TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 5th of June. S. Halep d. A. Petkovic 6-2, 7-6. An interview with Andrea Petkovic
Q. How do you feel right now? What was difficult today against Simona, the most difficult for you?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, I’m very disappointed because I had a lot of chances in the second set. I feel like the first set Simona played really great tennis, and I had trouble getting into my rhythm and trouble with my footwork. I wasn’t really on fire.
But she played really well. She was taking the ball early and dominating the game and playing great angles.
So, yeah, and then when I found my rhythm I was playing more aggressive. The thing is against Simona I have to play really aggressive and you have to step into the court so she doesn’t have the time to play her game, because when she starts opening up the court she plays super smart and she really uses the whole court.
When I started playing more aggressive I felt like I got in control of the game, and I just didn’t take my chances in the second set. Yeah, I don’t know. I just missed a couple of points where I wasn’t clear in my head what I wanted to do and I didn’t make the right choices a couple of times.
It was just two or three times where I made the wrong decision. Against a player like Simona, top 5 player, the set is kind of gone already.
And my serve was terrible today. I just couldn’t find the rhythm on my serve.
I think that all sums it up, more or less.
Q. Is there a point or a game that right now in this moment you’re still kind of replaying in your head or you’re thinking about, one shot?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, there is this one shot on 15 all, 5 4, I think it was, when she hit a net cord. I was dominating the point. I was kind of surprised. That was one thing where I didn’t know what to do. I played a super stupid forehand slice. I should have just killed it. So that was the one thing.
And then 5 4 in the tiebreak, as well, where I didn’t make the right decision to go down the line with my backhand. I should have stayed crosscourt. And then obviously 3 1 when I was serving and I had 40 30, I think, and instead of playing the safe kicker I went for the second serve T and I missed it. I made a double fault and it was back to deuce and I lost the game.
So these three points in particular that I’m really angry about and that I keep replaying my head.
But, yeah, then again, this game really showed what I need to work on in order to become a better tennis player and in order to reach the latter stages of the Grand Slams more frequently.
Q. When you played her in Nuremberg last year, the final, did you have any sense that she was going to be able to get to this level this quickly?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Oh, yeah. That it was that quickly I wouldn’t have timed it right it, but that she was an amazing player I felt it there already. I was playing well. I was very tired because I had won the tournament before and I played another finals, but I was feeling my strokes super well.
I didn’t step into the court like today in the second set, and she killed me. Because the thing is, you have to take the time away from her. If you don’t do that, she just starts opening up the court and she plays so smart.
The only feeling that I had when I played Chakvetadze was kind of similar maybe in comparison how well she uses the angles and how well she makes you run with not super fast strokes, you know. When you play Serena or Maria it’s something different.
So that’s maybe the thing that reminds me most of Chakvetadze. I felt it already in Nuremberg, because there I was a little tight, I didn’t step in, and she just played chess with me.
Today I knew what I had to do. I had my chances, but I couldn’t take them.
Q. Back to you as the imaginary journalist. If you were writing the story of your 2014 French Open, what would be your lead? How would you start the story?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, if it was my story, I would definitely tell it as a positive story, but also a story that showed me what I need to work on. I think it’s a story that it’s not the end but the beginning of something really, really beautiful hopefully.
I think I gained a lot of belief in myself as a player again and the stages where I can get to. Because I’m here, I’m in the semifinals, I was in the semifinals, and I didn’t play my best tennis and I’m in the semifinals.
And I also nowhere near the end with my game. I have still so many things to improve and I was here at the semifinals. So there is a long way for me to go. I have a good five or six years that I can keep improving.
So I’m very positive with my career now.
Q. Do you take the time to celebrate this result? Is it something you can do that for?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, I do have a week off now. All my friends are here, so maybe I’m going to go I have the coolest box. Did you see my box? At least something.
Yes, all my friends are here, which is super nice. Maybe I’m going to go somewhere. Although I don’t feel like it right now. I still have doping to do, so I don’t know how long that will take.
Let’s see how I feel in a couple of hours. On Saturday I will play a show match in Halle, so maybe after then, maybe Saturday or something.
I will try, because in Charleston I just took off and then I went to Australia and I never really celebrated. Maybe I can, yeah, re do that now.
