|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
ROLAND GARROSMay 28, 2014Taylor TownsendPARIS, FRANCE T. TOWNSEND/A. Cornet THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please. Q. If someone had said to you a week or so ago that in your first slam you're going to last longer than No. 1 Serena or Venus, what would you say? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I would say, That's interesting (smiling). But, you know what? It's good, but I have been preparing for these moments. These are the kinds of things that I have been working for every day, you know; putting in hours on the court, putting in hours in the gym, putting in hours off the court. So I'm really happy, but these are the things, these are the moments, these are the things that any young professional athlete is working for. I'm really fortunate that I took advantage of it today. Q. Really challenging atmosphere out there on the court. You said you did a lot of visualizing. Could you talk about that? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, I mean, I just tried ‑‑I knew the crowd was going to be against me going into the match, and I didn't know to what degree because I have never played on a stadium like that in the girl's home country. But I knew for the most part that they were going to be against me. So I really just tried to focus on myself, focus on what I should be doing, trying not to really think about, you know, that every single person in that stadium basically is going against you and wants you to lose (smiling). I just really tried to focus in on what I was doing and tried to take it one ball at a time. Q. Just to follow up on that, where were you, they're chanting her name and the wave and sort of drizzling? You know, you got tentative. You had some big leads, you blew a bunch of match points. There was a lot of adversity you had to overcome. Just talk about all of that. TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, I mean, it was definitely tough. I was playing really well set and 4‑1, and she elevated her game. I got a little bit more tentative, but it was such a new moment for me I was trying to deal with it. It was tough. It's tough for anybody. So she came back, and she's obviously more experienced, so she definitely was using the crowd and using everything that she could to pull herself back in. The same thing in the third. I mean, I was up 5‑1 and she came back 5‑4 and the crowd was going nuts. Like I said, I was just really trying to focus on myself, focus on what I was doing to get me to that point and really just, like, you know, take one ball, the ball is coming back, just keep going at it. I mean, I was really nervous, but I'm just glad that I dealt with it well and was able to come out on top. Q. Can you tell us about your notebook? You did a lot of reading today. What's in it and how does it help you? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Everyone keeps asking me for secrets. I can't give you my secrets (smiling). Q. A generalization. TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I mean, basically they're just notes from practice that I really just try to use ‑‑I use them like in every match, I use them in practice, as well. They just kind of get me back into a state of mind where keeping it, keeping things simple, you know, and that's really why I read them. That's what they are. I mean, I have been doing it for so long it's kind of a habit now so if I don't read it it's weird. It's more of a habit. But it also helps me, especially in situations like today. Q. What does this win means to you? You know, you were No. 1 in the world junior, lots of expectations. Is it a relief that, Okay, I can put it out, I'm proving I can do it? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I wouldn't say a relief. I knew that I could do it. You know, I turned pro because I felt like, you know, I had a shot, and I could. Being No. 1, any No. 1, was validation that, you know, I was ready to move on to the next level, but, I mean, I knew that I could do it. This has been my dream, this has been my goal, so honestly, like, you know, I'm really shocked, but at the same time I'm not. These are the moments and these are the times I dream about. As a professional athlete and a young athlete, these are the times that, you know, I have been wishing that would come, and I'm just really happy I took advantage of my opportunity today. Q. There were a lot of nervous moments, at least on the scoreboard. Up 4‑1, losing five straight games, and up 5‑1 and pushing all the way to 5‑4, before closing it out. How did you keep sort of relatively calm enough to hang on as it was slipping away at the end there? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, it happened once before, so I was just like, Okay, obviously this is not new. This has happened once already. I knew that she was gonna, like she did in the first set, use the crowd, she started playing better, she started going for her shots more. So I knew that that was going to happen. Also, I knew that I had been in that situation. So what could I have done differently to kind of not do the same thing that I did in the second set and lose? So, I mean, I just tried to really stay calm, just breathe, and take my time, especially serving it out like, you know, it's on your racquet, so you have to take your time because you control it. I just was trying to move pretty slow, even though I got warned about the time. Yeah, and just breathe and relax. Q. Zina is one of the people you work with. Could you talk about what it's like working with her? Is she more a tennis coach or a life guide? