Notes and Quotes from Day 3 of the 2012 French Open

Serena Williams

Serena Williams comments on what happened from 5-1 up in second set tiebreak.

Well, I just started making a lot of errors.  I mean, the whole match, I just didn’t play at all the way I have been practicing.

So, yeah, I just made ‑‑ I don’t know how many errors I ended up making, but I haven’t been playing like that in the past.

Yeah, I definitely was nervous.  I’m always a little nervous in every match I play, which I think is a little bit healthy.

So, yeah, I mean, I think it’s normal.  I was definitely a little nervous.

But, yeah, there’s no excuse maybe.  I thought it was out, and then it wasn’t.  So…

 

I never really feel anything slipping away or anything.  I just ‑‑ I just felt I couldn’t get a ball in play.  You know, when I did ‑‑ I just felt like I was hitting late and, I mean, how can you hit late on a clay court?  It was kind of odd.

 

It didn’t work out today, but, um, yeah, I just wasn’t ‑‑ I made so many errors today which isn’t the game that I’ve been playing in the past.  You know, that’s it.  That’s life.

What was in Serena’s head in the dramatic last game of the match:

Well, I thought, you know, just staying, get it back to deuce.  Then I thought, whatever you do, don’t get it back to deuce at one point, couple times.

But that didn’t work.  I just was thinking, okay, if I could break here, then we’ll be back on serve.  You know, those are the kind of things that are going through your head.

 

I was 100% healthy.

On if she knew Razzano’s “story.”

That’s a bit of an intricate question.  I ‑‑ yeah, I know of her story and her husband.  We all have stories.  I mean, I almost died and Venus is struggling herself.  So, you know, it’s life.  You know, it just depends on how you deal with it.  She obviously is dealing with it really well.

Everybody, like Mardy Fish, he’s even having trouble.  Everybody has something that they’re dealing with.  You’ve just got to deal with it.

Asked if Chair Umpire Eva Asderaki is one of Serena’s nightmares.

Well, you know, she’s not a favorite amongst the tour, but, you know, I was like ‑‑ I don’t know.  Was she the one that did my US Open last match last year?

 

I just really had a flashback there.  (Laughter.)

Interference, replay the point, and I said, (demonstrating with hands up).  Same thing what happened to me in New York.  I mean, hello, you know.  She didn’t give me that opportunity, though.  She was just like, Interference, point penalty.

So I don’t know.

 

Yeah, it is disappointing.  But it’s life.  Things could be a lot worse.  I haven’t had the easiest past six months.  Nothing I can’t deal with.

 

I have to put it in perspective.  My Roland Garros so happens to be over.

So, you know, I’m in mixed doubles, so hopefully I can do better, win a match in that event.

Virginie Razzano

It’s incredible for me to win today Serena Williams.  It’s I think merite.  I don’t know the same name in English, merite.

But, yeah, for me it’s a good comeback and a big enjoy to beat Serena today, because it was a tough match and very difficult to go far in the physical and mental.

 

 

 

Yes, it’s incredible and a big happy for me.  The last game what was, you know, I win 5‑Love and I was crampy anyway on my legs.  Can’t go on my quadriceps.  I just don’t think feeling what you’re feeling, you know, with your pain.  Just focus on your ball.

I do not (In French) to be focus and just win her, to beat her, you know, because I work a lot for three sets, 5‑1, 5‑Love, 5‑2, and it was not easy for me, too.

I said, No.  It’s okay.  You can beat and you can continue.

On the second set tiebreaker:

I know in my mental I just never lost.  Yes, it was 5‑1 in the tiebreak, but in my ‑‑ here (pointing to forehead) I said, Okay, I can win this set.  I can come back, and I must to do that.

You know, just that.  I don’t need to think on other things.  Just you come back and you try to do your best every time, every point you go.

I was sure I can do that.  And I do that.  You know, it’s just because I want to do.

After, if she played so good, I can say, Okay, you win, and I do my maximum.

…..but I believed I could win.  At 5‑1, I knew I hadn’t lost yet.

