Player Quotes July 30th
Agnieszka Radwanska
“I think the first set was the key in this match. It was very close, very long and I think she was upset losing that first set. I felt much more comfortable in the second set, knowing that I was one set ahead. When I was up 3-0 in the second set, I knew I was in a good spot. But you still have to be very focused up until the last point.”
“I’m looking forward to being in the second week of the U.S. Open. Last year, I was injured so I don’t have very good memories from the U.S. Open. So this year I just want to play good and hopefully make the second week.”
Marion Bartoli
“I was in position to win the match. I kind of have mixed feelings because I really thought I would be able to come up with the win. I had a bit of bad luck at the end of the second set and just was not able to finish it. On the other hand, I thought it was a great match as well, so it is disappointing.”
“All the games were very close. She won them at the end of the second set but I could have won them too. So it was very tough to say who would win that match. I thought I was playing really well though. In the third set I tried to fight as hard as I could. I think I gave her the hardest match we have played so far. She was beating me easily the last three times, so there was some improvement. But I did have the match in my hands.”
“Every single game was tough. It was hard to win some easy points because I was fighting and running so much. This was a very high quality game and she just was a little better than me.”
Victoria Azarenka
“This was a very tough match today. She started the match really well, hitting hard and making so many winners. I was just trying to find my game; be more aggressive and continue to put pressure on her … It was important to change her rhythm because she was really solid from the baseline. Also, it was important to make her move and hit some extra shots while applying pressure.”
“The last time we played was in Eastbourne. It was a really tough match. It was two sets, but it was really close. I think she improved her game and was very good today.”
“I’ve never played Wickmayer in singles before but I faced her in doubles this week. I think she is a very good player who is aggressive and intense from the baseline. She also has some good results. Sam has been in great form throughout this whole year; she is really confident and has a huge serve. For me it will be important to stay in my game.”
Samantha Stosur
“It was a tough match from the first game right up to the end. I thought I started to return quite well toward the end of the first set. I wasn’t making too many in the beginning. I think I was still a little flat in the second set and let her get back in it, going up a break in the first game. Throughout that second set, I wasn’t quite tough enough. Down 2-0 in the third, I knew it was time to pick it up and I was able to do that.”
“You have to not allow her to hit her best shots. I started getting the ball to her forehand a little bit more, maybe play through the middle a bit. Basically, not give her the angle that she wanted to get into my backhand corner.”
“I had a really good lead-up to the U.S. Open last year and then kind of fell on my feet once I got there. I think it’s something where I needed to manage those matches and tournaments back-to-back a little better. Up until that point, I hadn’t really had good consecutive weeks leading into a Grand Slam like I did. I just got a little tired and mentally was fried. Hopefully I can play well and leave something in the tank for the U.S. Open. That’s what it is going to take and I think I have come a long way since then.”
Maria Sharapova
“I just wasn’t swinging through well today; sometimes my arm just doesn’t want to swing. I didn’t want to take too much off the serve because that was not going to get me anywhere. I just wanted to find it the right way and keep going forward. Today was one of those days were I made a few more errors than I should have, but in the beginning that is actually what saved me because I wasn’t making many balls in the court from any side. I was trying to find the right balance to win the match.”
“When things are not going that well, you just try to keep doing the right thing and ultimately you will get your chances. I got them and picked them up. That’s what I needed to do in order to win the match. At the end of the day, that is the most important thing. You can only learn from the match itself. Hopefully tomorrow I can go out and not have to wait for such a long time and lose five games in a row to start figuring things out.”
“I think it’s tough to feel perfect all the time. One of the toughest things in the game itself is keeping your concentration and focus. You know that if you play a few good games, you are likely to have a bit of a letdown. It’s not really about the kind of letdown you have, it’s more about how you get yourself out of it. You want to think clearly out there about what you need to do and stay positive.”
“She (Radwanska) is a great retriever and a challenging player because she is very tricky. She has a lot of different tricks in her bag. She can play really aggressive or mix it up and throw a change of pace. I will really have to be on top of my game.”
Elena Dementieva
“I think it was a good match. I feel like I could have played much better, and there were some chances in the first and second set. I think my serve was not good enough today. She was playing very well today and had a good first serve, but it was a pretty flat game.”
“This is what I was hoping for- to have a few tough matches here. Feel the competition out, feel the game and hopefully that will help me in the next month.”
