ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL

June 27, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Devonshire Park

Press Conference

J. PAOLINI/K. Boulter

6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, great performance out there against a home favorite and someone who's got great form on grass. How are you feeling after the match?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yes, of course I think I played a really good match. She's a tough opponent. I lost against her in February. Especially here on grass, she played really well. She just won a tournament.

Yeah, I think I played a really good match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Before the tournament, you said you weren't really sure, you know, kind of how the grass season was going to go and what your form was but that your mind would be open. I know you had the retirement with Elise, but in general, how do you feel like you have been making the adaptation to grass this week?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Today, good (smiling). No, as I said, it's not easy to play well here. With the wind as well today was tough. But I'm trying to do things right, you know, stay low and try to hit the ball and serve well and return as better as possible.

I think winning matches also helps. Yeah, but at the moment, I'm feeling good. Let's see tomorrow. You never know (smiling).

Q. How important was it for you kind of in the first week you're competing after a major final to put in a good performance, go deep in the tournament, and kind of pick up where you left off?

JASMINE PAOLINI: You know, I didn't really think about it. You know, I was just, you know, it's a completely different surface. I was telling to myself that it's going to be not easy, you know, but I'm trying to focus, you know, on the present, not on the past. What I did in Paris stays in Paris (smiling).

Here it's another story, another tournament, another surface. The goal I think with my coach was to step on court and to adapt as much as possible. Of course, as I said many times, winning matches on also another surface helps, because it is like that.

But, yeah, as I said, it's completely another story. I didn't think about Paris at all, yeah.

Q. Katie said that you have practiced quite a lot together, played each other quite a lot before, you're very friendly with each other. You have both gone up the rankings this year. Knowing her game very well, how close do you think she is to having a breakthrough at a major?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, I know her, I don't know, maybe since I'm 14, we are 14, because, I don't know, we are same age. I don't even remember, but a long time ago.

I think, yeah, she's playing unbelievable. Also, my coach was telling to me before, even I played in February against her, that she was playing good and she's, for me, a very dangerous player.

Yeah, I think she can play really good on any surface, so she's I think dangerous in any Grand Slam, yeah.

Q. Finally, the seeds are out for Wimbledon. You're the No. 7 seed. That's got to feel very good going into the tournament. A few words on that?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, it's a little bit weird situation for me. I never been in that position.

But, yeah, I mean, as I said, every tournament, it has its own story. I remember the past two years I played Kvitova first round, and that was really bad (smiling), bad opponent to play on grass.

This year, she's pregnant, so I think I'm safe. (Laughter.) I'm not gonna play against her. I know there are a lot of players that are not seeded, but they can play really well on grass. But, yeah, not Kvitova this year.

Q. You took sets off her, though. Three-set losses against Petra.

JASMINE PAOLINI: Two years in a row, but two losses, three sets. It's okay.

Q. Did you know going into this week that you had not won a grass court match at a WTA tournament before?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I didn't know, because I think I played quallies here last year, so it was, like, okay, I won some matches. Not in main draw, but I won some matches.

Yeah, I didn't know that, but it's okay. I mean, I think I improved a little bit from the past years. Yeah, yesterday I was, let's say, lucky with the retirement, but bad luck for her. But today I think I played a really good match, yeah.

Q. The other match is not done yet, of course, but if it holds, it will be Kasatkina. What do you make of playing Dasha on grass here with the both of you?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know what to expect, but, I mean, I know her very well. We played a lot of times but I think just on clay, I think.

So I don't know what to expect here, but of course she loves to play here. She did final last year, so I think it's going to be of course a tough match, semifinal, so not easy matches.

I don't know. Let's see tomorrow. If Emma wins, I never play against her, so I have to, I don't know, speak with my coach and maybe think a little bit about her game. I think she can serve very well. She's a British player, so very dangerous on this surface again.

But let's see. When we have the opponent, we can speak (smiling).