I can go on first set and play on physical for both players, you know.  And after it was a big, a big fight for both players.  It was incredible.  We go We went as far as we could.

 

 

Life is not only the work you do.  Sometimes the worst can become the better.  Even if you have problems in your private life or professional problems, too or you have professional losses.

Well, if you work hard, it ends up paying off.  Sometimes you have bad times and sometimes you have good times.

 

It’s the most beautiful victory of my career against Serena.  I had beaten Venus in Tokyo.  It was a tough match, too, 6‑4, 7‑5 in the third set, very tough match, two or three hours.

So when you play champions like they both are, if you want to win, you have to spend a lot of time on the court.

With my kind of game, it is not possible to beat them in one hour and a half.  You need to be ready physically and tennis‑wise.

You know you will have to put up a big fight to beat them because they won Grand Slams and they are champions also in their minds.  Serena has an extremely powerful serve.

So for me, it’s a great relief.  It’s happiness, pure happiness.  It’s the most beautiful victory of my whole career, especially on the Philippe Chatrier court in front of the whole crowd.

 

I know that she knew it wasn’t going to be easy either, because I’m sure she saw ‑‑ yeah, she did see my match against Venus in Tokyo.  She was in the stands.

So she knows I have experience and that I’ve been on the tour for several years.  As she has been, too.

So when you play against a champion like her, you have to do your best.  I believe I did my job today.  Even a bit more than my job.  You can’t underestimate your opponent.

On this last game that was so long, I don’t know how many minutes, she never gave up.  She knew I wasn’t able to run anymore.  That is a time when I felt she was really a great champion.

She was playing with her mind.  She was playing with her understanding of the game.  I knew I had to really fight until the end.

 

Oh, there’s no miracle.  I just believe I prepared myself well.  I only played three matches lately, but I practiced a lot.  I spent time on the court.  I prepared physically also.

I just take the matches as they come.  I had to play Serena today.  Well, that’s it.  I had no choice anyway.

So I came onto the court as a puncher.  I was going to box on the court.  I know how she plays, and I was prepared.

On the hindrance calls against her:

Yes, I know the rule.  Warning, penalty, and after that you can be disqualified.  I’m not quite sure, though, but I think it can be a disqualification.

But honestly I didn’t think the umpire was very fair play on the second time.  The first time I can understand.  It can be justified because I shouted because I had cramps, but the second time I didn’t shout.

I looked at her, I said, What are you doing?  I just said, Aye, out.  We were playing, and I don’t believe my opponent was disturbed.

So I didn’t like that.  I looked at her, and I said, Now, calm down.  I was a bit tense.  I said, Now, that’s enough.  What do you want?  Just play at my place.  I was saying, I’m trying my best.  I mean, I’m trying not to show I’m hurting.

Because when it happens it hurts a lot.  It’s difficult to hide your cramps.  But I tried not to disturb my opponent, so the second time, I believe it was not justified.

 

Rafael Nadal

On his play today:

Good.  I think I did what I had to do today.  I’m happy.  I played probably with less stress or nervous than in other first rounds in the past.

So happy the way I am through, the second round.  I’m happy how I play, no?

I had the mistake.  I relax a little bit with 6‑2, 4‑Love, my opinion.  I was playing very well after beginning of the match.  After 2‑All, after I had the break, that period of time of eight, nine games until 4‑0, I was playing well.  Then 4‑0, 30‑Love I relax a little bit.  I was in a little bit trouble later, no, with a few break points against to put the 4‑3, no?  But in general…

In response to a question about the color of his shirt:

I will check.  I let you know next time.  (Laughter.)  I let you know exactly the name.  Because I really ‑‑you know, interesting.  That’s a good question, yeah.  Different one.  Finally.  That’s good.

I will check.  I will ask Nike.

Asked about if he will play Madrid next year if the clay were packed right.

We are in Roland Garros.  It’s enough important tournament to talk about the past tournaments, but, you know, when I say something I don’t say something because I feel bad in that moment or I feel angry in that moment, no?

