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U.S. OPENAugust 29, 2012Laura RobsonNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK L. ROBSON/K. Clijsters THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How about that forehand set up for match point? One of the best shots you ever hit? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, I actually practice that sometimes, so I was hoping that it was going to go in. Uhm, and then, yeah, I couldn't actually see whether it was on the line or whether it was just in because of the sponsor things on the net. I was just hoping for the best. Then when she said 6‑5, I was like, Yes, fist pump. Q. Was it a hard place to dig yourself out of? You didn't appear to be disappointed by the missed match points. LAURA ROBSON: I wasn't really that disappointed with the first two match points because she played two great points and I couldn't really do much off them, especially the second one where she hit an ace. So you just have to accept it. And, uhm, you know, she was always going to be really tough to break. Once it got to the tiebreak I was just thinking like, Keep going for your shots. Uhm, you know, stay focused on each point one at a time. Q. What do you think this result says about the state of your game and perhaps even your potential? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, it's hard to say. I've had some tough losses to some top players before. Uhm, you know, against Sharapova at the Olympics it was a really tough first set, and then I sort of struggled to keep the level up. That's what I'm really happy with today, uhm, that I managed to keep it up for the whole match. Q. Obviously she's a player that you respect. How hard is it to keep the occasion out of your mind, you were the one putting an end to her career? LAURA ROBSON: I didn't think about that during the match at all. If I thought about that I would have been a lot more nervous, for sure. Uhm, but, you know, it's definitely disappointing to see her retire because she's such a great addition to the women's game, I think. Uhm, you know, she's always been someone that I've looked up to since I started on the tour. She's always been incredibly nice to be around. I think we're all going to miss her. Q. Laura, you looked like you couldn't believe it at the end, but did you really believe it beforehand? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, well, I sort of went into the match with no expectations because she had all the pressure on her. I was just able to play as freely as I wanted to, go for all my shots. Uhm, you know, I think I was more nervous to serve out the first set than I was to serve out the match, because in the second set, you know, I already had those two match points and I was just thinking, Go for this first serve. If you miss it, you're always going to have another chance. Q. Given the progress you've made this year, what do you think the main improvements you've made are? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, I think‑‑ well, I've tried to work on everything. Uhm, I've done quite a bit of tactical stuff recently, which I feel has made more of a difference, but I've also worked very hard on my speed around the court. I think that has improved the most in the last year. And, you know, I feel confident enough in my movement to run down a lot more balls. I think, uhm, you know, I'm making the points a bit tougher for my opponents to win just by getting that extra ball back every time. Q. How did you find playing on Arthur Ashe? LAURA ROBSON: It got a little bit more full towards the end of the match. She had a lot of support during the match, which is always good. Uhm, she's always a crowd favorite, so it was pretty tough. But there were quite a few British supporters still. They seem to be following me around a little bit, which is always a good thing. Yeah, I really enjoyed myself out there. I was just trying not to sing at the change of ends. I managed to sing along once to the Taylor Swift song. I couldn't help myself. Q. You haven't been with your new coach for very long. Would you say that change has had any input into this result? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, it's a bit early, I'd say. I've worked really hard in the first few weeks since Cincy. Once I lost in Cincy and once I lost in New Haven, I went straight back on the practice court to get as much done as I could before this tournament started. Uhm, I feel like I have been improving, but I haven't been able to do a full training week with him, so I think it's still very early days. Q. In the last month or so you've added a big line to your CV with the silver medal, one thing that Clijsters never even had in her career, an Olympic medal. How much do you think the confidence of that moment helped you in a match like this? LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, it's a tough one, because mixed doubles is very, very different to singles, so it's hard to sort of transfer