BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 18, 2022

Simona Halep

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/S. Halep

7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Do you want to talk about the match?

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah. It was a tough one. She played really well and I had some chances, but I didn't take them. So, yeah, it was a pretty solid match and all the credit to her because she was more focused in the important moments.

Q. How is the leg and what did it kind of start hampering you from doing?

SIMONA HALEP: A little bit in the first set at the end, but then it got worse a little bit in the second set on the backhand part, on the backhand side.

Yeah, I struggled a little bit with it. Now it's sore, but I hope in few days it will be okay.

Q. Since it's the first time you guys have played since the Australian Open I'm curious what you saw in terms of how she's improved, if at all, or if she's playing differently. What do you see?

SIMONA HALEP: I think she has the same game. It's pretty solid. She always been like this since she started to win and to be in the top. That's why she's in the top.

I think she has a lot of power. She has good mental. She's a great player and it's always tough to play against her, so I knew that it's going to be a tough battle.

But I took the confidence from this match. I was super close and it means that even if it's the first week when I felt like I'm coming back to the level that I really want to touch again, it was a good match for me.

Q. Was that first set one of the best sets you've played that you didn't win eventually?

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure. I had many chances and it's really painful when you lose a set like that. But still, I was far, even if I would have won the first set. But at least, yeah, I was close.

Q. What are some things that you're especially proud of that you have accomplished in the last few weeks?

SIMONA HALEP: The way I've been on court. I think that is the most important thing. It's a semifinal, so it's a good thing that I could play so many matches and tough matches. And winning them.

Today, of course, it wasn't to be for me, but I think I can, I have many positives and I will take all. Of course tonight is tough to see that, but I'm sure that I will speak with my people and I will be good after.

Q. This last two weeks you've been serving very, very well in terms of getting through your service games. Very high hold percentage. I'm curious, is that, did you feel that that was happening because of the serve itself or because you were managing your service games well?

SIMONA HALEP: Both. I think also on the serve I started to work on it one week before coming here, so I didn't have much of preparation. But it looks super good, even if I didn't have so much and gives me confidence that if I will keep working I will be even better.

And, yeah, now I trust my serve a little bit more and I feel like I can be strong on that. Even if I don't hit very strong, I feel like I can do a lot with the serve.

So I'm going to focus on that and hopefully I can get better there.

Q. Is there anything in Iga's game that she does specifically better than other top players, do you feel?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, in the last 14 months I didn't play with the top 5. She's top 5, so she's something great.

As I said, she's very solid. She's playing fast, so she's there. She's strong. So, yeah, I cannot compare players, but she's good.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.