AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 14, 2021

Garbine Muguruza

Press Conference

N. OSAKA/G. Muguruza

4-6, 6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. There aren't too many more matches more evenly played like that. What was the difference in your mind?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, really the difference I feel like it was one point. It's tough to say probably one point that she played well, a big serve, a serve that I did well. I mean, you have to look at it very carefully and see what was the moment.

But overall I think it was a pretty good match. We had a lot of great points. I felt, of course, a little bit disappointing being 5-3 in the third set up, having match points. Is never a good feeling losing a match that you feel you could have change in one second.

But I left the court with a good feeling, very good feeling of this tournament in general.

Q. A little bit strange for us to know it's the first time you guys to play each other. How did it feel playing her the first time? What was your strategy coming in?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I was excited to play any top player. I mean, I haven't played her actually, I don't know, just because of the draw. I don't know really why.

I mean, it was a good match. I'm looking forward for the next match, try to have another outcome. I mean, she's playing great. Big shots, big serve. That gives her a lot of free points.

Q. Is there any point where you feel like you could have played better or differently, feel a regret or something?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, for sure. In the match points, well, one was an ace. The second one probably, I don't know, do different I guess. It's not easy now to think about it. Probably I will have to see again the video and analyze what I should have done different.

Probably serve better in my service game when I was serving for the match. I mean, I could have served better, probably gained early the control of the rally.

Q. How long will you wait to look over that video? Will you let a little bit of time pass or do you do it right away and move on?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: Before I would have never done it probably. When you're, like, younger, you're disappointed, whatever. No, no, I will for sure look at it. I feel like it's just little details here and there that makes a difference also with the top players. I think I'm on the right path.

Yeah, I'm disappointed right now but excited also how I'm feeling on the court, how my tennis is going.

Q. What is it that you take away from your time in Melbourne, both last week and this week? How would you characterize this start of the season for you?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: It's a good start of the season. I feel like we're doing a good teamwork. I feel like when I go out there, I'm finding the way to do what we're working on, try to develop my game. It's a good start.

You never know at the beginning how you're going to feel. There's years where you start and you feel like, okay, this year I didn't start that well. Other years, I'm playing good. So you never know.

I'm happy with the tournaments that I played. Also the Australian swing, I played, I don't know, nine, 10 matches almost back-to-back. That was good. That was a good test for me physically, mentally. Just going on the court over and over, trying to have that high level. I'm pretty happy with my performances.

Q. On today's match, how much did you feel there was in-match adjustments between you and Naomi? It seemed like early in the third set you made adjustments, became much more aggressive inside the court, and she pulled back a little bit. Could you kind of sense a similar ebb and flow through the match?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, we can feel for it, for sure, the momentum of each player. Yeah, I felt like at the end on the third set it was very equal. I felt like that was just three, four games where it was a battle. We both were playing well, both aggressive.

So, yeah, for moments I was playing good, then she was playing good, then equal. It's always like that, a match. At the end was especially equal.

Q. In your first match against her, what did you find most impressive about her play?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: Impressive? I mean, I feel she's very strong. I feel she has strong shots, strong serve. Yeah, I feel like if she serves well, she has a lot on her side. She gets the control pretty early.