TENNIS Mutua Madrid Open 2014 – S. Halep d P. Kvitova 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. An interview with Simona Halep.
Q. Very, very well done. Great comeback by you. Tell us a little bit about how you’re feeling about the final tomorrow.
SIMONA HALEP: Thank you. Yeah, it was a very tough match today. I couldn’t believe that I can come back again. She played really well and she was fighting very well.
After one set I went to the bathroom, and I just wanted to stay relaxed, more relaxed, but I came back and I wasn’t too good because she had 3 1.
I just started to play more angles, more higher the ball, and just fighting for every point.
Tomorrow I expect a very tough match. Both of them are very good players. Maria is a champion and she knows how to manage the finals.
I’m very excited that I can play my biggest finals tomorrow. I hope that my emotions will be down and I can play.
So I have just to enjoy. I’m really happy that I can play the final here in Madrid.
Q. Congratulations again. Which were your expectations when you came here?
SIMONA HALEP: No, I just told to my coach after the match that I didn’t expect to play final.
I felt that I’m not really ready to play that high level, high level here in Madrid. But you never know. It’s tennis, and that’s why I have just to enjoy every match, to fight for every point, and just to stay focused for the tournament.
So I didn’t expect that I would play the final here in Madrid, but I’m really happy. I have just to be happy.
Q. You told us in Stuttgart you are not ready to win a Grand Slam. Are you changing your mind?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, good question, because here it’s very big tournament. I can say that on the Grand Slam I can play with the same players like here, but I still think that Grand Slam, it’s too much for me now.
But, you know, I have just to take my time and just take the Grand Slam like normal tournament.
Q. Have you had a chance to watch the match going on now? Do you watch before your next match to see your opponents and see how they play?
SIMONA HALEP: No, I never watch my opponent. I played against her on hard court last year in New Haven and I knew how she’s playing. Of course on clay it’s different; it was another day.
But still, my coach told me some advices before and that’s all. I never watch my opponent before the match.
Q. You have been working with new coach after Australian Open. Just wanted to know how is the relation with him and how is the cooperation between you two?
SIMONA HALEP: The things are going very well between us. He’s a great coach. I feel good with him, and our collaboration, it’s working really well, going really well.
I hope that we will make more results like this one from this week. (Smiling.)
Q. I think you mentioned in Indian Wells that serve is something you would like to work on with the new coach. After two months from that time, do you think that your serve is improving right now, especially on the clay courts with these matches you have played?
SIMONA HALEP: I was working with my game. I wanted just to improve more in my serve and movement on the court.
I could say that hard court, I think now that hard court is my favorite because I play better when the ball is coming faster.
But also on clay I played really well this week, so it’s tough to say which one is my favorite.
I am happy that I can play on all surfaces. I have just to stay there and to play many matches.
