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ROLAND GARROSMay 29, 2014Heather WatsonPARIS, FRANCE S. HALEP/H. Watson THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please. Q. Are you still looking at it as a good week, or too disappointed to look at it that way? HEATHER WATSON: I think I'm a bit disappointed right now. It has been a good few weeks for me. This was my third clay court tournament and it's gone well, but obviously I'm still thinking of the match that's just happened, so I'm not going to be as positive as I probably should be. Today was tough. Simona played very well, as I knew she would. I don't think I was on my best game. I made a lot more unforced errors than I usually do, and I thought my first serve percentage wasn't very high. I wasn't helping myself getting any free points with that. But at the end of the day, she made hardly any unforced errors. She made me make those unforced errors. Got to give her credit for that. Q. You won a lot of matches over the last month. Big step up in class today. Did you really feel that early on in the match, that you're playing someone at a different level? HEATHER WATSON: She played well, yes, but I didn't feel she was a total different level. I felt she made‑‑ she took advantage of a blip I had in the first set of not making many balls. That's what they do, the top players, they don't make any unforced errors. You know, I know what I need to work on, but I also know that I'm not far off. Q. Related to that, do you think the women's tournament is wide open? Do you think she can win this event, and would it make you feel better if she did? HEATHER WATSON: I probably won't follow the results much now that I'm not in it. I didn't really follow them while I was in it. I just focused on my matches, who my next opponents were. I honestly think in the women's game it's open for anybody, anybody who has that good day. I think that's a positive thing, because for me, next time, you know, it's an opportunity for anybody. Anybody can win on their day. I don't feel like it's as consistent as the men's game is, and I think that's a good thing. Q. Just looking ahead, because we won't speak to you again after this, with Laura kind of injured, whatever, you're going to be the British No. 1 going into the grass court season. Without her, I guess there will be more focus on you probably. Is that something that daunts you, or do your recent performances send you into the grass period believing you'll be able to handle all that? HEATHER WATSON: I haven't even thought about it. You know, I'm looking forward to the grass court season. I'm pleased with how I'm playing. I just really, really want to take advantage of how I'm playing and, yeah, just use that for the grass court season. But I'm not thinking about if Laura or Jo is going to be there. I'm just focused on myself and all the other tennis players who are going to be my competition. Q. Are the mistakes today the result of the philosophy of attacking when you can, and are you going to continue in that vein? HEATHER WATSON: Absolutely. I did make more unforced errors today. I think fatigue hit a bit. I felt a bit heavier. I wasn't moving like I usually do. Absolutely I think that's the way forward. It's what's going to win big matches. It's what's going to beat top opponents. I'm definitely going to keep doing that. Q. You said you didn't think there was a great deal of difference today. That must really encourage you when you see she's No.4 in the world and you were right there with her. HEATHER WATSON: Absolutely, especially that last game. It could have really changed it. I felt she was a bit nervous in that last game. So was I, and I didn't take advantage. Yeah, definitely a positive. Still, I'm disappointed that I didn't do better today. I really expected more from myself. It happens, and I'll just take these weeks as a positive for the grass. Q. You've obviously done very well the last few months climbing back up the rankings. When you look at what Halep has done in the last year‑ she was No. 57 in the world coming into this tournament ‑ does that give encouragement to you that anything is possible, in the women's game in particular? HEATHER WATSON: Absolutely. Like I said, with the women's game you've got players like Halep who have just shot up; Errani when, she came up, shot up. Yeah, I think you just move up so quickly. It's all about confidence in the women's game. Like I said, you see these players just go off and start rising so quickly. I feel like, yeah, we can all do that. Q. You've won a WTA title and put together a lot of long winning streaks already in your career. Is sort of taking down a really big name the next thing that you aspire to do? HEATHER WATSON: Well, I don't want to see it as trying to take down a big name. I want to see it as getting to this round of a Grand Slam or getting this far in a tournament. I just see them as an opponent that I need to get past to get to that next round. I don't really care who it is anymore. Q. Last year obviously in the grass season you were just coming back and you weren't fully fit. How much are you looking forward to having a chance to go into this in good form and fully fit? HEATHER WATSON: I kind of went into the last grass court season a bit scared and just hoping I'd play okay, but this time it's very different. I'm going in and I want to win. I want to go far and make I want to make the second week. Yeah, I'm just looking at it a lot differently. I'm feeling very different to how I was last year. Q. So you think second week of Wimbledon could be a possibility for you? HEATHER WATSON: Absolutely a possibility. Q. Where do you go next? Nottingham? HEATHER WATSON: Probably not going to play Nottingham because I sprained my ankle last week and I still need to get it better. I've been having it taped all this week, so I'm going to probably give that a rest. Q. Then Birmingham, Eastbourne... HEATHER WATSON: Eastbourne, Wimbledon. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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