When I say the things is because I really think the things.  No, no.  I don’t talk to talk.

So, in my opinion, I already know was a bad decision, and I didn’t change my mind two weeks later.

That the thing.  All the clay court tournaments are in very similar conditions.  We cannot accept just in the middle of the clay court season a tournament with completely different conditions.

I would like to come back and play in one of my favorite place to play tennis on tour, play with the support of the crowd and the country and the city is probably bigger than no other one place in the world.

So for me, if next year the court is blue and I am not able to go there, it will be a big disappointing.

 

Whether he uses sun protection:

No, I should use sun protection creams, but I can’t.  I can’t play with this.  I have the impression that afterwards my skin is sticky, and I don’t like feeling this, something sticky on my skin.  That’s awful.

I have always, you know, touching my nose, my face, and then I have the impression that even my hands are sticky.  Even during practice I don’t use sun protection cream.  I should perhaps.

Maria Sharapova

On the easy win:

Yeah, well, nothing is ever easy, because you have to face whoever is across the net.  No matter how good or bad they’re playing, you still have to win that match.  That was just my goal today.

On chances of winning Roland Garros:

I think everyone has a good chance.  It’s always about who takes their chances.  Of course I’m really happy with the way my preparation has been coming into this tournament.  I feel like with every year I have improved and I enjoy it much more.

You know, I think I learn a lot more about the game and the point construction.  I feel like I’m moving a lot better than I did years previously, which has helped me a lot in the recovery process within the point.

So, yeah, it definitely gives me a lot of confidence for this tournament.  But just like any other event within this tournament, I hope that I improve with every round and get better.  Whoever is across the net is that person that I’ll have to beat.

She used to call her movement on clay that of a “cow on ice,” how she would describe herself now:

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that phrase in the last four weeks from journalists in the press conference room.  (Smiling).

 

I will give you the standard answer:  That I do occasionally still feel like it, and I’m sure I look like it, too.  I don’t know.  I feel like, I mean, the one thing that has helped me tremendously is that I physically ‑‑ I feel capable of ‑‑ and mentally as well, it helps me knowing that I believe I can play seven matches and I can play them all tough and I can recover well, which really hurt me a lot, in years before where I would play, you know, three‑set matches where I have to dig deep in the beginning of the event, whether it was against Patty Schnyder, I remember against Medina Garrigues one time.

And within that match, it’s great, I came back and I fought, but for the next match it was just like the balloon popped or something, like things were just not ‑‑ you could tell my energy level wasn’t there, wasn’t moving so good.  And that has improved a lot and helps me mentally knowing that, that I don’t feel like I’m saving myself so much.

 

Tommy Haas

On the record number men 30-years-old and older playing Roland Garros this year:

Yeah, good question.  Why is that?  Maybe somebody should do the research for that reason.

You know, I think a lot has to do with maybe we’re also taking care of our bodies much more and realizing you have to be in great shape.  When you’re in great shape you can go maybe a little bit longer.

Maybe times have changed.  Even back when I started playing everybody retired at age 30, 31.  Michael Stich, Becker, Edberg, all these guys that I sort of looked up to playing, you know, they left the game during that time.

You know, one of my other idols basically, you know, Agassi showed us that it’s possible to play unbelievable tennis at age 34, 35, 36 if you keep yourself in great shape.

There is always exceptions even with Connors at 39.  Who knows if this is still possible at this high level.  But I think when your 30 you also don’t want to maybe realize that your time is over yet and you want to continue to play and enjoy this game, because you know that one day it will be over.

So might as well just enjoy it while you can.

Yeah, like I mentioned before I think when I started playing, you know, it was sort of like till 30 and then you do something else or you’ll see what happens.

I guess you just never know.  Life is always changing and things are always going to be a little bit different.  I grew up in an era with still some of the players that I idolized when I was growing up.

Even with Sampras and Agassi, and then seeing Agassi still doing it.  You know, at the age that I’m even at now I think he was still No. 1 in the world at age 33.  That’s very inspirational.