TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 21st of June: Pre-tournament interview with Simona Halep
Q. How have the last two weeks been for you since the final?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I had very good two weeks. I was home with my family, with my friends. I was in Constanta actually. I spend a lot of time with them. We celebrated a little bit. Not big party, but just with the family.
I started then to practice again. Was too short for me. But after this tournament I have one more in Bucharest, and then I will take a holiday. So I will have time to celebrate the final.
Q. What was the reaction in Romania like?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it was amazing feeling when I arrived home, because they stopped the plane just on the red carpet at the airport and everybody was waiting for me, about 300 fans. I went to them and I said hello, many things there. They ask me many things.
Yeah, was incredible. For me was the best moment of my life. Was incredible. I will never forget that moment.
Q. Were you able to put aside the disappointment of losing the match immediately and just enjoy, or did it take some time?
SIMONA HALEP: No, immediately after I was crying on court. I said that I have to be happy because I played the biggest final of my career, Grand Slam final.
So it was incredible result for me and I just have to be happy about what happened.
Q. And physically how are you doing after withdrawing?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I feel okay. I was very tired more mentally, and also physical a little bit. But in ‘s- Hertogenbosch I had the contracted muscle here, down the shoulder, but now I feel good. I had a good recovery. I have my physio with me. Every day he worked on the muscle.
Now I feel good and I think I’m 100% to start this tournament.
Q. Obviously you won ‘s-Hertogenbosch last year, so you must be okay with grass. How do you feel about this surface overall?
SIMONA HALEP: Last year was a little bit strange because I came from clay court and I won on grass court. Was very special for me, that title.
I feel good on grass. I play good. I like because the balls are coming fast and the game is faster than clay court and than hard court.
Yeah, it’s something different, and we have to be very focused during the game, during the point. Here are more bad bounces because the court is grass and is not easy to move and to wait the ball.
But, I mean, I feel good, and I have just to enjoy every match here.
Q. When you played in Paris, when you started the French Open, you hadn’t been past the second round, but you made the final. You haven’t been past the second round here either. Mentally are you the same coming into Wimbledon as you came into the French? Do you believe you can win here?
SIMONA HALEP: I didn’t believe before French Open that I can play final. I’m honest when I say this.
Here I came with more confidence in myself, but still I just want to take match by match, because is something different here, is other surface, and is difficult.
The Grand Slams are very difficult tournaments because everyone is playing really good. Every match, it’s tough.
But I’m looking forward to go very far in this tournament and to give everything I can at the moment on court.
