J. Konta

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk about the match today. First time you guys had played on clay and first time either of you was able to get it in straight sets, so what do you think was the key to the win?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I mean, I'm happy, of course, because every time we play, we play long matches. This time I think I played a little bit smarter.

Yeah, I served well, I was there in the right moments, and it went my side. So I really took my chances.

Yeah, I'm just happy to be able to face another player and to get a victory.

Q. Three very high quality opponents to start your tournament in Rome. I think you might have had one of the toughest draws of the top players. What do you take out of the three wins that you have been able to put together so far?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think I'm facing very good players. It's great, because honestly that's what I'm looking for, just to play matches and to face right away good matches, good opponents, and to see where I'm at.

Yeah, it looks like a tough draw, but honestly it doesn't really matter, because now everyone is a little bit feeling strange without matches, and any opponent is a tough one.

Q. In terms of your game specifically, what are you the most pleased about so far on clay?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: Just probably not even about the surface, just about the fighting spirit and coming from nothing, training on clay, you know, just from taking a flight and arriving here a few days before the tournament and do the switch. Normally we have a little bit more time.

Yeah, just finding a little bit more my game. It's such a short time. Just with the fighting spirit in these tough matches.

Q. Looking ahead, you have Azarenka next. Obviously she's on a hot streak. What do you make of kind of what she's been able to do the last three or four weeks in terms of Cincinnati and then New York and now here? What do you expect from that matchup? You have had some tricky ones before.

GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I'm not surprised. I think, you know, someone that has played great can play great again and again and again.

So for me, it's not a surprise. I'm looking forward for a good match, another tough opponent. Also, she's playing great.

So it's a good quarterfinals. It's what you expect to be in a quarterfinals facing the players that are playing well.