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U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2011

Christina McHale

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

C. McHALE/A. Wozniack
6-3, 6-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Christina.

Q. Was that one tougher than you expected?
CHRISTINA McHALE: No. I knew that she was a really good player. Like, she had some good results this summer. So, no. I was just so happy and relieved to have pulled that one through.

Q. Were you able to spend yesterday at your house?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah. I'm staying at my house. Yeah, we just spent the whole day inside. Couldn't do much, yeah.

Q. What do you think of the new court?
CHRISTINA McHALE: I like it. I like the atmosphere there. I liked it.

Q. Were you expecting to have a night match?
CHRISTINA McHALE: No. I didn't know, yeah, what the schedule was going to be like.

Q. What do you learn about yourself when you win third sets like that and pull out matches that could go either way?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, I mean, I'm so excited 'cause, yeah, especially like the close ones sometimes feel better than winning easily, like pulling it out like that.
So, yeah, I'm really excited.

Q. You say you liked the atmosphere. Did you hear the people?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah. I had like part of my family like in different areas, and friends. It was nice. Whatever side of the court I was on, I always had someone that was cheering me on.

Q. How many did you have here, do you think?
CHRISTINA McHALE: I mean, family members, I think like, uhm, I probably had like 10 family members, yeah.

Q. Did that inspire you? Seemed when you went down a break in the third, they got loud.
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, uhm, I got off to a really slow start in the third. I think I lost like the first, uhm, eight points of the set.
So, yeah, they tried to get me going.

Q. Being from New Jersey, you must have come to night matches at the Open or watched them on TV. Do you have any perception of what that atmosphere is like? Were you hoping you'd get some of that yourself?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah. I mean, actually two years ago I played a night match. I think last year my match ended late, too.
But, yeah, it's a different atmosphere. I enjoyed it today. I'm happy I pulled through.

Q. Did those eight points go fast in the third set? Does that feel fast when that happens? What do you tell yourself inside to make that stop?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, I mean, it just felt like out of my control, kind of, like the points were going fast, out of my control.
So, yeah, I knew that the next game, the 2-Love game, was crucial if I was going to come back.

Q. What has the summer been like after beating Caroline Wozniacki, now this?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, I've been happy with how the summer's gone so far. To win today like 6-4 in the third, yeah, it means a lot to me, especially here at the US Open, so...
Yeah, I'm really happy.

Q. Where is your confidence level right now? Does that play a part in you being able to come back in the third set?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, I mean, I think I played a lot of matches recently. So I think, uhm, yeah, just having had a lot of match play, I think that helped me to be able to turn around the third set.

Q. How tough is it for a player of your level, being a challenger-level player, to be able to make the jump, make the main draw at a major event?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Uhm, yeah, I think I've been slowly, like, getting there, like improving my ranking, improving my tennis.
I think, uhm, yeah, just working hard each day on the court and just, yeah, trying my best out there every time.

Q. Venus is coming in this room after you. Could you have ever dreamed of the day?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, I was excited when they told me I was going to be in this room. But, yeah, it's exciting, the whole thing.

Q. After the summer you've had, how disappointing would it have been if you didn't come back in the third set?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, uhm, luckily I didn't think about that in the third set, so I think that's what helped me to come back. But, yeah, I mean, it would have been definitely disappointing because this is a tournament that I really want to do well at.
But, uhm, yeah, I would have just had to move on. Yeah, couldn't let it affect me too much.

Q. How much thought have you given to playing in the Olympics maybe even next year, and how would you handicap your prospects of making that team?
CHRISTINA McHALE: I have no idea how they choose, so I really -- I haven't put, yeah, any thought into it. If that were to happen I'd be thrilled, but I have no idea how they pick, yeah.

Q. Have you imagined yourself playing in the Olympics just with the Fed Cup experience that you had?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah. I mean, I think that would be just amazing to be able to represent the U.S. and go to the most important thing, the Olympics.
But, uhm, yeah, no, I don't know how they choose, so I don't know how it happens.

Q. You said in that third set you felt like things were kind of getting out of your control. What do you do to stop that? Are there any mental tricks you play?
CHRISTINA McHALE: No. I think just trying not to think about the score helps. Yeah, just playing each point to the best that I can. And then, yeah, hopefully it turns around.

Q. What color is your dress?
CHRISTINA McHALE: It's some sort of purple, I think. Yeah, purple with like an orange in it, yeah.

Q. Do you have any early memories of the US Open? Is this a tournament that you felt a particular affinity for?
CHRISTINA McHALE: Yeah, I mean, I live so close to it, so my family would always come since I was like 9 and 10 to watch the Open. I played the juniors a couple years. Now playing this the past three years.
Yeah, it's one of my favorite times of the year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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