ROLAND GARROS

June 8, 2021

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/E. Rybakina

6-7, 6-2, 9-7

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough luck today. Can you just talk through the match and just how you saw it. You had that early lead in the first set. What changed, do you think, in the match to make it much more even?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I started really bad match, and, like, I'm not so happy with of course the first, second set overall, because I didn't serve well at all today. My biggest weapon was not going, and because I was thinking a lot about this, I forgot completely the tactics. So I was, like, playing not -- decide maybe I had to play more.

I mean, but in the end we showed really good fight, last, third set, last few games. But, yeah, Nastia also she played really good, so, yeah.

Q. On that point, playing your first quarterfinal at a slam, having the tournament that you had so far, can you talk about do you feel you were -- I know it's a pressure match and there are nerves, but do you think you handled the nerves and the moment well today, or are you disappointed in how you handled the moment, if that makes sense?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I was not nervous. I mean, I was nervous like every match before I beat in the beginning, but then it was fine. I just a bit upset because I didn't manage to find my way like through all this long time. Like first set, second set, it was still not so good, like I couldn't find my serve.

But overall, it's really good tournament for me, because it was my goal to reach second week and I did it. I played well with Serena. I guess I cannot jump over my head, so it's fine, yeah.

Q. If I could ask you as you look ahead to the grass court season, I don't think you have played main draw Wimbledon yet, right? So this would be your first time there?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah.

Q. What do you expect from the grass? How comfortable are you on it?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Nothing. I'm not expecting anything just because we don't have much time to prepare now for grass. Also, I played just one season on grass before.

Like the years before, I just played two times Junior Wimbledon, and also I didn't have preparation before. I didn't have one tournament before Wimbledon, so I thought I'm not so good on grass.

But then the season in 2019 was really good. I was unlucky in quallies. It was tough match. I lost like 9-7. It was super windy. I mean, I tried to do my best. I felt comfortable in 2019.

We see how it's gonna be now, because we have less time to prepare. I think if I'm gonna serve well, it's gonna bring me more results.