|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
U.S. OPENAugust 28, 2012Johanna KontaNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK J. KONTA/T. Babos THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. That was an incredible game, 3‑5. Have you played a longer game than that? JOHANNA KONTA: I'm not sure. I haven't really kept time on other games, but it was definitely a long one. I don't even know how many deuces. Q. 14. JOHANNA KONTA: 14? So, yeah, it was very long. But I was glad to have gotten through that game. Q. Was that a key, do you think? JOHANNA KONTA: Of course, it was a bit of a turning point. I mean, of course it probably hurt her a bit. But I guess at 5‑1 down, I just kept my head down and I stayed level. It just paid off in the end. Q. Your emotions when you won? JOHANNA KONTA: Yeah, I saw a playback of the match point. That was pretty over the top. I couldn't really control it (smiling). But, yes, no, I was very happy, especially coming back from 5‑1, being able to stay reasonably cool. Yeah, happy. Q. You made a lot of mistakes in the first. It can get away from you quite quickly in the second set. JOHANNA KONTA: Yeah, no, she definitely picked up her game in the second set. I definitely dropped mine in certain parts. But I was able to get myself back into it, able to then level out. It came down to I guess who was the better player. Q. Mentally you must be delighted the way you came back to produce some of those shots very late in a very important period of the match as well. JOHANNA KONTA: No, definitely. No, definitely happy to stay calm through that. It's definitely a stressful situation. This is my first US Open. I'm happy I'm able to deal with the situations and circumstances so far. I hope I can continue to do so. Q. You've been around playing on the lower levels of the tour. You seem to be making quite decent progress the last six or eight months. Is there any particular reason why you think? Are you just growing? Things have clicked into place? JOHANNA KONTA: I'm definitely growing as a player. That's mainly to do with my mindset and the way I'm training and also the team I have around me. I've got a very good support system. The LTA has been supporting me for a number of years. The coaches I have around me I very much trust, and it's a great team for me to flourish with. It's just paying off so far. But there's a lot more work to do. I just hope to continue to do so. Q. Who are the team? JOHANNA KONTA: Louis Cayer, Julien Picot, Mark Taylor, then Millie Mirkovic. She's one of the physios. I mean, there's a bunch of physios. My main two coaches is Louis Cayer and Julien Picot. Q. The results have revved up since citizenship came through. Was that a weight off your mind? JOHANNA KONTA: Definitely. That was a very, very long process. There were so many questions being asked. It was something that I very much wanted out of the way because I very much want GBR next to my name for a very long time. To finally have it is just a pure weight off my shoulders. It's also great for the LTA, as well, to be able to officially say, yes, I am part of the team. Q. What part of the questions were being asked? JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I guess it was just always the uncertainty. No one believed that I was definitely getting it. It was a lot of doubts. Not many people understood the situation. So it was just a good ending. Q. Was there any stage where you thought it wasn't going to happen? JOHANNA KONTA: No. I mean, it's inevitable. I was always going to get it. There were times when it just could have dragged out that much more. It was just times where I was like, Oh, my goodness, this is taking forever. No, I always knew I was going to get it. Q. Did someone in particular go in to bat for you to help it through? JOHANNA KONTA: The legal team in the LTA. Steven Farrah (phonetic), he was a very big help. I mean, everyone, Iain Bates to Roger Draper to everyone in the LTA very much backed the whole process and were very supportive throughout the whole journey. Q. When did the process of trying to make the switch actually start? JOHANNA KONTA: I'm not actually too clear about the exact time. Q. I don't mean the exact legal process. JOHANNA KONTA: The choice? I mean, I got to the UK in 2005. When I originally got there, it wasn't straightaway a decision of, Okay, now I'm going to become British. It gradually became a process after spending some time there, getting to know, I guess, the people who are involved in the organization. Also after I was doing reasonably well in juniors, there became more interest, the fact that I wasn't living in Australia anymore. That kind of, I guess, all nudged in that direction. Q. Has that process dragged on? Do you think that affected your performances on the court? JOHANNA KONTA: The process of getting my citizenship? Q. Yes. JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know. I mean, I would like to think not. There were definitely other circumstances why it's been a longer process for me. I've only recently been able to have a very stable team around me. It never helps to stress about external things. But I wouldn't think there's a direct link to why I wasn't doing that well before. Q. Who is here with you apart from your coaching team? Your parents here? JOHANNA KONTA: No, mum and dad are at home unfortunately. Q. Did they force you to learn