AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 10, 2021

Sara Errani

Press Conference

S. ERRANI/V. Williams

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us about how your match went today.

SARA ERRANI: Yes, is tough to explain my match today. Was two different matches maybe. I start a bit nervous but quite well. I start 5-1. Then she had, I don't know, I was a bit shocked when she was like that. I didn't understand what she had, so we stopped. She took two medical timeout. We stop a lot of time. Then was not easy to play after when the opponent is injured or she's not feeling 100%, is tough to play.

That's it. The score good for me, but we had some points she was, like, serving hard, she was serving so slow, then she was hitting really strong, then not, then running and then not. I just tried to be focused, to be focused on my tennis what I had to do and that's it.

Q. As tough as it must have been for Venus, it was also tough for you. What was going through your head in the second set?

SARA ERRANI: Nothing too much about what was happening. I mean, I had a bad experience in Paris. I was thinking about that one also. Try to be focus, try to not, I don't know, keep playing, try to do what I have to do, not thinking what she was doing, but be really watching out that anything can happen. She can hit a serve at 180, she can hit slower, so be ready.

I just was thinking to be ready at anything can happen.

Q. What happened in Paris?

SARA ERRANI: I was really nervous with a match with Bertens where she was, like, a bit injury, then she was keeping playing. I was getting nervous. I was thinking to be focused, to not be angry, and that's it.

Q. Did you hear her cry out when she rolled her ankle?

SARA ERRANI: What?

Q. She cried out in pain.

SARA ERRANI: I didn't understand what she had in the beginning. I was really scared because I was thinking I didn't know what happened. I don't know. I was scared. I was watching on her. I was saying to the chair umpire that anybody go to her because I couldn't. I was telling him to go, please go to her.

I couldn't understand really what she had in the beginning.

Q. In your career you've certainly battled through your share of adversity. You fought through. What is it that allows players like you and Venus to gut out?

SARA ERRANI: I think is the passion for tennis. I think that is the real thing. I mean, I love so much tennis, I love playing, so I'm just trying to get through anything.