INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 13, 2021

Ashleigh Barty

Press Conference

A. BARTY/VV. Kudermetova

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you comment on today's match. Maybe not the best start for you. Looks like conditions were pretty windy on the court.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I think tricky to get used to conditions. It was quite windy at court level, particularly from one end, kind of down the court. My first time playing on that court. I think once I walked out there, it was a bit of a 'wow' factor. Pretty impressive center court. Took some time to get used to that.

Without a doubt, happy with how we were able to tactically move about that match today and kind of stick to what we hoped would work and be able to execute.

Q. Looking ahead to the next round, it's Coco Gauff. First-time meeting between the two of you. She beat somebody who beat you the other day. What are your thoughts going into the match?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, Coco has shown that she loves to bring her best tennis against the players that challenge her the most. She's played an exceptional tournament thus far. She's got the ability to take the game on. She's aggressive. She can run. She can trust her legs.

I think it's going to be important for me to try to get the match back on my terms as often as possible. I know when they're in her patterns, the way she likes to play, she's extremely dangerous and very good at what she does.

I think it's going to be a new challenge, a clean slate for both of us. There will be a period in the match where we're trying to figure each other out a little bit. That's natural. We haven't hit together, I don't think. It's certainly going to be a new one, but an exciting match no doubt.

Q. You mentioned playing on Centrale for the first time. It's kind of the last big court you hadn't played on before. From your perspective, what makes that court quite unique?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: It's intimidating, without a doubt. I think it was really nice to have some people in here today. Obviously the crowds were on the grounds from today, which is really exciting I think for us players. It creates more of an atmosphere.

Obviously I know the Italian supporters and the Italian people here in Rome absolutely love their tennis. They're passionate. They really bring a pretty cool vibe.

I think that court, you forget how steep the stands are. Literally feels like everyone, kind of the stadium, is kind of surrounding you and on top of you. Really cool to be able to walk out there and kind of be wowed a little bit. It was pretty cool.

Q. How much does knowing that you have two weeks after this event before Roland Garros kind of help you in terms of your planning for this week, how much you can focus on the tennis, not have to worry about do I need to manage the load? How much of a curve ball does that throw into things, in a good way?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think it's always a good problem to have when you know you've played a lot of tennis. Even though there are now the two weeks between here and the start of Roland Garros, I think in a sense it's a curve ball in its own way working out how we're going to structure that week.

Typically you'd move quite seamlessly from here to Paris, kind of structure your days. You kind of blink and it's first round already. It throws different challenges. We know we have plenty of time when we finish up in Rome, whenever that may be, to be fit and firing come round one in Paris.

Q. I think you discussed this with the Australian media, but if I could ask the details on this very long trip that you're on. When will you go home? Do you have a base in Europe, anyplace you go to?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I think probably my answers haven't changed a lot in the last month and a half or however long we have been away.

I have no idea when we'll be home. We don't have a base. I think at the moment we're still flying by the wayside a little bit. It's been really nice to be busy. We've been jumping from tournament to tournament, playing plenty of matches. We've been invested in every single event. That's all you can do, is focus on the present.

When we cross that bridge, we'll come to it. For the time being my focus is on playing here in Rome. We've worked out a plan what we're going to do now between here and Roland Garros. After that we'll sit down, work it out again, just kind of keep chipping away. There's no other way to approach it in my eyes.

Q. Where do you go between Rome and Roland Garros?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: C'mon, I'm not going to tell you everything (smiling).

Q. In Madrid everything was a bit more confined. You didn't get out. Looks like a lot of the players have been getting out and about in Rome. Have you done any of that? Talking about Foro Italicao, what an impressive facility it is, the history around it. In one sense does it feel like the Coliseum, gladiators, times of ancient Rome playing on that particular court?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I have been able to get out a little bit, which has been really nice. We're allowed out for about an hour a day. It's been nice just to go for a walk. Obviously it's within the rules that we're allowed here. It's just been really nice to be able to clear the head, just go for a walk.

The other day went down to the Coliseum, had a bit of a look, walked back. It's nice to break up the day, get some fresh air. We've been fortunate with some pretty good weather this week. It's been really enjoyable to get out in such a beautiful city.

I've never actually seen Rome so quiet from a tourist point of view. It's locals and a sprinkling of tourists, but not many at all. It's been quite a novelty to see it like this.

The site here at Foro is absolutely incredible. I've been lucky my last two matches have been on two of the most iconic courts on the clay court calendar. Very lucky here to be able to do what we do. The weather has been quite nice, like I said. It makes for some pretty good tennis. Certainly enjoyable now to have some crowds here over the next few days to enjoy it with us.

Q. With the cricketers, John Millman was saying the other day that we're just tennis players, not going to create a fuss like the cricketers have in the last couple weeks, which now doubt you've heard about. Do you have any thoughts on the situation with the cricketers?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: It's impossible for me to comment on that. I have no idea what they have been going through in India. Obviously from the perspective of the whole world, India is really struggling at the moment. Obviously my thoughts go out to those who are really battling.

But, I mean, I can't. It would just be incorrect for me to say anything because I have no information. I have no idea what those boys have gone through. I mean, all the playing, coaching staff, referees, I know there was a fair few Aussies over there. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to make any kind of assumptions on that.

Q. Veronika was upset with one of the calls in the first set, dispute with the chair umpire. What did you make of the experiment in Madrid having the replay? Something you think should be extended to the entire clay season?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I mean, we've had it at a couple of tournaments. We had it in Charleston and Madrid. For me, I'm a traditionalist. I enjoy the interaction you can get with the umpires coming down inspecting the ball marks. Of course, it's never a perfect system. It's impossible. It's human error, a human eye. That's one of the really unique parts about clay court tennis, is you can see the mark. If it's not lost within footwork patterns and things like that, of course you're not going to see it every time. No one is ever perfect. Players make mistakes, umpires make mistakes. I'm a traditionalist, I really enjoy that part of clay court tennis.