TENNIS Mutua Madrid Open 2014 – M. Sharapova d A. Radwanska 6-1, 6-4. An interview with Maria Sharapova.
Q. First of all, congratulations for your win. I want to ask you, you started very impressive today. You e went up 6 1, 3 0 very quickly and then lost four games in a row. You called your coach and then things turned around.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uh huh.
Q. Won the last two games of the match. What happened there? What did he say? How are you feeling at that moment? What did you change?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think he just wanted me to go back to what I was doing in the beginning, some things that were helping me.
I was the one that was being aggressive and hitting deep and taking advantage early in the rally, not letting myself getting really long rallies with her.
Yeah, so instead of just making those errors like I did for those four games, I tried to go to be a bit more consistent as well.
Q. You had the same tactics I think against her in Stuttgart. You cut down her angles and stopped her from playing her game. What plans have you got for Halep? She’s a whole different ballgame.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it’s a final match. I don’t think we’ve played for a really long time. She’s had such a great year. Obviously she is the player to beat in the final.
I’m looking forward to that matchup. No matter who I’m facing against, that’s always toughest match is the last one. You just got to give everything you have out there.
Yeah, it’s great to be back in the final and give myself another opportunity.
Q. What do you think about Halep, your rival, her game?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, like I just said, we haven’t played in a really long time, but she’s been playing really well. Not just this tournament, but for the last year. I think she’s 5 in the world now. So it’s the highest that she’s been in her career and playing the best tennis of her career.
So definitely be a tough match for me. I’m looking forward to it.
Q. You won your first title of the year in Stuttgart a couple weeks ago. You been playing really well on the clay court in the last few years. Can we say that you’re feeling as good on clay as on hard court?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I really challenge myself to improve on clay courts because that was never my favorite surface in the beginning of my career.
I’ve done a really good job of transitioning from the hard to the clay and really improving physically and recovering well from match to match.
I think that’s helped me a lot. I’ve benefitted from that in the last couple of years. You know, I enjoy playing on all surfaces. I like the challenges that they all bring. They’re all so different, including grass courts.
Yeah, I’ve been really happy that I’ve been able to change my results in the last few years on clay.
Q. Today Simona was running after every ball and she was playing two hours and a half; yesterday you had a long match as well and today you played. I want to ask you how you feel physically, because we see that in Madrid it’s very hot? How do you feel? What you expect from tomorrow’s match?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I feel really good physically. I put a lot of matches in in the last few weeks, but that’s what I want. I missed four or five months of the season last year, and I wanted to come in to this year and play as many matches as I can.
That’s been my goal and that’s what I’m here for. So if I’m a little bit tired, that’s normal. That’s okay. You’re playing a lot of matches. That’s how you want to feel.
If you’re feeling fresh, then something is a wrong. Then you’re probably not in the finals of the tournaments.
Q. She run after every, every ball.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: That’s great. If she’s running, that’s a good sign.
Q. I would like to ask you about love. You are in relationship with Grigor Dimitrov one year and a half almost. How is possible to keep…
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I’m glad you’re counting. I’m glad someone is counting for me. (Laughter.)
Q. Congratulations for that. I’m from Bulgaria, and I’m very happy because I think you both are a great couple.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Thank you very much. I think you told me that last year, too.
Q. But you never replied. So my question is: Does love help to professional careers?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Oh, my goodness. How do I answer that question? I think it’s a nice benefit to have, and always I think it complements what you do in your professional career.
It’s always nice to be happy away from everything you do and have somebody you come home to. It’s a really great feeling. I wish it for everybody.
