OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 13, 2023

Liudmila Samsonova

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/L. Samsonova

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Liudmila, on the great week. Obviously first WTA 1000 Final. I'd ask if you could just tell us a little bit about the week in general?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: I still cannot realize because it was a tough week for me. So many matches, so many experiences, tough weather, but at the end I made such an incredible result. I'm so happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was two matches within two hours from one another too much?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: Yes, I think yes. Honestly, I would love to have more time, but they said that it's not possible, so it's okay.

Q. How did you feel before the match? Did you feel that it was going to be a tough one, as tough as it was maybe?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: What?

Q. Did you feel it was going to be a tough match like that just before the match?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: No, I knew Jessica. I know the way she plays. I know that she's a tough opponent, and I knew also that I don't have so many energies.

So, you know, I tried to do my best, but it was not enough today.

Q. With all the matches you played in the last couple of days, do you think you're going to make any changes in your schedule? What's your plan for the next couple of weeks?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: Now we have to see if play Cleveland or not because Cleveland was on my schedule also, but now I think we can arrange it.

Q. Just out of curiosity, what did you do within the two hours that you had between the two matches to sort of regenerate your body?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: You know, I didn't have time to regenerate because I was to the physio room trying to tape all my body, and it takes one hour for this.

So I don't know what to say. I was out of the court and then again in, and I don't know. It was strange.

Q. During the match when did you realize that you were not able to compete well? Right at the beginning or before the game? When?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: No, I was believing in myself until 6-1, 3-0. I was trying to do something to stay positive. Then I started to think, okay, maybe today it's going to be really hard.

Q. Were you really hoping that you could get that game in Saturday night instead of this morning? Were you advocating for that?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: I don't understand what you said.

Q. Were you really pushing to play that game last night even though the weather was questionable and it might have gone really late instead of playing twice today?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: No, the fact is that everyone saw that the forecast was at 6 p.m. would be raining, so I knew that.

But, of course, it's strange that the people doesn't care so much about us, you know, because if you know that you must I think, this is my opinion, to make a schedule where it's possible to play because we already made two matches in one day.

So you have to try to do the best to don't play two matches in another day. This is my opinion.

Q. Can you tell us a few words about your win this morning when you lose the first set, but you were able to turn things around?

LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA: You know, I was feeling that I had the chances because I was feeling that Elena also was tired a little bit. So we were in the same position.

I was feeling that if I change something on my game or I can do something better on my game, I can have my chances to win.