TENNIS Mutua Madrid Open 2014 – L. Na d. S. Stephens 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. An interview with Li Na.
Q. Sloane was giving lots of trouble in the first set. How did you manage to turn the match around?
LI NA: I really cannot say exactly what the point I was turn around the match. I think she play well; she was hit the ball like heavy.
I was feeling, you know, beginning of the match like first two game pretty like normal. But when I have serve like 40 Love after I lose the game, I was think about the game for whole set. So make a lot of error to give her points or give her chance. She’s doing well.
Yeah, after first set I was like, Calm down. I say, Okay, I cannot only think about what happened for the game.
You have to looking forward, otherwise you cannot make it.
Yeah.
Q. Today was the first time you faced Sloane Stephens. How it’s been, your experience with her?
LI NA: How what?
Q. The match. Like Sloane Stephens as a player, you know?
LI NA: I think she was hit the ball like pretty heavy. Normally the girls play more flat, but she was play pretty heavy.
Look her play on the court is pretty easy, you know. She can sliding; she was running like recover the court pretty good.
So, yeah, I think she give me trouble time when we plate first time.
Yeah.
Q. How are you adapting to Madrid’s altitude? Usually there are more mistakes in this tournament than others because you have to adapt to that. Is it easy for you or more difficult?
LI NA: Oh, for me, I think when I was arrive, two days for me it was a little bit tough. I think here is a little bit higher. I was training Munich already like 300 meters, but here is 800.
Q. 600.
LI NA: 600. So when I was training Munich, come here I still feeling especially the balls fly a lot. So that’s why I was coming here pretty early to prepare for the tournament.
I think every player the same, so that’s why everyone was come here early and prepare for our first match.
Q. Your next opponent could be Maria Sharapova. What do you think of her and do you think you have more chances against her on clay?
LI NA: Before match start everyone has a chance. Yeah, last meeting was last year, so already one year. You know, this already one year you never know what happened. We only can see who is play better on the court.
Yeah.
