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WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2011

Marion Bartoli

LONDON, ENGLAND

M. BARTOLI/S. Williams
6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Having beaten the reigning champion, do you feel you can go all the way to the final now?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I don't think it's working like that. You know, I will have another match to play tomorrow. I'm sure it's going to be extremely difficult.
So of course I'm extremely happy about what I did today, considering playing against Serena. I don't know how many times she wins there. But she's extremely tough to beat.
Of course, it's a great performance. But tomorrow is another day so I have to stay extremely focused and not thinking too far ahead.

Q. You played three wonderful matches. Which one have you been suffering the most and which do you think has been the best?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I suffering the most definitely against Flavia. I mean, that one was crazy. But I think we just both played extremely well. That's why it was so tight.
I was not feeling very well. I was a bit sick in my stomach, so it was of course giving things a bit tougher.
But I really took deep into my guts and find a way to stay in there and win the match, even though it was taking three hours and something.
But I think today the way I played and the way I handled the pressure, especially the pressure, was good. But against Flavia it was extremely tough as well.
But I think this match against Flavia helped me today to step up and during those tough moments to really play some great points, as well, so...

Q. Those three match points...
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, she was playing well, as well. I didn't play against her before. She was really, you know, not making too many mistake, playing very well with her backhand, a lot of slice, a lot of dropshots. She was doing a great match.
It was not like I was playing extremely bad. It was her that was playing well. Sometimes you just have to accept that your opponent is playing well and still find a way to win. Even though it's not Serena Williams, on that day she was playing well.
I don't really think because I'm playing someone who does not have a big name she's not going to be able to beat me. I know it's going to be tough, and I know I just really have to stay onboard and try to go on the court and try my best.

Q. What do you think of Serena's level at this point considering all she's been through in the last year?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, it's hard to judge for me because I didn't play her in the last few years when she was really No. 1 in the world and dominating. It's really hard for me to compare.

Q. Compared to the other top players.
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I played a lot of top players. When I was playing those kind of level, I was winning more easily just because they were not acing me all the time. I was having a chance to break.
I mean, I don't know how many times she come up with some huge serve on some big occasion, but I felt like it was almost every time. Maybe it was just the wrong feeling.
I really felt like every time I had the occasion, she was serving huge all the time. Even when I play against the best player in the world, I didn't have this feeling.

Q. What about your own serving? It was pretty good today.
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, but at 40-15 at 6-5, that's where I need it most. I was unable to finish on this game.
So, of course, especially on the match point in the tiebreak, that serve definitely help me. I think overall I can be very pleased about my performance.
But to answer your question, it's hard for me because I didn't play against her in the last two years.

Q. Your fist pumping and bouncing were entertaining the crowd an awful lot. Tell us what that does for you as motivation.
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, you know, I think it's really starting to click out for me on my attitude on the court, especially since the French Open happens.
Usually during those matches when I was playing against some great champion like Serena or something like that, I was more a bit shy, not showing too much on the court. My opponent was really taking all the space and I was not able to do really anything or just appear on the scene.
So it's really important for me to believe that I can win the match and overall act as a winner. Of course, it's a bit special, but it's the way I'm acting and the way I'm feeling comfortable. I think this kind of attitude really helped me to go through the performance that I had in the match. Because the first set at 5-2, I had a lot of set points, I was not able to finish the set. At 5-3, I have to serve, I don't know, four or five aces during one game to hold my serve.
So believe in the moment and believe that I can win the match really helped me to go through the tough situations.

Q. You had your problems with your parents. I heard you on the TV earlier apologize to them. What does that tell us about your personality?
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, well, you know, I think I'm a different person outside the court and on the court. When I'm on the court, I'm really a bad loser. I mean, I hate to lose. This starts when I was maybe five or six years old on everything I was doing.
When it was just a matter of winning, it was playing Monopoly or cards with my brother or whatever, I was staying there until I was winning. It's always been like that.
When it's outside and there is no competition, I'm just really acting normally. I'm really trying to be a nice person. But during that match on Saturday against Flavia I was sick, really sick. When I lost this first set 7-5 after more than one hour, I really lose my mind. But it happens. You know, I think we are all human. For 10 seconds I lost my mind.
But my parents didn't really blame me for that because they know how hard it was for me just to be on the court. And I was really, really sick. Today I was feeling a bit better and you see how I played.
I mean, when you are really not in the best shape and you're not feeling well, sometimes you do some stupid things. Of course, I'm not proud of it. But it happens once every probably 10 years, so it's not also happening every single match.

Q. Could you explain why you have these rituals before your serve and return?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, it helps me to stay in the moment and not to think too much about the scoreboard or the moment or the occasion or who I am playing against.
And it's really important, especially on grass, you know, you have to be really quick in the second, especially when you play against Serena. You cannot be slow on your footwork. You cannot wait for the ball.
So I had to stay really mobile and try to move a lot to keep the level of energy high and to really stay in the moment. Especially at 6-5, when I have those three match points, if I cannot stay in the moment, I can easily lose the match.

Q. You bounce the ball four times. Why not three or five?
MARION BARTOLI: I never counted them. I never count how many times I'm bouncing the ball. But I don't know how many times Djokovic is bouncing the ball.

Q. When you win a big match in a tournament, then win another in the same tournament, how does that affect your confidence? Does that give you more confidence and the feeling you might go deep into a tournament?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, you know, it's an old clichÃ©, but you have to really take every single match and not thinking too far ahead. You cannot say because I beat Serena I'm going to win the whole thing. It's not just working like that.
I know tomorrow is going to be another day. I know I'm playing against another player who is playing very well. She won in Birmingham, and she's in the quarterfinal here. So she has not lost one match on grass, just like me. So it's going to be tough.
And I don't expect, just because I beat Serena today it's going to be extremely easy tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new start. I know I have to be extremely focused on what I'm going to do on the court and try my best just as today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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