the national anthem? JOHANNA KONTA: I'm embarrassed to say I don't know the national anthem yet. I promise ‑ please write this ‑ I promise I will learn it and quiz me next time. Q. Were there odd questions? JOHANNA KONTA: Yeah, there was a "Life in the UK" test. I thought it was quite intense. I was asking a bunch of the kids at the LTA in the players lounge like the questions. Half of them didn't know the answers. I'm like, Well... It was just a bunch about the government, how the government works, then how the health system was formed, what kind of immigration groups there were throughout the 1960s, '70s, '80s. There was a very broad range of things. I was very nervous going into the test because they don't tell you how much you got. They only tell you if you pass or if you fail. I was very happy to see that I passed. Q. What was the craziest question they asked? JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, I cannot give you an answer. I do not remember enough. I wouldn't be able to tell you. Q. You've been in the UK for a while, so you feel British? JOHANNA KONTA: I think so, yes. I guess I don't know what it is to feel very British. But I feel that it's home. So I'm very happy to represent Great Britain. Yeah, I guess I feel so. Q. Did you watch the Olympics? Did you get a high? JOHANNA KONTA: I did, yes. There were some embarrassing moments where I was very much sweaty‑palmed, rooting for everyone. No, I was actually really proud watching the opening ceremony. I was like, Yes, that's where I live. Q. Do you have any connection with Hungary other than the fact your parents come from there? JOHANNA KONTA: I have my grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins all live there. Other than maybe visiting once every two years, no, not really. I speak Hungarian fluently. That's what I speak with my parents. But it's very much a country I visit, not a place I call home. Q. You didn't happen to know your opponent today? JOHANNA KONTA: I knew she was Hungarian. Q. You didn't know her personally? JOHANNA KONTA: I do from previous tournaments. You pretty much know all the girls by now. It's a very small tour. So I have known her for a while. I knew exactly what the crowd was saying to her in Hungarian. I understood everything. Q. Is it like you won a doubles title with her? JOHANNA KONTA: I did, yes. Beginning of last year we won a 25 in Mexico. Q. The official biography says you live in Eastbourne. JOHANNA KONTA: Yes. Mum and dad live at Eastbourne. That's where I commute to down on the weekends if I'm training up in London at the NTC and I have the weekends off, that's where I'll go. Q. (Question regarding time spent at academy.) JOHANNA KONTA: I did. I spent about 15 months there on and off. Obviously by that time I was living in London, so I was splitting a bit of time. It was good for the period I was there. I left because I needed to move on. But, no, I did enjoy it. Q. What is all this like? You're in the second round of the US Open. It's quite a big change for you, isn't it? JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, I actually feel kind of normal, as I would hope to. I feel like I've matured since Wimbledon. Also that was definitely a big eye‑opener. A lot of things were going on. I recently became British, my first Grand Slam, my first main draw. It was an epic match. I think I got a lot of that initial nervousness out of the way there. So I feel much more prepared here with these sort of things. I'm just happy that I'm able to stay level. Q. Laura and Heather are inside the top 100. Do you have a target for yourself? Do you feel like a top 100 player? Where do you see yourself going? JOHANNA KONTA: As high as I can go. I have very clear process goals of what I'm working on myself, my game. I very much believe that the rest will take care of itself as long as I stay within what I know I can control. Q. Does it help having those two? JOHANNA KONTA: I'm sure. A little healthy competition never hurts anyone, I guess. No, definitely. It's good to see that British tennis is getting better and better. I hope, you know, we get, all three of us, all five, Anne is in the top 100, Bali, but hopefully we'll have five in there. Q. Do you have a lot to do with Heather and Laura? JOHANNA KONTA: A lot to do in terms of? Q. Do you practice with them, socialize with them? JOHANNA KONTA: Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't say we're like unbelievably close just because of the nature of our sport. But we definitely are friends. We're friendly. If it happens, we will practice together. Obviously we do go out to dinner sometimes. It is a nice atmosphere. It's good. So, no, definitely I would like to think we could call each other friends. Q. Have you dealt much with Judy Murray, Fed Cup captain? JOHANNA KONTA: I hope I get chosen. It's always up to the captain. I very much hope I will be on the next Fed Cup team. Judy is great. I've known her for quite a number of years, but I only really started speaking to her during Wimbledon times. She's always sending me emails congratulating me. It's good. Q. What do you see as your best asset? JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know. I mean, I think I'm a good athlete. I have I guess a reasonable physique for the sport I do. So I would think that's one. That's the one that comes to mind. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|