ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2022

Daria Kasatkina

Press Conference

D. KASATKINA/S. Rogers

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Daria, congratulations. Tell us how was it for you today out there and you must be happy that you're in the fourth round again.

DARIA KASATKINA: Yes, exactly, I'm very happy and this one was really important one because a long time I didn't reach the second week of the slam. I was playing a lot of third rounds, but I couldn't crack to the fourth round and then I'm really happy with the result today.

Q. I did ask you in Rome about the thing on your racquet, it seems producing great results. And you have to play Camila Giorgi next round. Are you surprised that she beat Sabalenka, losing only one game in the second and third sets, she won 6-1, 6-0 second and third set.

DARIA KASATKINA: Well, I'm a little bit surprised with the score line, I didn't see the match, to be honest. So I don't know what happened there.

Camila, she's a very aggressive player and she played really good the last year, especially she won in Montreal last year and she's really tough opponent and, I mean, yeah.

Q. You played her in Lyon, I think or somewhere else?

DARIA KASATKINA: Yeah, Lyon.

Q. And you won. What do you remember of that match, I mean if you remember anything and what kind of player you expect her to play?

DARIA KASATKINA: She was hitting hard, I was trying to defend and then my defense was a bit better. But every match is different, so we're going to see what's going to happen after tomorrow. But today, today is today and I'm enjoying my win and that's it.

Q. Curious how tough was it to I guess process and get over the loss in Rome and then be able to back up that week here already in Paris.

DARIA KASATKINA: To be honest, surprising for me as well it was not tough. I cried for five minutes after the match and then was fine, was fine. I mean, next day I didn't have like, I call it hangover, post-match hangover, post-lose hangover.

I'm happy with the way I took this loss because, I mean, normally I would be out of my mind for the next couple of days, losing from match point. But this time it was different and I'm happy with the way I grew up in this way.

Q. You said you've been stuck in the first week for quite a few slams, what's been different do you think this time in Paris?

DARIA KASATKINA: I think I increase the level of the game in general, because also if you consider I was winning the matches before three sets, you know, losing a lot of energy and very emotional ones.

This time I go a bit quicker, let's say, so I'm saving the energy. Mentally it's easier. And it's all together, sometimes you don't know, you can be prepared really well for the tournament and you can lose the first round because of maybe the bad draw or the bad match or something.

So the stars have to be in one spot to achieve a good result sometimes and I want the stars to be in the spot for the next couple of days.

Q. You've got, obviously, tonight free. Wondering if you have an interest in the Champions League?

DARIA KASATKINA: Zero. No, Liverpool, Liverpool, of course (laughing) Yeah, I'm not going to the match, but my priorities in this match are obvious.

Q. You've been top 10 and then there was some problems, I don't know if they were physical or other.

DARIA KASATKINA: No, no.

Q. Psychological or what?

DARIA KASATKINA: Kind of, yeah.

Q. How did you come out? Did you have to use a mental coach or did you do something special and what do you think is today your best quality in terms of a tennis player, the best of, the best either stroke or where do you feel more comfortable?

DARIA KASATKINA: I'm not going to tell you (laughing). I'm working hard and, I mean, day by day the level is increasing and that's probably why I'm playing better.

It's the past, I really have to see the future. But talking about the situation, yeah, mentally it was tough, I was not ready to keep the same pressure, to keep this pressure and I was working a lot after with the psychologist, mental coach, it's been a long way long and tough road, but I'm happy with all the effort I've put in and how it's now going.

Q. How do you react to what happened that you cannot play Wimbledon? So is that big worry in your head, I mean, something you're thinking about or and you try even more here because you can make points and earn better ranking or doesn't concern you too much?

DARIA KASATKINA: Not any more. I mean, the news came out weeks ago and, I mean, I got used to it already, I accept it, I'm not going to play and that's it.

I'm going on and, I mean, I'm here in Roland Garros in Paris playing the tournament, so I'm not thinking about this.

Q. In terms of just managing your first week, you're the most dominant player through the first week, you've dropped the fewest number of games, so that's pretty good. Fewer than Iga.

DARIA KASATKINA: Okay.

Q. How does that make you feel though, to be able to get to these score lines and to just move through pretty business like?

DARIA KASATKINA: Well for me the most important is that I keep the energy, the mental energy and the physical energy. That's it. I mean, then the scores, how the match is going is not important any more.

I mean, because it's tough if you win 7-6 in the third from maybe match point or something, it's tough physically, and mentally it's killing you. So if you can avoid this kind of matches, not just in slam but in a tournament itself, it is always better. And, I mean, I'm happy that I can keep my fuel still inside.

Q. Do you see this as a big opportunity for you now as you head into the second week, a lot of seeds going out, a lot of top players going out, I mean do you see this as open, this tournament?

DARIA KASATKINA: It's approaching for everyone the same. So everyone has, let's say, more or less same chances to win every single match.