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AEGON CLASSICJune 11, 2014Samantha StosurBIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND S. STOSUR/C. McHale THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Well played. Is that the perfect start to your grass court campaign? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with it. Yeah, it was pretty clean all round. I mean, couple little things I would like to try and tidy up, but overall really happy with the way I played out there and the way I felt and all that. So for first match on grass, pretty happy. Q. Is it difficult to wait three days into the tournament before you get your first game? SAMANTHA STOSUR: In this case, no, because I needed all the time to the practice court that I could get. The later that I could play probably the better for me at this stage. So, yeah, worked out well. Q. Well done. She almost got back into it. She nearly got back to 4‑All in the second set. SAMANTHA STOSUR: Uh‑huh. Q. How important was that to prevent her doing that? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think any time you can keep that break and not lose serve, especially towards the end of a set or ‑‑ you know, I knew that it was possibly getting towards the end of the match, then it's really important to keep that pressure on her. Yeah, that service game, especially having been holding reasonably comfortably, you don't want to have a sloppy game or something happens that then makes things back on ven terms. Things can change very quickly in grass court tennis. When she had that break point, I tried to play good kind of percentage point; won that one, and then obviously very happy to get through that service game and ultimately all the pressure is back on her. Q. Looking at the game, the way play the game, you look well capable of doing well on grass, and yet at Wimbledon so far you've never gone deep into the tournament. Why would that be? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I guess I've just never been able to feel confident enough I guess on this surface. I think last year I actually thought I played really well the three matches I played there. I ended up losing to Lisicki who beat Serena the next round and then made the final. So last year was actually really pleased with the way I played. But I think it's taken me some time to adapt my game and believe it's a surface I can do well on. Q. Does it have anything to do with the fact that the French finishes so soon before Wimbledon and you often do well in that? SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I think it's‑‑ I mean, well, I know definitely on one instance coming ‑‑ or twicecoming on to the grass from the French I probably wasn't prepared to start playing again and wasn't quite over that French Open. So that made things even more difficult. But I think there are probably a few different reasons, to be honest, why maybe my success on grass hasn't really been that great. Q. Would you welcome the extra week between the two Grand Slams next year? SAMANTHA STOSUR: If it was there, fine. If it wasn't, I would still be fine. So I guess I'll adapt my schedule and plan accordingly. Q. I know you talked about things clicking for you last year at Wimbledon and being happy there, the best you felt. Can you say what that was that changed? A small adjustment that suddenly made everything work and that still seems to be working today? SAMANTHA STOSUR: I mean, it's still work in progress, but, again, a big part of it is believing and trusting that what I can do on grass court is going to work. So that's probably one thing. Then I think keeping things ultimately pretty simple. Points are obviously shorter on grass. By the time we all get to Wimbledon, we feel better with our movement and everything. The points do become longer once we get there. I think a huge part is keeping it simple, hitting the right shot at the right time, and for me, I think serving well is always going to be key on this surface. If I can feel good serving and holding my games comfortably, that probably frees me up on return games. Q. Sam, is it more difficult the tactical or the technical change to grass for yo? So in terms of how you play the points, is that really where the confidence comes into play, or is it just the lower strike point and things like that on grass? What's the toughest? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Probably both. I mean, technical aspect, there's not too much I've got to change‑‑ well, I don't ultimately want to change anything. I guess you've got to make small adjustments. So my forehand I can't hit with as much spin. I have to flatten that out. So that's one technical thing that you try and adjust. And then just setting up the points. It is quite different for me. I can't use the high, heavy topspin ball because it's just not going to do anything. Usually on any other surface that's what I want to try and do and that's kind of taken away. Okay, I've still got a weapon. How am I going to use that in a different way? That's what I got to work out and practice and then go out there and use it a different way. But, I mean, my backhand is generally pretty flat anyway. Slice works. Probably just, like I said, trying to serve well, because it's very important for me I think to play good service games and then have a bit the freedom on return games. Q. After the French Open, how long did it take to get over that loss, but also realize that you were hitting the ball extremely well? You were playing great tennis there. Kind of an unfortunate draw really. Yeah, I mean, does the disappointment linger at all? Are you moving on? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I'm okay now. For sure I did feel like that was a match where I was right in it to win it and put myself in a good position to do so. And then once this kind of went away, then it was a quick match in the end. So it's a bit of a weird feeling, because I was so close and then I lost nine games in a row. What happened? Where did that go? Yeah, after a couple days thinking about it and realizing, okay, I did play a very good tournament, probably the best I played for a few months, so there are lots of positives to take way from it. But, yeah, however, you still think, Wow, that's an opportunity kind of gone by. Q. And the leg is okay? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. Stitches are out and it's looking a lot nicer. Q. If Miles said one thing that has stuck in your mind coming into the grass court season, what would that be? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Probably at the moment, just don't be too hard on yourself. You know, have reasonable expectations I guess straight up, and know that it is going to take‑‑ things aren't going to be perfect four days into playing on this surface. You've got to still work on things, and, yeah, keep working on it. Don't think you're going to go out and play the best match you ever played. Obviously there are things that you want to do that you want to try and achieve out there. Q. Is that part of your nature, you find yourself getting down or yourself? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I expect a lot out of myself, so when it doesn't happen it's quite disappointing. Q. It was interesting seeing you have a hit with Sloane Stephens this morning. Thoughts on that? Was that initiated by you? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, I think it was just because there's four to a courts and it's quite difficult to practice. We were the ones that were put together. Q. What did you think when you heard Andy Murray was hiring Amélie Mauresmo? SAMANTHA STOSUR: I thought, Good on him. Why not? I mean, I've seen and heard the few people making comments about him hiring a woman and how obscure that may be. I think good on him. He obviously believes that Amélie has something to add to his game. Don't matter whether it's she's a woman. Yeah, he had the guts to do it. I hope it goes well. Why he's hired her, I don't know. I've never seen her coach or any of the intricate details. Yeah, I think it's good. Q. What do you think when you hear of the people raising their eyebrows, I guess. Like Marinko Matosevic, I don't know if you heard what he said. SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. Sort of. I saw that this morning. Q. What do you think of that kind of reaction? SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think that's a pigheaded. But I think comments like that, you've got to take with a grain of salt and think, Okay, that's his opinion. Do you care about it? Not really. Q. Have you ever thought about having a female coach? SAMANTHA STOSUR: For me, I don't mind‑‑ if I thought the best person for me was a woman, great, I would absolutely do that. If it was a guy, that's fine. I think one of the things for me, I like to be able to hit with my coach. Usually women who haven't played for a while, it's quite difficult to get out there and run side to side, because that's the way it is. Yeah, if I found a female that I thought was going to be the best person for me, absolutely. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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