US Open 2014 – Ekaterina Makarova: “I felt that I'm ready. I'm feeling good my game and believe in myself” - UBITENNIS

US Open 2014 – Ekaterina Makarova: “I felt that I'm ready. I'm feeling good my game and believe in myself”

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TENNIS US OPEN – 3rd of September 2014. E. Makarova d. V. Azarenka 6-4, 6-2. An interview with Ekaterina Makarova

Q. Have you started to understand and feel what it means to be in a Grand Slam semifinal or has it not even hit you yet?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, it’s not hit me yet, I think. I am feeling the same like the matches before. Of course I’m happy that I’m came through, finally through the quarters and I’m in semis now. Today was a great, tough match. We played so many times with Vika; she beat me and I beat her. So today was a tough one, and I’m really happy that I came through.

Q. You played her a number of times before. She confirmed in her press conference that she had suffered food poisoning. She was very, very, very pointed in saying that she’s making no excuses and that you just played better tennis today. Did you get the sense that maybe there was something off, having had experience playing her, that there was maybe something off in her playing today?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: No, I didn’t see that. I think she played the same, so aggressive. At the beginning was really tough to change the game to my way, you know, because she was really aggressive and let me move a lot. So then she did a break, and I just tried to stay with my game, to play point by point, to be solid and turn it around.

Q. The second game of the second set there, someone in your position just going perhaps for your first semifinal; she’s a champion; she goes down Love-40, but she plays great points to come back; very long game; a chance of holding. A lot of people say maybe this is going to change here. What was your feeling? Were you nervous at that point you were losing it, or how did you manage to continue from there?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, yeah, I remember that game. I didn’t got nervous because she played so good those all of points. Yeah, it was again I had one more break point. But still she played so aggressive and did couple of winners, so I didn’t think that, you know, I missed some easy shots or something and you get nervous. I just stayed calmly in my game. You know, it was again tough game at 1-All. But still, yeah, she was with the wind so she was pushing me a lot.

Q. You have had a wonderful career. This is a little bit of an unusual question. Many good results, many years on the circuit in the WTA, but in our country we don’t know that much about you. Could you talk a little bit about what your interests are and your background and who you are as a person?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, you know, it’s tough to say something about yourself. (Smiling.) Um, well, I think I’m trying to stay in the shade, you know, a little bit, to be in my world. I’m not using that much like social networks. Yeah, I can say that I’m maybe closed a little bit. But I’m really enjoying to play on the big stage, the big courts with all this crowd. I’m feeling differently than in other places.

Q. On Twitter you are Kate.

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Kate.

Q. Kate. Why Kate? Kate is American.

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: That’s why, I think. Easier for fans. Yeah, because I have Ekaterina and then in Russia it’s Katya, so sometimes I don’t like the pronunciation, you know, how the foreign people saying. That’s why I’m Kate there. It’s easier for fans.

Q. So, Kate, I have a question for you. (Laughter.) As was mentioned, this is your first Grand Slam semifinal, a breakthrough for you. You played well obviously in the Grand Slams this year and also on the hard courts coming into the tournament. Did you feel coming into this tournament that, you know, just confidence level was high, the game was there, and that this could be a chance for you to maybe get to a Grand Slam semifinal?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes, because I played quarter in Wimbledon and I really believed that at US Open I can do my best result. I felt that I’m ready. I’m feeling good my game, my mentally ahead, you know, and believe in myself. I was feeling that I can do more than quarter.

Q. Can you imagine all of a sudden lifting the tennis trophy here and winning this tournament?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes.

Q. What would it mean to you to win the US Open?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, so much. To win the Grand Slam it’s — I don’t know. It’s always the dream, you know, from the kid when I was going to the school and then came back home and watching some matches. You are like watching and you want to be there, you know, some day. You don’t believe that you can be here, and finally you’re here and going so far.

Q. Who did you admire? Who did you idolize when you were a young girl?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Myskina.

Q. Did you like her flat shots or just the way she competed? What did you like?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Everything: how she was on the court, how she was playing, her reaction, everything. At Kremlin Cup I was going on all her matches and like cheering for her, you know. Yes, and now she’s helping me, also. And I’m really happy that she finish the career and I started the career and that we are not really competing. She’s still the idol for me.

Q. Would you like to become a mother, a commentator, and a coach like she has done later?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, definitely a mother I want to be like she is. She has three kids. It’s a great thing. I don’t know. I didn’t think really, you know, what I will be to do, commentator or coaching. But she’s a great person and player.

Q. For your first two or three Grand Slam quarterfinals you played, what was your mindset going in? How was it maybe different today?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Before maybe I didn’t believe that much that I can came through. Today definitely was a different feeling, and I really believed to myself that I’m ready to go forward, you know, and to be in the semis.

Q. Left-handers can be a little bit crazy. Is there anything about you that’s a little bit crazy? Is there anything you do that you think is unusual?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: No, I don’t think so that I’m doing something unusual. Maybe someone different, you know, some other person can say that I’m doing some crazy things. I don’t know. I’m just so happy that I’m lefty and the one in family lefty. Sometimes when you start to write, Wow, you are lefty, like something different.

Q. I assume that you heard at the end of the match they played the music for the Makarena. Do you say Makarova or Makarova?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Makarova.

Q. When I’m shopping with my friends for coffee they always say, Oh, you must get shade grown. That’s the only kind of coffee to buy. Is it better for a tennis player to be in the shade or out in the sunlight with all the razzmatazz, with all the focus on you? Which is better?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I think it’s better for like what player like, you know. It’s like personal thing. So I’m not doing it specially, you know. I’m just like I am. Someone likes more people, you know. Some would like to stay a little bit in your world. So it’s just different person, different style. I don’t know.

Q. Do you actually know how to do the Makarena?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes.

Q. Can you show us?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Next time onstage.

Q. With the trophy?

EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes (Laughter.)

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