Virginie Razzano French Open Interview June 1st

Virginie Razzano French Open Interview June 1st

S. STOSUR/V. Razzano 6‑1, 6‑2

Q. I have the impression that your opponent has been really playing well today. Is this your impression, as well?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Yes, this was an excellent match for her. Unfortunately there’s nothing I could do on the court. For me, it was a tough match. As I had said before, I said this player is a tough player. I had to be careful about the match.

I had played against her just once, but a long time ago, so I didn’t have many landmarks with her,even though I had a number of tips from my coaches. To me, her match was perfect. I felt I was powerless on the court. I couldn’t find the solutions to win. I wanted to feel less bad, if I can say.

Q. The conditions seem not to be that good. The court was emptying little by little. It was windy. It was a bit late. These were not perhaps the best conditions for an exceptional match.

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, all conditions are good to me. Whatever happens, you know, I had to play this match. I had to play today. This is it. I was there on the court. It was blowing hard again today, but that’s true for both of us.

So what I think today,which was bothering, is not the conditions, not that. It was not crowded with people. It’s my opponent. She played an excellent match. She didn’t want me to be aggressive, and I couldn’t be aggressive.

Unfortunately, this is the feeling I had,powerlessness against her. I couldn’t go to the net. I couldn’t enjoy my shots on the court today. I didn’t enjoy it. I had the impression I didn’t know how to play tennis.

She did this on purpose so that I couldn’t play my game, my tennis. So her match was perfect. I have nothing to reproach myself with. It’s her. That’s why I’m both frustrated and disappointed.

Because, you see, when you get on the court and you have the impression that this is a bitter loss, bitter defeat and you couldn’t find solutions, you couldn’t find a way out. You couldn’t even enjoy playing on the court,playing my style, my game, and this is frustrating.

But the thing is, we have to accept these types of things. It’s like anything else. You can’t always be a winner. Today she played better than I did. She was stronger than I was, so I accept this defeat. I accept this defeat.

What I remember from this is all the good things.

Q. So what about her assets, her weapons?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, her serve. First, she serves like a man. She has the best serve as a woman on the tour, except for Venus Williams and Serena Williams. But I’d say that she serves even better than Serena or Venus, because she can do all types of serves. She can vary her serves. That is, hit a very strong first serve, or she would give spin to the ball so that the ball is inside out.

She is one of the good doubles players, as well. She has control over all types of serves, all the zones, as well. She controlled. So it’s very difficult to read her game when you return the points.

It’s not just her serves. Her big, strong forehand, which is inside out, so powerful, and with a spin on it so you don’t know where the ball is going to go. She has two weapons: her big serve and big forehand.

Q. Now,it’s a very positive tournament for you here in 2009, even though now today this is a defeat for you and the audience was not supporting you. Jo was defeated. Gaël has difficulties. So still, it’s positive for you?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, yes. It’s not bad. I’ve reached the last 16. I’m quite satisfied with what I’ve done here. I’m really glad and happy, because, you know, today I think this is a match I’ll forget.

By that, I mean ‑‑of course this was a bitter defeat for me, but she was so much stronger than I was. She neutralized my game from the beginning to the end. I was a follower. I couldn’t find the solutions I wanted to find.

You know, had it been different during the first set, you know, she broke me, and then she would serve just afterwards. We had many deuce and advantage points. That’s when ‑‑that’s when I should have ‑‑ I mean, I should have ‑‑ because it’s not easy, you know.

That’s when I should have tried to win her serve back, to break her back. Because, you know, this girl ‑ well, from what I know about her ‑ is a girl who can doubt when she serves and when she plays.

But I should have broke her back at that moment. It should have been 2‑All,3‑All, or 4‑All. It was not the case. So then she didn’t doubt her game and she had confidence, and it’s been the case for her. She’s gained this confidence for a while.

So if it’s easy for her, when you look at the score, if she leads, then you have few opportunities. Well, I had few opportunities to come up with more solutions and bother her.

But, you know, apart from that, I think it’s a very splendid Roland Garros for me.

Q. Technically she served stronger than Jo an hour before, and my question is: Could you have returned better? Is that still feasible to return these powerful serves?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, maybe. But I need more practice. In the past, I’ve not played against some players with such a strong serve on the tour, even Venus and Serena. I played Venus before. They serve differently. It’s not exactly the same.

Venus serves usually a flat first serve, and then it’s like a kick second serve. But it’s not like Stosur. Stosur serves even better, because it gets more varied in terms of serves. You don’t know exactly what she’s going to do with those serves or with those balls. It’s really something that’s going to bother you.

But it should have been ‑‑ at home I should have practiced with these types of players, but we don’t have them here in the tour. I can’t find any such players. So when I got on the court, it was something new. I mean, her game style was a novelty to me. It’s something new.

And this is bothering many players,thanks to her serve and forehand, which has a big spin. These type of games, they destroy their opponents, more or less, if the opponents are not used to playing against them.

I should practice against these players so that later on I can find more solutions so that I feel less inferior.

Q. Let’s think about the weeks to come. Do you have any new ambitions for the two other Grand Slams in the season?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, first I’ll enjoy what I’ve done here,my results here. I know it was not that easy, I can tell you. It was not easy for my opponents, not for me. I’ll enjoy it. I’ll enjoy Roland Garros calmly, and then I’ll go back home.

I should have playedthe Birmingham tournament next week, but I’ll pull out. Because I need to think more about myself and take care of my back. I don’t want to overplay, play tennis too much. I mean, you know.

I’ll be playing on another surface, which is grass. It’s not clay. So too many matches at present in a row, and my back is a bit tense. It’s aching at present. I didn’t tell you before because it doesn’t hurt when I play, and it’s something I can manage.

Q. Thishas happened to you before, the backaches?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, from time to time I have a backache,that’s true. It goes on and off and on and off. But if it doesn’t ache too much,if I’m still mobile I can play. That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it, because this was not really bothering until today.

Even today this was not a problem, so that’s okay. The next thing is I know, if I want to end my matches at Wimbledon and if I want to win them, I shouldn’t play Birmingham. Well, because in terms of time lapse it’s toosoon, you know. It’s next ‑‑ almost like next Monday, and I didn’t have time to breathe after all of these matches.

So I think it’s important to me to stay focused for Eastbourne. I’ll be in the main draw, and Wimbledon, of course. It’s a fortnight, two weeks. So that’s long.

I’d rather think about my timing right now, so I’ll pull out. As I said,tomorrow I’ll pull out from the Birmingham tournament so that I can play my best tennis at Eastbourne and Wimbledon so that I have more time to go back home and to take care a rest. It’s important for me,and to breathe a little.

Interview from RG
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