TENNIS US OPEN – 31st of August 2014. S. Errani d. M. Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 2-6, 6-0. An interview with Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
Q. Well, it’s a loss, but does the event itself seem like a win for you in your career?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Yeah, I mean, this has been a great two weeks, the best so far since I can remember for a long time. Yeah, obviously right now I’m really disappointed. She’s a really tough player to play. Today I felt like I ran out of gas a little bit. Yeah, it’s tough to win against her at that way.
Q. Seemed like the knee wraps didn’t feel very good.
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: No, on 4-3 I hit a return and felt a little pain. It was bothering me and I tried to tape it, but the tape wasn’t really comfortable. So I took it off.
Q. The statistics are so skewed that you had so many, over 70 unforced errors, and she had 10. Are you frustrated by those errors or are you happy that you went for your…
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: I’m frustrated. It was way too much. I knew I was going for too much. It was really difficult to play because it was very windy day, also. That kind of played, I feel, a huge role today. It was really difficult to time the balls, especially on her ball and her serve. It comes so slow and it kind of floats in the air. Yeah, I mean, I wanted to keep going for the ball and keep playing aggressive, but, yeah, I just missed too much.
Q. Do you think on the fifth game, which was 18 points – you were still fighting, of course -do you think it could have changed something?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Yeah, absolutely. I was fighting hard. I think I’m living proof here these last two weeks that it’s never over. I have come back so many times here, just here, from 5-2 down in the third or in the first and set points and everything. So it’s never over. I always fight. It’s just, yeah.
Q. Your last name is also Italian. You married an Italian. Do you speak some Italian?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: I understand a little bit. I don’t really speak much. But, yeah, I understand.
Q. Do you have any sort of relationship with Errani?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: No, not really.
Q. Never talk?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: No.
Q. In some way, does this Open seem like a startover point for you in your career?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Maybe not a startover. I mean, I don’t think — that wouldn’t be fair to me to say that, but it’s been definitely sort of another successful tournament that I haven’t had in a really long time. Just gives me even more motivation to keep working even harder, yeah, to continue. I’m very motivated to have a great offseason, to work hardest I have ever worked, and have another great year next year.
Q. Can you remember winning, the last time you won six matches in a row?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: It’s been a little while. It’s been a little while. Today I felt like my body just wasn’t willing to — it wasn’t willing, but it just kind of broke down a little everywhere. I have blisters, tapes, pain everywhere in my body, so I burned out a little bit today.
Q. You accomplished beyond what the books, what the gurus of the game may have forecasted last week. How much personal pride and satisfaction are you able to savor from that?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Oh, so much. When I started again playing I started with the smallest tournaments, qualifying of 25,000s. Yeah, I didn’t get any help whatsoever of any kind, you know. No wildcards, no nothing. So I really take a lot of pride in fighting. I think it shows my character a lot, fighting and playing smart tournaments.
Q. Makes you tougher?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Absolutely. Absolutely. I feel like I earned my way here. Even here, you know, fighting through qualifying. Everything I have done so far I absolutely earned it, and I’m very proud of it.
Q. When did you return? What tournament did you return to tennis?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: I think it was 2008, I believe. Actually in 2008 I think I played three or four, and then 2009 I returned full year.
Q. But in 2008 where did you play? Can you recall?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: I’m not sure. I can’t remember what was my first tournament (smiling).
Q. But it was a low…
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Yeah, I was starting with a very low, yes, yes.
Q. Can you tell us something about Errani? What you think about her game, if you were a bit surprised the way she played, or you weren’t at all?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: I mean, you know, she’s a great player, obviously. Has been there for a long time. She fights very well. You know, all the credit to her today, I have to say. Yeah, I wish her all the best.
Q. Technically something? You said her service was slow. Did you…
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: You want me to say something I really don’t want to say because you want to write something fun, but I’m not going to do that.
Q. Why not?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: Because I’m a fair competitor. She plays the way she plays and she fights well. You know, she had five winners in the whole match and missed maybe three balls. You know, she runs and she fights hard. That’s the way it is. I wish her good luck. Respect.
Q. Will you keep following the tournament now? Who do you think are the favorites to win?
MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI: I love watching it on TV. It’s going to be very hard not to, but I really want to switch the TV off, see my niece, and relax a few days. Who knows who’s going to win? I mean, it’s tough to say. It’s really tough to say. There’s going to be so many good matches. Yeah, right now, at least for the next couple of days, I don’t want to see another tennis ball being hit since I’m not in anymore (smiling).
