TENNIS WTA MONTREAL – 4th of August 2014. S. Stephens d. A. Wozniak 6-3, 6-0. An interview with Aleksandra Wozniak
Q. Do you feel it was just that she put together some excellence today or that you lacked in something today?
ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK: Yeah, I think she really played well. She served high percentage of first serves, 75. It was really tough to return her first serve. I thought I could return her second serves better, they were high.
Step in more. That’s something we’re working hard on getting back in my game, stepping in and taking the ball early.
She was really hitting some great shots. Work on hitting deeper and more stronger, you know, when I rally.
Q. How much of it was her playing at a very good level and how much of it was you being somehow a little bit flatter?
ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK: Yeah, it wasn’t easy with her pace. She gave me no rhythm. She was hitting really high balls, mixing up topspin. It wasn’t easy to return. That’s something I need to work on, finding strength in my shots more deeper.
You see that level since I’ve been back. The top 20 makes a big difference playing the girls under 50 and in the top 100.
She didn’t give it to me easy today. She worked hard.
Q. Do you feel you’re very far from the top 20?
ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK: When I play against those players, it shows me what I’m missing to be back at that level. I need to be more consistent. I need to be able to sustain long rallies. I still have a lot of work to do.
I’m now in the top 100, but I need to be able to raise my level when I play against a top 20 player as I used to do before.
Q. Isn’t it frustrating to feel that you are no longer at that same level?
ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK: All I need is work and work a lot. I’m doing that with my coach. But it can be very frustrating, especially when you play at home.
But I know tonight I played one of the best players in the world and I tried.
Q. But can we say you’re very disappointed?
ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK: Yes, I am. I hoped I could do a bit better. You always want to perform well when you’re at home. But today, as we say, I had a difficult load on my shoulders. But it’s not the end for me. I’ll keep working to try to get back to that same caliber I was before.
