THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2024

Jasmine Paolini

Press Conference

J. PAOLINI/E. Navarro

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Jasmine, you're in the semifinals. How do you feel?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I'm feeling great. Today I think I have play a really good match. No mistakes. Yeah, it was really perfect match. Really, really nice to be in the semifinal here at Wimbledon.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Over the last year you lost to her three times. What would you say is the catalyst today that you made such a big switch?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. It was tough. Mentally it was tough to play against her. I love the way she plays. The last three matches I was really struggling with her.

Yeah, I was repeating to myself that it's a different match, different surface, so to try to be aggressive.

Yeah, today I think I played a really, really good match.

Q. You've had so little success on grass in the past. Have you made changes in your game? How are you starting to think about this surface?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Yeah, maybe I didn't realize before, but my coach was telling me that I could play well here. I wasn't believing too much.

I think also the last two years I played against Kvitova first round, so it was tough to believe it.

Yeah, I felt great also in Eastbourne. I was hitting well the ball on this surface, moving well. I was repeating to myself, Okay, it's nice to play on grass. You can play well.

Yeah, I didn't expect to do a semifinals here at all.

Q. Everything seemed to be working. What were you most pleased with today from that performance?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Today, yes, was working everything I have to say (smiling).

Yeah, maybe the forehand was working really well. Not too many mistakes. I think just few mistakes. I was trying to hit the ball hard because if not, she's was going to control the point.

Yeah, maybe the forehand was working really, really well.

Q. What do you think are your greatest strengths and what do you think Donna Vekic's greatest strengths are?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think she serves really good and she's fighting every ball. But I'm fighting, too, every ball.

No, I mean, I think I'm moving well here. But as I said, today I played a really good forehand. It's working good in this tournament, the forehand. Yeah, I hope it's going to help me with Donna.

Yeah, she's serving well. It's important also to return well against her I think, to make her run.

Q. Any other key to the match?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think here on grass, the keys are always the same: serving well and returning well and try to control every point because it's tough to defend, yeah.

Q. When your coach would tell you you could play well on this surface, how did you react? What would you say?

JASMINE PAOLINI: Sorry?

Q. When your coach would tell you that you can play well on grass...

JASMINE PAOLINI: I was saying, Okay, okay, okay, but wasn't believing in that (laughter). He was repeating me also before Eastbourne that I could play well on grass. I remember the first days in Eastbourne wasn't easy. You have to adapt. Was coming from clay, as every player.

Then, I mean, match by match I was feeling good. Yeah, I'm enjoying grass now.

Q. You talked about your movement. How much have you had to change on grass?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I think nothing. I didn't have to change nothing. I think I just have to adapt more because it's slippery. I remember the first match I fell down.

But yeah, it's not easy to move on grass. You have to adapt a little bit. It's also changing a little bit because the grass now, it's a little bit more I think dry on the end, on the baseline.

Yeah, I can say now that I'm feeling good on moving. I'm feeling more safe, as well.

Q. Why did the coach tell you you could be good? Were there certain things about your game?

JASMINE PAOLINI: I don't know. You have to ask him.

No, I think because I can hit hard the ball so I can also move well here. I was struggling maybe last year with the serve. But yeah, I don't know why he said that. I don't know. I'm going to ask him.