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ROGERS CUP WOMENAugust 9, 2013Sorana CirsteaTORONTO, ONTARIO S. CIRSTEA/P. Kvitova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Last year you lost early in Montreal with a Love/Love to Karatantcheva. Different experience this year? SORANA CIRSTEA: I actually forgot about that loss. You know, I think I tried to just shake it very quickly. I have never played Montreal last year. At least that's how I'm thinking. It's my first time playing Toronto. So far, so good I have to say, no? It's been going really good. It might come as a surprise for many people. It's not really a surprise for me, because I know how hard I have been working for a couple of weeks. I know the steps that I have been making. As I said, when you work really hard, it's nice to see the reward. Q. Can you just talk about the course of the match? You know, she didn't serve her best. Just how you coped mentally and kind of the up‑and‑down moments. SORANA CIRSTEA: She's a very uncomfortable player. She's very aggressive, you know. So every single time you play her, you know, it's going to be very tough. Today I tried to go on the court with positive mentality and try to take the lead early on. Didn't really happen. I was down 3‑Love quite fast, you know, but then slowly started to get into the match. I think there were a few moments up and down, but I'm quite happy with the way I have played, you know. It was a lot of hard hitting where not as long rallies as the previous matches, but that's how she plays. She plays very fast, and you have to adjust to that. I'm very, very happy with the win, because I fought hard for that. And I think I managed quite well through the important moments. Q. What did Darren say to you when he came out in the second set? I think you were up 4‑1, and you had some very loose games. You called him out and you seemed to settle down after that. SORANA CIRSTEA: Yeah, he came at 4‑3 in the second set, and he pointed at the little girl in the stand and said, Where does she want to be? I said, Here in my place playing. So he said, Okay, so that's why you are here for. That's why you have been doing all the work. That's why you have been sacrificing everything for these moments. There is no other place in the world where you'd rather be. That speech had nothing to do with tennis. It was just motivational. From then on, I was like, That's it. You know, like I took the weight off, pressure off my shoulders. I'm here to play, here to enjoy. I'm here to give my best. She's better than me, she's going to beat me, but I'm not going to give it to her. I'm going to fight till last point. I have to give a lot of credit to Darren for that today. He was amazing. Also, when he came into the third set, I mean, he was a huge help. Q. I know you have won titles before, but this has to be in some ways your best tournament. You beat two former No. 1s and now a Wimbledon champion. SORANA CIRSTEA: Definitely, it's probably the best tournament in a long, long time. As I said, it might come as a surprise, you know, to many people. I don't think for me and my team it's such a big surprise, because we have been working consistently on things. From week to week I got better. So it's come kind of like a natural step. Of course, I'm just very, very happy to be able to back up like the Wozniacki win and yesterday's win and to go out there today and also show some good tennis and good attitude, you know. As I said, I'm actually enjoying playing right now, and I think that's the biggest difference. Q. Petra said that you could always hit the ball hard, but one thing you did today which you didn't do maybe in the past is you showed her you could stay in the rallies, too. SORANA CIRSTEA: Yes, I think that's maybe the biggest improvement. Everyone knows I have a very big game, and sometimes I can be a little bit everywhere, let's say. Yeah, when I have a great day, you know, everything, it's going my way, I hit winners left and right. But when I don't really have a good day, I don't really have much to rely on, which now we have been working to have that base now, to have that solid game that no matter what happens, know that sort of game, it's day in, day out. So of course now I have that base. I can play long rallies, you know, and then just accelerate whenever I feel is the right moment. It's a lot about being more disciplined on the court. It's something that we have been working on for a long time. Q. How do you actually work on being more consistent? What kind of things do you do? SORANA CIRSTEA: It's a lot of hours on the court. I think that's the only way you become more consistent than just hitting balls and just putting the work in. I mean, for me, everyone knows I have been grateful enough to be quite talented, but maybe it was a little bit up‑and‑down, you know, during the past year, which now that doesn't happen anymore. Every day coming, I put the hours. I don't have bad days anymore. I try to make the most out of each practice, try to push myself. It's just a different state of mind, different mentality. I have become more professional. It's, as I said, it's a learning process. I'm still ‑‑I still have a long way to go even now. Q. Was there something that changed your mindset? SORANA CIRSTEA: Yes, I think I grew up. You know, I matured. I learned a lot of things. Learned from my mistakes. That helped me a lot. Now, as I said, I'm more disciplined, I'm more professional. But also I don't forget that I actually love playing tennis. I'm quite lucky to be able to call my jobs my love also, you know. So I'm seeing things different now. As I said, I'm enjoying competing, looking forward the challenges. No matter if I win or lose, you know, I'm there. If you are better than me, then you have to beat me. I'm not going to give it to you. Q. You said yesterday that you're also working on staying calm throughout the match. Are there any specific kind of tactics you use to make sure you stay calm? SORANA CIRSTEA: I think the good attitude also comes after those, after the fact that you are confident in your game, you know, and that confidence comes after you spend all those hours in the court. So it's like a circle. When you know you have put the work in, know you have done the right things and of course you feel more confident, then you feel more calm because you have things to rely on. It's just everything coming together, you know. So it's, as I said, no, it's really nice to see the rewards of the hard work. Q. You must be a little bit happy that she double‑faulted on six break points? SORANA CIRSTEA: (Smiling). I don't think I was that aware of the double faults at the break points. Yes, maybe she didn't serve her best today. She gave me a few free points in important moments. But as I said, you know, I still have to fight hard for the match. Still had to, you know, to dig in, because even now I realize I was down a set and 5‑4, you know. So it's still like this match could have gone her way even without her serving that great. I'm glad for the fact I found a way to win today. Q. You want to talk a little bit about Li Na, another former Grand Slam champion who you will be playing? SORANA CIRSTEA: Yes, I have actually played Li Na quite a few times now. We know each other. I think maybe last year we played three or four times. I even played her this year in Australian Open. I think I know her a little bit. She knows me, as well. It's gonna be a very, very good match. She's always a very solid player. She's quite aggressive. I'm actually looking forward ‑‑I mean, I'm in semis right now, so of course I want to give my best tomorrow and have a good match no matter what the outcome, you know. Just to do the same things I have done till now, you know, just focus on my side of the court. Q. You're managing to surprise your opponent and turn the game around, surprise the public, surprise them. How do you do that? SORANA CIRSTEA: I think it's called self‑belief, which I have discovered quite not so long ago. Maybe before in the important moments I didn't really have that belief in me which now, you know, I know that any moment I can turn it around. So it's just ‑‑it's just I have to like play every single point. I'm not giving up. You know, I'm there. It does make a big difference in the game. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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