TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 30th of June. B. Zahlavova Strycova d. C. Wozniacki 6-2, 7-5. An interview with Barbora Zahlavova Strycova
Q. Congratulations.
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: Thank you.
Q. Through to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. What are your thoughts right now?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: I can’t believe it for right now. It’s great. I mean, it was a tough match obviously, and I had to make a fifth match point.
I’m really, really happy that I could win today.
Q. The fourth match point you were looking at the heavens and speaking out loud; on the sixth you were breathing really heavily.
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: I was breathing very heavily from the second set. (Smiling.)
Q. Can you sort of put into words what the whole grass season meant to you? We saw you in Birmingham with the final as well.
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: It’s been unbelievable. I can’t believe it, like I said already. I put a lot of work into it, and I knew always that I can play good on grass. Now the results shows off and I am glad about it.
Q. There seemed to be a couple of grumbles at times from Caroline about the pace of play. She said to us afterwards that she felt it was a little bit slow. Did you feel that it was slow out there?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: I felt the court was the same as the other ones, so maybe just in the back there is no grass anymore so it’s a little bit more slippery.
But I felt the courts were the same like the other one, like No. 1 court or No. 11. The same.
Q. I think she was referring to time between points.
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: Oh, like that. I like to take time between points, but the referee didn’t tell me anything about it, so I was continuing in my rhythm.
So if the referee would tell me speed up or hurry up on your serve, I would maybe change it. But I didn’t get any warning or something like that, so I was just following the rhythm I had.
Sorry.
Q. Pardon me for bringing age into it, but you’re 28 and you’ve reached your first quarterfinal. Are you surprised to be making this kind of breakthrough at this stage in your career as opposed to earlier? What would you put it down to?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: Maybe a little bit I am surprised, but maybe I am getting more mature. I don’t know.
But I like it because I didn’t play for six months and it shows me also some other stuff. I enjoy much more now.
With the age, I am enjoying every moment on the court, especially here at my favorite tournament.
So it’s really nice.
Q. With that six months that you mentioned and also the circumstances from the start of last year, how difficult was that for you and how difficult has been it been for you subsequently because of it?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: First of all, I didn’t wanted to play again because I felt like it’s a little bit unfair. Everything was kind of against.
So first two months I didn’t want to come back. Then I missed it. I missed the feeling of working out, the feeling of winning matches, and being on tour.
It was tough, but on the other hand, it also brings me some positive things. Like I say, I am seeing the sport a little bit different now.
And here I am.
Q. So you actually considered leaving the sport altogether?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: Yeah, I didn’t wanted to b#b# yeah, I didn’t wanted to come back and play again and compete.
But it was just a short period of time. Like one month I was thinking like this. Then I was, Yeah, what I’m going to do? I really like it. I love the sport. And then I didn’t ask myself anymore.
Q. What was it about the judgment? Obviously you sort of maintained your innocence throughout. What was it about the judgment that made you question whether you wanted to be in the sport?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: Yeah, because I felt like everything is unfair and everything is like it happened. I was like, I don’t want to be here and see the same people every week. I was empty.
Just not because of also what happened, but being on tour. This is my 11th Wimbledon. It’s sometimes tiring. I am happy that b#b# I’m not happy what happened, but I took off and I didn’t focus on tennis at all. I didn’t follow any results.
I also lived normal life. It was good for me. (Smiling.)
Q. How close to quitting were you then, and what was it that made you come back?
BARBORA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA: I think I was not so close. (Laughter.) I was just maybe thinking about it. I don’t want to do it and this and that, but I had people around me who helped a lot. My family was there.
I’m saying that I was thinking about to quit the sport, but I would I think never do it.
