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AUSTRALIAN OPENJanuary 18, 2013Heather WatsonMELBOURNE, VICTORIA A. RADWANSKA/H. Watson THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. This time you got off to a really solid start, didn't you? You were competing really well at the beginning of that first set. HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, I thought I had a good start to the match. I had chances early on to break, but I wasn't able to convert. And I think after that game that I didn't convert it kind of just slipped away a little bit. And then it went 5‑3 and I had more chances to win that game to get back to 5‑4 and didn't convert again. And then first game of the second set had chances again and then there was a little break. When I came back on the court, the next few games just flew by. Then when the rain‑‑ it rained a bit and there was another break, and I felt like even more games just flew by. That's what makes Radwanska so good. She's just always there every game, so you can't have a second because she will just take the next few points. I feel like I did a lot better this time than last time, and the score doesn't really show how I felt out there. I felt like I was in it and it was a lot closer. But I felt a lot more confident this time. I felt like I could have been closer to winning that first set, and next time I'm just gonna have to learn to take my opportunities and get better at that and staying mentally tough and focused throughout the whole match. Q. How difficult is it to read her game? HEATHER WATSON: It's very tough. The ball isn't coming that fast, but it's just coming back every single time. My game plan today was to come to the net a bit more. I like coming to the net. I think that worked well. There were a few times I came in at the wrong time. But one thing she's very good at is when she's pulled wide, she's just got so much control of the ball. I think a few times I thought when I hit an angle she'd come back with an angle, but she went for the lower percentage shot down the line, but for her it's higher percentage. Q. When you see what she's achieved and is achieving, does that give you encouragement that you don't have to be able to hit the ball like a Serena or a Maria to get to the very top? HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, definitely. I think it's great that she's got to the top playing such a different game. And it's quite refreshing, I think, because lots of the girls just want to hit one or two shots, big serve, smack a return. It makes it more interesting to play and to watch somebody who builds a point and works a point. Q. Do you think that when you go up against these very top players, you're still kind of developing your kind of vision of how exactly you want to go about it? I know can you beat lesser‑ranked players most of the time, but you're still working out what your best option and is percentages are? HEATHER WATSON: Well, today I went into the match differently from last time. Last time I didn't really know what I was going to do, but this time I had a game plan. I have just realized that myself I need to work on mentally staying focused and being there mentally throughout without, you know, blinking, because I can't let it pass me by. Q. How is your elbow? Does it need a bit of a rest? HEATHER WATSON: It was fine today. I just didn't really have a good first‑serve percentage. I think that was very important to stick with her. But now that it's feeling better, I can work on my serve more and hit more serves. Q. How did you feel going out on that court, big match? You made better start probably than you made in the first two rounds. HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, definitely. The first two rounds ‑ I actually felt the best physically today, which is surprising. But, yeah, I was pleased with my start but disappointed that I didn't keep it up. Q. How nervous were you? Big match, but it was 11:00 in the morning. HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, I wasn't that nervous. I was much better today. I didn't have anything to lose. The first two rounds I think I was a lot more tense and nervous. Yeah, I was better today. Q. Do you feel there is anything specifically you have to work on in your game now to make the next step up, or is it generally? HEATHER WATSON: I think, yeah, I think it's a bit of both. I want to continue being aggressive and coming to the net. My serve, which was tough to do this week because of the injury I have had. And just learning how to take my chances and play the important moments better, because you don't get many chances against the top players and you need to take them when you get them. Q. When you play someone like Agnieszka who has a lot of variety, do you sort of think to yourself, I need to add a little bit of that to my game? Your game is obviously based around consistency and playing the way you play, but do you think you need to mix a little bit up as you go along? HEATHER WATSON: I think I have a lot of variety in my game. I don't just try and smack everything and just play one way. I adapt my game to whoever I'm playing. I hit dropshots; I come to the net. I feel like in a way I do have kind of a similar game to Agnieszka. But, yeah, I feel like I have a lot of variety in my game. Q. The points you've got here could take you as many sort of ten places up. Do you feel reasonably satisfied even though you didn't move on today? HEATHER WATSON: It was a good week, but I always feel like I could have done better. As long as I learn and just keep pushing and use this as motivation for next weeks to come. Q. What is next? HEATHER WATSON: Next is Pattaya and then Fed Cup. Q. With an 11:00 a.m. start today, did you get an early night last night or did you watch any of Laura? HEATHER WATSON: I watched the first set and a bit of Laura and then just went to bed. It was early, yeah. That, and then it was already like 10:30 then. I just went to sleep. Q. Were you surprised to hear that she had won after what you'd watched? HEATHER WATSON: No, I wasn't surprised. I knew it would be a close one. They both play very similar, so it could have gone either way. It ended up being quite a long one. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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