The Championships Wimbledon
at Wimbledon, England

 

Monday, 23 June 2008

 

Samantha Stosur def. Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-2, 6-2

Q. Back couple of months training. How did you feel out there?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: I felt great, yeah. Really settled and calm and wasn't too nervous and thought I hit the ball well. Overall played pretty well.

Q. Did you fatigue at all? Do you feel any effect?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: No, not at all. I felt good out there, and I felt fine after. Yeah, I don't know. I feel fine.

Q. Obviously just coming off the back of Eastbourne and played really well there, how are you finding this surface?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: I'm really enjoying the grass this year. In the past I've kind of struggled with it, had some good matches and some other not so good matches at all. But yeah, this season I've had a lot of match practice, probably the most matches I've ever had coming into Wimbledon. So I think that's probably been able to help my game and for me to feel more confident when I'm playing out there.

Q. Speaking of Wimbledon, it obviously gives you a lift to be back here. This is a pretty special tournament, isn't it?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Absolutely. I've always loved playing here. Unfortunately, never really had the kind of results that I've wanted. It is a special event, and every time you go on that court you get that extra bit of a buzz.

There's so many Australians here, as well, you almost feel at home. More similar to the Aussie Open than anywhere else.

Q. Do you feel reaching the semis at Eastbourne was a bit of a turning point going into Wimbledon, like, yeah, I'm definitely where I want to be, or just sort of a natural progression?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Maybe a bit of both. You want to be playing those sorts of matches going into a Grand Slam, but it has been a better result than what I have had the last couple of months, as well.

It was probably a good time for it to happen leading into a Grand Slam. Yeah, just good to get some more matches. I think the more matches you play on grass, the more comfortable you feel.

Q. Watching your game, you're serving and volleying a lot. Have you been practicing that a lot?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. Since getting once the French Open finished, then you go onto the grass, yeah, Dave and I have been working on that quite a lot and just basically trying to be aggressive.

If I can serve well, I think it's good for me to follow it in after the serve and hit volleys rather than stay back, as long as I kind of get a feel for it. If it's working, keep doing it. If not, then start mixing it up more. I think it can definitely be an asset for me.

Q. Obviously you think you can win any time you go out there on the court, but what are your expectations after your last six months or so?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: It's kind of the same thing: Every time you step on the court you've got to expect or believe that you can win the match. I think coming back from having so much time off, maybe that's even more important than what it usually is. If you don't believe that, there's no point even being out there.

After having that time I think it's extra important, and I'm ready to play. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be out here. That's kind of just all in the past now.

I've played for a couple of months now and I'm feeling good, so it's just kind of the same mindset that I've always had for now.

Q. Is there a time when you were sick that you didn't think you'd come back here?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Not really. I always stayed pretty positive, and I kind of believed with the doctors and the trainers and everyone else that was helping me through it, they said that I would be fine more than likely. They were pretty sure about all that, but it was just a matter of when. Nobody could put a time frame on that. I managed to get through it, I think pretty quickly in the big scheme of things from what I know about what I had. The more I've learned about it, I think I've done pretty well to be back out here playing so soon.

Q. More than anything, is it a relief to feel fit and healthy and all the rest and just doing what you love?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, for sure. It's amazing when you can't do something that you love doing, how much you miss it and how much you want to get back to that.

I think that also kind of drove me to keep just doing the right things to get better. You know, I've always loved playing tennis, but when you can't do it for nine months you kind of realize that, yeah, that is a huge chunk of my life and I want to be able to experience that: practicing and playing matches and having people cheer for you and all that sort of thing.

It is a good feeling, and when you don't get it, you do start to miss it.

Q. Do you enjoy the tour?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I do. As long as you just go home when you can and enjoy that aspect, as well, then when you're on the road you do what you've got to do. Yeah, I quite like it.

Q. Vaidisova in the next round. How do you feel about matching up with her?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I've played her a few times. I actually played her in Eastbourne last year and I had a few three setters against her, but never been able to get her over the line. It's going to be a tough match, but I think I'm playing pretty well.

I think I'm playing better on the grass now than what I have previously, so, yeah, I've just got to go out there, I think, more be concerned about what I'm doing and try and play well and focused on my goals and see what happens.

Q. Talking about the serving and volleying and being more aggressive, is that the approach you'll take into this match?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, for sure. I'm not going to change anything now. It's worked for the last two weeks in my first round, so I'm going to keep along those lines. But like I said before, if it's not going so well, then I just kind of play that by ear.

But that's probably going to be my first kind of tactic when I go out there is to be aggressive and try to come to the net.

Q. I'm sorry if this was asked earlier, but when match point was over with that forehand winner, what was your feeling at that point?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Just really happy. Yeah, I guess I don't know, just happy to get through a match here and feel like I played well and be in the second round.