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LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMESJuly 30, 2012Laura RobsonLONDON, ENGLAND L. ROBSON/L. Safarova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. That was a curious match in some respects. You started so brilliantly, 5‑1 up. Was the wind a bit of a factor? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, no. We had wind throughout the match. I think I just started really, really well. It's always tough to keep up that sort of level. But, you know, I was 5‑1 up, and I had a few‑‑ I went 30‑Love up, and I had a few bad first serves after that.  You know, just started to relax a little bit. That let her straight back into the set. She started putting much more pressure on my serve, especially on my second serve, uhm, so it was always tough to win my service games from then on. Uhm, but, you know, that happens in tennis. There's always a load of momentum changes, and I managed to deal with it. You know, at 5‑All I was just thinking, Go for a few more percentage first serves, just make her win the point, you know, just stay in there for as long as possible. That's what I did. Q. How different did it feel playing here in the Olympics compared to playing here at Wimbledon? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, it's a tough one. But, yeah, it's a tough one because it's so different. The crowd here is so different. They started singing God Save the Queen in my warmup. You definitely wouldn't have that at Wimbledon, but it was very funny. After every point, they were pumping me up. Uhm, in general, they were just a lot louder than what you get used to at Wimbledon. Uhm, you know, I think the courts are faster here, the backdrops are all different. I don't think you can really compare the two, because this is more of like a US Open‑type atmosphere. Q. We just asked Heather the same sort of question.  Because this is so far away from the Olympic Village, and I'm assuming you loved the Olympic Village, does it just feel like Wimbledon Part II, or would it be different if it were being played inStratford? LAURA ROBSON: It's a difficult one. When you're actually on the grounds here, it does feel like you're part of the Olympics in terms of the crowds are here and everything is so different to Wimbledon. But it would be nice to be a bit closer to everything else. Uhm, but in some ways it's probably better for us because we can go home in the evenings and focus on our matches rather than getting distracted by everything that's in the village. Q. When it is done, what are the things you specifically want to go and watch and see and be part of? LAURA ROBSON: I don't know how much time I'm going to have 'cause we're all planning on playing Cincinnati. So it depends how we do. But I would love to go watch the gymnastics, the swimming, the track cycling in the velodrome, handball. Basically anything. Because we didn't go to the opening ceremony, I haven't been in the athletic stadium yet, so I would love to go watch something in there. Q. You had a lot of success here as a junior. Where does today's win rank in your Wimbledon victories here? LAURA ROBSON: It's definitely one of the best wins I've had. Uhm, you know, it was such a tough match. I always find it really difficult to play against fellow lefties. Yeah, you know, today I think I just fought as well as I could and stuck with her. But, uhm, I've had quite a few other good matches, as well. Q. In terms of the quality of the opposition, would you say that was one of your best wins? LAURA ROBSON: Absolutely. Uhm, she is very tough to play, and she hits the ball really fast so you never get a lot of time on it. But against someone like her, I think the best thing you can do is just get one more ball back, you know, force her to really win the point. You know, it's all good when I'm hitting basically as well as I can to go 5‑1 up. But then after that, when she starts making a few more balls and things like that, you just have to stick with her. Q. About Sharapova, last year at Wimbledon you took her to a tiebreak. Would you feel you're better equipped now? LAURA ROBSON:  I think so, yeah. I would hope so. I think I'm moving better now than I was last year. My serve is a lot faster when it goes in, which hopefully will be quite often tomorrow. And, yeah, I think in general I've worked really hard on improving everything, and I think I've done that. But, you know, she's playing some of the best tennis of her life basically. It's definitely going to be a tough match. But, uhm, you know, I've got nothing to lose going into it, so all I can do is fight as hard as I can and try and play as well as I can. Q. In the second set you missed an overhead smash to go Love‑40 down, then won 9 of the next 11 points. LAURA ROBSON: It was a drive volley. Q. How pleased are you with the sort of mental strength that you're now able to show out there? LAURA ROBSON: Well, you know, it was my service game, so I always feel pretty confident on my serve. I know that, uhm, even if I go for a slightly softer serve and, you know, try to get the first‑serve percentage up, I still know it's a really hard ball for them to get back. I was Love‑40 down. I just thought, I'm going to make sure that I make the next few first serves and really put pressure on her and stay in the point. Uhm, and, you know, if she breaks me there, then I've got to try to break her back in the next game. But, yeah, definitely in the next game I made a lot more returns and, you know, tried to put more pressure on her serve so then she would make a few more errors. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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