that onto the singles court. But Andy and I played some great matches at the Olympics. We were really close to gold. But I feel like I'm playing better now than I was then, especially with my serve. I managed to serve out both sets today, uhm, which I struggled with a little bit during the Olympics. Q. You said that you were really trying to keep out the thought that you could be the last opponent in her career. Were there moments at all in the match where that thought occurred to you, or was it only afterwards? Could you describe what that was like, to realize that you have that distinction. LAURA ROBSON: I honestly didn't think about it at all during the match. You know, I was so focused on trying to play as aggressive as I could so she couldn't put the pressure on me, uhm, and that's all I thought about. At the end, you know, it was obviously, uhm, really sad to see her play her last match. But, uhm, it happens sometimes. And, yeah, I'm feeling a little bit worse now that you keep mentioning it. (Smiling.) Q. Do you feel like the girl that shot Bambi? LAURA ROBSON: I wouldn't go that far. I would say that was Becker beating Agassi here a few years ago. Q. The matches against Sharapova that you didn't win, did they inspire you? LAURA ROBSON: In the first‑set tiebreak I was thinking I've had a few tough tiebreaks and lost them, so it would be pretty nice to win this one. But, uhm, I think every match that I play against a tough opponent, like Sharapova, I get more experience from it and I learn a lot, and that's what I tried to bring on court today. And I thought I played really solid in both tiebreaks today. I think previously I just sort of slipped up a little bit in the key moments, at sort of 4‑All, 5‑All; today I managed to stick with it. Q. You talked on court about Kim being a role model for you. What particular qualities do you think? LAURA ROBSON: I just think she's been able to bring so much to the women's game. Uhm, for me, I've always loved watching her play because she's such a dynamic player. Her movement is something that I wish I could have. And, you know, it's just been great to watch her over the years. A few years ago I was here to watch a friend of mine, Sally Peers, and she played Kim second round. It was a night match on Arthur Ashe. Sally got absolutely killed, but it was really interesting to see Kim live for the first time and see just how quickly she moves around the court. Q. Obviously this is a big individual scalp for you, but also your first time in the third round of a slam, which has to feel like a pretty big accomplishment. How much does that level of what you've accomplished mean to you? LAURA ROBSON: It's great to be through to the third round of a slam for the first time. I have a really tough match next round against Li Na. She's playing extremely well at the moment. She's in great form. She just won Cincy. I'm going to have a little chat to Heather and see what her thoughts were, seeing as they played each other first round. Q. Do you think this win will change the way you're going to be perceived in the locker room around the tour? LAURA ROBSON: No. I'm still a baby. (Smiling.) Q. Did you prove anything to yourself in this match? You delivered in a big match on a big stage. LAURA ROBSON: I've always loved playing on a big stage. I think like I thrive in a good atmosphere and I feel like I play better on big courts and I have a lot of support. And because it's easier, too, when you have less pressure on you. But, uhm, yeah, I'm happy that I managed to serve it out in the end. I'm looking forward to the next match. Q. How would you describe the pressures that you perceive on British players given the Grand Slam drought? LAURA ROBSON: I think Andy's very, very close.  Uhm, you know, he showed at the Olympics how well he can play, so hopefully he's going to bring that form into this tournament. But, uhm, you know, I think we're all doing the best that we can. I know that I'm working extremely hard every day, and I know all the other girls are, as well. I'm sure Andy is, so hopefully it will happen at some point. Q. What are your thoughts on the way Andy has handled his career and dealt with the various pressures? LAURA ROBSON: I think he handles it extremely well. Uhm, you know, he had quite a bit of pressure on him at Wimbledon and he managed to make the final. You know, Federer played incredible that day, so that was definitely a tough loss. To rebound like he did at the Olympics was, uhm, very impressive to watch. Q. Did you see any of Johanna's match, and how good is it to have some company in the tournament? LAURA ROBSON: I didn't manage to watch any yesterday, uhm, because I was back at the hotel and there was no TV. But, yeah, it's great. You know, she must have played really well yesterday. I think she plays Govortsova now, which I think is winnable for her. Hopefully she'll be able to pull it out. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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