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: She's both. It's been awesome working with her, and I enjoy myself so much. I have two coaches, and the other one is back there, Kamau. It's awesome working with her, just because it gives me such a great insight. She made it to the quarters the first time she played the French Open, so she knows the feeling, she understands these moments, and she's played. She was No. 3 in the world. So she understands the game. That's one of the pieces, she's really helped me understand the game and understand, you know, the mental side of things and also learning that part has made me a better person. So, I mean, I have always said that tennis was relative to life, but I didn't know how to put them together, but now I see like it really does. Things you do on the court and the habits you have on the court also carry off the court, as well. Q. Andy Murray tweeted out today asking how good is Taylor Townsend. Could you answer that question for Andy, please? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: What's up, Andy? I love your mom (laughter). But I honestly haven't even looked at my Twitter. My phone is still off. That's pretty cool. Maybe I'll tweet him back. Maybe I will get a whole bunch of followers. Q. As someone once said, Could you answer the question? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: How good am I? Well, I don't want to sound conceited and everything. But, I mean, I'm pretty darn good, I guess (laughter). I'm doing well. I'm just really happy that all my hard work is paying off, you know. Q. How did it feel winning on the same court where just hours earlier Serena had lost? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Serena lost? She did? Oh. Oops. Whoa. Q. Seriously, you didn't know? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: No, I thought she won. I saw 2 and 2. I was like, Oh, that was fast. Wow. Anyways... Um, wow, that was interesting. But, I mean, honestly, I'm just happy that I was able to pull it out. That's crazy. The fact I followed Federer just freaked me out last night. I was like, That's pretty intense. I don't know. I mean, I'm shocked, as you can see. I didn't even know that. But it's an honor to be able to play on that court against a French girl in the French Open. So, I mean, it's an honor. Q. Obviously you made the decision that you wanted to go pro and take that opportunity when it was presented, but as the daughter of two people involved in education, I'm wondering where are you standing with your high school? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I'm finishing my senior year now. I will probably be done at the end of the year. I was a semester behind just because of the traveling and everything like that. I will be done. They are definitely pushing it. Trust me. They are driving me insane. Q. The daughter of a principal has to have a diploma? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: They are driving me insane. It's just like, I just need to finish. Jeez. Q. What was the little dance move there at the end? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Oh, my God. So I have been saying since the beginning of the tournament, this dance from Atlanta, called the NaeNae. You guys should look it up, it's pretty cool. I was like if I do it, if I win, then I'm going to do a dance. Zina was up there going, Wooh, wooh. They knew what I was doing. It seemed like the crowd liked it. I hope I didn't look stupid (laughter). Q. Next match? You're still moving on here. Suarez Navarro, clay court lover. She gets a lot of balls back. TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I'm, yeah, I'm definitely excited to play her. I know she's been playing well and loves clay courts. So I definitely know what to expect, definitely moves well on the clay, uses the clay well. So, I mean, I think that it will be a good matchup. I love red clay, too, so two red clay lovers. But I'm looking forward to it. I'm really excited. I think it's a great opportunity. I'm just going to go and try to do the same thing I have been doing, working on one ball at a time and focusing on the things that have gotten me to this point. Q. Can you just talk a little bit about the wildcard that you got and how you got it by the agreement with the French and working towards it in the tournaments in the States as opposed to coming over here and obviously playing qualifying? TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I knew about the Har‑Tru Challenge from last year. And so basically you have three tournaments and they take the best two out of three, best results from two out of the three tournaments, and I won two out of the three. In the last tournament I had to play four matches in one day, and in the semifinal I had to win that match in order to get the wildcard because Grace was ahead of me. I was down two match points in that match, fought back and then won the third. I mean, it was an honor. I was so excited. But I still didn't want to think about, Okay, you got the wildcard now, in the finals you can do whatever. I still wanted to win the tournament. That gave me a lot of confidence coming into this tournament, because it's just like, you just played three weeks in a row, played a solid match, you're playing really well, you're trying to understand everything. But it was a different feeling. It's a different feeling earning the wildcard and being given one. A couple months ago I was given a wildcard in Indian Wells and I was like, Oh, yeah, this is awesome. But when I earned the wildcard and I was able to come here and say I'm here because I earned it, it's such a different feeling. So I really came here confident. I came here excited from all the new moments and the new opportunities that were ahead of me, and I was just ready to take advantage of whatever came. 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
|