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U.S. OPENSeptember 9, 2012Samantha CrawfordNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK S. CRAWFORD/A. Kontaveit THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How did it feel to win the US Open? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: It was awesome, especially because it's the US Open. I grew up watching it. Q. Could you kind of sum up how you've grown this year, how you've gone from 900‑something in the world to now winning the US Open junior? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I think that I started playing more at pro tournaments and getting more matches and getting more wins and kind of just getting more confidence. I feel like I started playing better and everything in my game started improving. I think it just kind of led throughout the summer and through here. Q. Do you feel stronger now than you have been before? When you say the confidence factor, you're a pretty big girl and you can hit the ball pretty hard. Are you going for your shots more now? Is that the confidence factor? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I think I always kind of went for my shots whether or not they went in was the problem. I think I've kind of gotten better with staying in points and being able to set up points and then going for my shots from there. Q. What were your expectations coming into this tournament? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I just wanted to get matches in and try to play as many matches as I could. Kind of just keep practicing things that I wanted to do. Q. You had some tough matches. Do you think that made you stronger as the tournament went along? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I mean, those were tough matches, so they probably made me a little more tired. But, yeah, I think when you get through tough matches you gain a little more confidence in your next match. You know you have been through a tough situation, and that kind of helps you through. Q. Was your Love‑6 first set loss in the third round the toughest part? How did you feel at that point? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I mean, I felt like after that I kind of just was playing more freely and wasn't worried about anything because I was thinking, like, I couldn't do any worse than that. Q. You had a tough first‑round match in the women's singles tournament. You qualified and played Laura Robson and had a set point in the second set. Unlucky bounce. How did that experience help you for the juniors, do you think? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Well, I think qualifying was a great experience, and just being able to play in a bigger situation and being able to pull through matches. Even having that tough match with Laura, I mean, I felt like I was there, like I had my chances. Q. When you saw that you were there and then you saw her go on to beat Clijsters and Li Na, did that help your confidence, do you think? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yeah, I thought it was encouraging, and those were great wins for her. Q. You came out and she came out both playing extremely well. No nerves at all in your first final? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I think the nerves kind of came and then went away and then came back again. I was trying to take my time and not really think about, like, what match I was playing and not focusing on it being the finals as much. Q. She kept saying, She just played too good. Do you feel you played at the highest level you've played these last two weeks? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yeah, I thought she came out playing really well and kind of forced me to try to play better. I think as the match went on I started serving better and kind of making more shots and playing better overall. Q. Wildcard? Did you qualify for it? You were a wildcard entrant, right? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yes, for the juniors. Q. How did you get it? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I applied for it. Q. To the USTA? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yeah, to the USTA. Q. Victoria got one, as well. SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yeah, I think she got hers for winning hard courts. Q. Why do you think you were chosen? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I thought I had a pretty good summer. I don't know. Q. What was your ranking coming into this tournament? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: For juniors? I think it was 90‑something. Q. There has been a lot of Americans who have won junior Grand Slams lately. Now you are added to that list. What do you think the future of American tennis at the pro level looks like in the wake of all these titles? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Well, I think there are a lot of juniors doing well, even the ones that haven't won a slam. I think that it's promising for American tennis. Q. You were up like a break and then she has to serve. How important it is for you to be in the finals and have that break? Were you feeling more confident once you held at 5‑3? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: At 5‑3 when she was serving, yeah, she had started serving better, I thought, after I broke her. She had held her serve a couple more times. That game I was just trying to hang in there and kind of see what would happened. So, I mean, there were a couple of points where I was running like all over the place, but I was just trying to get the ball back and stay in the points. Q. Do you remember where you were when you got the wildcard and kind of what your reaction was? Did you expect to be playing here? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I was hoping that I would be playing here. I think I was in Boca actually when I got the news. Q. What was your reaction? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I was happy. I played here last year and it was my first time in New York. I wanted to come back because I love being here. Q. What else have you done while you've been this here? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Like nontennis‑wise? Q. Yeah. SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Not much. (Smiling.) I have been to Times Square a couple of times. That's pretty much it. Q. Are you spending a few more days in the city? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: No, I think I'm leaving tonight. Q. When does school start, or has it? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yeah, I'm going into my senior year. I think when I get back I'll start. Q. Where are you going to high school? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I'm doing online school with K12. Q. You're based in Boca now, Florida? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: Yeah, at the USTA in Boca Raton. Q. How long have you been in Florida? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I first moved there when I was 12 with Nick Saviano for like three years, and then I went back to Georgia for a little bit. I came back, and then I have been with the USTA like three years now. Q. How do you see your life after this title? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I want to go back and continue working hard and seeing how far I can go. Q. Is Tamarack your hometown? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: No, I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. Q. Are you set that you are not going the college route or haven't decided yet? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I haven't decided yet. Q. Who is recruiting you at this point? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: I heard from a lot of schools. I want to stay on one of the coasts kind of. Q. Who is like a coach in your tennis career or a special person? Who would you like to talk about? SAMANTHA CRAWFORD: My coach right now is Kathy Rinaldi. I mean, she's helped me so much and she's such a great person. She's so encouraging. She's a great person, really. She's helped me so much. I really want to thank her. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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