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MERCURY INSURANCE OPEN

August 5, 2011

Sloane Stephens

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

A. PETKOVIC/S. Stephens
6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is this an example of where maybe inexperience comes in a little bit? Got away from you fast after you seemed even to start off.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. I was just talking to Renee actually. She's like, you know, everyone is like it's experience, experience, experience. But, I mean, I totally just had a brain fart. Then I was kind of like, wait, focus, focus, relax. It wasn't happening. It was just like more bubbles kept coming.

Q. It gets away from you so fast sometimes.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Before I knew it, it was like 5-0. I was like, Oh, my God, I got to get a game. I told Amy, If I would have lost 6-0 I probably would have died. It was awful. But I got a game, so it's fine.

Q. Do you know the rest of your schedule this summer?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I'm hoping to play Cincinnati, New Haven and then possibly US Open. I'll see how I'm feeling after that. Obviously I'm not too worn down because these are the first three matches I won in the summer. It's not like I'm totally worn out. Hopefully I can keep it going in the right direction.

Q. Will you need to qualify for the Open?
SLOANE STEPHENS: As of now. Hoping for a wild card, but as of now I'm in quallies.

Q. You were kind of alluding to obviously the emotion that you showed after you didn't hold serve and get that point. You seemed to be well-loved by the crowd, got a great ovation after. The tour loves the fact a fresh face like you is having fun out there.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, definitely. I try not to be like way too serious and like crazy and weird and all kinds of bad things.
But, you know, I'm still young so I probably have like, out of all the players, the most energy. Just to keep a smile and stay positive I think goes a long way in terms of everything, in press conferences, on court, off court. So for me, that helps a lot. If you're not feeling too well, things aren't going well, it will show and people are going to see that. I think staying positive and having the right frame of mind helps a lot and it goes a long ways.

Q. Have you picked out those shoes yet?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, my gosh, yes, I have. Oh, God. I've had so much time on my hands, honestly. I'm like the worst on-line shopper ever. I can tell you like who's having a sale, what sale, what store you have to go to. I don't know. It's bad.
But you'll see them. I'll wear them sometime so you can see them because you always ask me every day. I'm sure we could go to dinner or something and you'd be able to appreciate them (laughter).

Q. Christian Louboutin?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, my God, how did you know? You can come to any of my press conferences.

Q. The 3-2 game in the first set, were there any points you wish you could have back?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. 3-2, I was serving. We had a really long point. There was a forehand in the middle of the court. I hit it cross-court. I should have hit it down the line and come in, but I didn't. Obviously I hit it back cross-court. She hit it down the line, smacked it pretty good. I didn't get there. I think I like miss-hit it or something.
That point was a really long point. I really wish I would have won that point because it would have made it a lot easier.
But, you know, obviously not having been in that situation a lot, I wasn't really thinking, Oh, my God, this is an important point. Obviously, every point is important. But maybe if I had been there more or whatever.
I'm not upset. I had a pretty good week, considering I haven't won many matches. My first quarterfinal of a WTA. So I'm not disappointed at all.

Q. You were talking about the experience. After the match, Andrea just had rave reviews. She kept talking about fresh air, you hit a heavy ball, have a lot of talent. What does that say when someone that is highly ranked is praising you instead of talking about herself?
SLOANE STEPHENS: It's awesome. She's such a nice girl. I see her all the time. She always speaks to me. If you're just nice to me and you say hi, I'm really going to like you.
I think like for her, she's a sweetheart, she's gorgeous. That's awesome she said those things about me. I'll probably hug her when I see her.
But, no, it's just awesome. Hopefully I'll live up to her expectations or reviews or whatever you want to call it.

Q. She's an experienced player, highly ranked, top 15. Did you get a sense that she sort of was able to pick your game apart, find a weakness and exploit it today?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I don't really think it was my game. It's more mental obviously because she's been in my position way, way long ago. I think that was easy for her to know that I'm here now and that was so long ago for her. She's really able to pinpoint it.
But I think, you know, it wasn't my game today, it was more mental. She actually played a really good match, though. What can you do?

Q. You've now played German women twice in the last two rounds, correct.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Okay, yeah.

Q. I just wondered if you found anything similar between the German women, if they're all maybe coached to play the same way, if there's any patterns there you discern?
SLOANE STEPHENS: The only thing I can say about the German women is that they're really nice. I mean, I don't know, they've all been pretty nice to me.
I mean, their play, they're all really aggressive. The three of them, I think they're all top 30 or something now. So, I mean, that's really good. They've had a really good season, obviously.
It's crazy because last year at US Open, we had a player meeting. It was like one of the first player meetings I went to. Everyone was having like a really intense argument. I really pretty much had nothing to say. At the time I was 17, barely playing pro tennis. I was sitting there. Petkovic stood up and said, No one wants to see me play. I'm 60 in the world. No one wants to watch me play.
I was thinking, That's crazy, why would she say that? Okay, now she's top 10 and everyone wants to see her play.
It is crazy how far you can come in a year. Even Lisicki playing so great the past couple tournaments, she's done really well. I think German tennis is at its best right now. What can you do? They're all really great girls, great people. You couldn't ask for anything more.

Q. Andrea is known for her dances after the match. Did you happen to catch what she did?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Did she dance today?

Q. It was a short one.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, no, I didn't see it. I wasn't paying attention. I mean, I wish I would have been paying attention, but I didn't see it.
But, no, I saw her do one. When she first started doing it at the US Open, she beat someone pretty good and she did it. But I haven't seen any other ones. I saw at the Australian Open, the video. That's the only thing I've seen. I should YouTube it or something.

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