ROLAND GARROS

September 30, 2020

Simona Halep

Press Conference

S. HALEP/I. Begu

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel when you play a player who you know pretty well, another Romanian?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, it's never easy to play against a Romanian and against Irina, we played so many times it's never easy, she's a very strong opponent and she's also powerful, the serve is really strong, so today the court was heavy so I couldn't return very well, but I managed well in the end and I think I played the right game when I needed to.

Q. How did you feel today with the conditions? I think today was a little bit warmer than the beginning of the week, how did you feel on court with the ball and the court?

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it was a little bit warmer but still cold for me. The court was heavy, the ball was heavy because the court was a little bit wet still because it's humid and it's never easy to stay strong on the legs because it's slippery. So it was I think it was tough for both of us, but I felt it very difficult today.

Q. You're now 13-0 against Romanians at the tour-level. I think the only, the last time you lost to a Romanian was Sorana when you were a teenager in qualifying somewhere. You say it's difficult to play fellow Romanians, your record would seem to indicate otherwise, what exactly is the challenge and what amount of pride do you take in being that successful against your country women?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I think the best thing that I do is once I start to, I step on the court I don't think, I don't, I'm not thinking any more against who I am playing, even if it's Romanian or not.

It's a little bit of stress before the match, but I am confident, I know what I can play, I know how I can play, so, yeah, I didn't feel too nervous. I just feel nervous at the beginning, but then I just forget about who I play and I just try to win the match.

Q. Speaking on your next match against Anisimova, do you take anything out of the quarter final of last year, I know you didn't play the way that you wanted to play, but in terms of what you saw from Amanda that day, what are the learnings that you take forward into this next match?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, it's one year between, so it's going to be a little bit tough to explain now how it's going to be. But I'm going to talk with the coach, I know it's going to be tough because she's hitting the ball strong and flat, so it's going to be tough.

I remember the match from last year, I remember also that I didn't play what I wanted, so I will do some changes and I will just try to play better and to take my chance.

Q. You've won lots of trophies in your career and recently you were presented a trophy made from chocolate. What are some of the treats that you cannot have when you are competing that you are looking forward to and how do you treat yourself and look after yourself during a big tournament like Roland Garros?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I treat myself after every winning and every losing, so it's not a difference. Every time I have a little bit of chocolate, but my life doesn't depend on the victory or losing, so I treat myself very well these days.

Q. In terms of you played on the first day under the roof in Chatrier and then now you were on Lenglen and you said that the clay was wetter and things like that. For you, would you prefer to kind of play under those cleaner conditions under the roof at Chatrier and are you at all concerned about the day-to-day changes in how everything's kind of playing depending upon the court, the weather, the roof, like that?

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, the first round the court was not that wet because it's like the roof and, yeah, it felt more stable on the court. I didn't feel that it's so slippery.

Today I really felt in the back of the court that it's very slippery because it's no roof. So, yeah, it's different, I have to say it, but anyway it is nice here, every court is beautiful. So I am ready to face anything.

Q. A lot of players have been saying that there's been a major difference between the level in New York and the bubble in Paris just your personal thoughts on if you see a major difference?

SIMONA HALEP: I have no idea how it was in US Open because I didn't play. So I haven't been there.