ROLAND GARROS

June 5, 2021

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

B. KREJCIKOVA/E. Svitolina

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I wanted to ask you about that epic game at 4-3 which lasted 20 minutes. How important was that and what's it like to play in a game that lasts that long?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I don't really remember the game. I just know that I was serving for a long time, and it was just all the time deuce, advantage, deuce, advantage, deuce, advantage. I think it was really a key maybe to the match because we actually -- yeah, we'd been really like just splitting the games, and then I think that was the key game for me that I was able to hold the serve.

After that I think I just -- yeah, I think I just did better and I broke her, and I think winning the first set was a big key for me.

Q. What role would you say your love for Paris and the feeling that you have at this place because of what happened last year and also in 2018 is sort of helping you be comfortable as you progress through these draws?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: You know, I really think that playing a lot of doubles actually and playing a lot of also mixed doubles, playing the big courts, playing all these big stadiums, I think that's what's helping me right now, but I actually never really played here singles, but I have some kind of experience from doubles, which it's always nice. So then when I go on the court and I know that I'm playing big court, big player, I know that already have some kind of experience, and I don't feel that -- I'm not stressing about it anymore. I think that's really good. That's really something good for me, and that's how I think that doubles is actually helping my singles career a lot.

Q. After the match you said you were super happy. How do you feel right now? And what were you thinking towards the end of the game as you got closer and closer to the finishing line?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Okay, right now I feel super, super happy. You know, I mean, at the end of the match, I was just expecting it's going to be tough, that she's going to fight all the time. I was just there, and I tried to enjoy it. Even thought I was thinking, yeah, I'm getting closer. It's 4-1, it's 5-2.

But I've been playing a lot of matches where I actually was leading and then I just started to play really passive and then I lost. So I don't want to make the same mistake again. So I was just saying to myself, okay, you go, you're going to play your shot and you win or you lose. Like there's nothing wrong about not really actually closing the match because that's normal. It happens to so many other players, so many higher players.

So I just felt, okay, I'm going to go, I'm going to try to play my tennis, my best shots, and let's see, and if I close it, it's going to be perfect.

Q. From what you've said there, it sounds like you were very calm and relaxed. Did you feel calm and relaxed, or did you feel a little nervy?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: You know, actually I felt quite calm and relaxed at the end of the match, but I felt really -- not tight, not stressed, but I just didn't feel really good at the beginning of the match because it was really -- the conditions were different. It was quite cold. It was really tough because also I didn't know Elina that well. I never played her, I never practiced her. So I didn't really know. I wasn't really sure what kind of ball I should expect, so I was a little bit, I think -- that I didn't know what to expect.

I felt weird, but as the game -- as the match went on and I was playing and playing, I just started to feel better, and actually at the end I was just feeling really well and I was just going for my shots.