TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2015 – 17th of January 2015. Pre-tournament interview with Simona Halep
Q. How were you feeling after having to withdraw from Sydney?
SIMONA HALEP: I’m feeling good now. I’m almost now like hundred percent recovered. I have two days. I slept very well. I ate very well. So I feel prepared to start this tournament. But still I have time, two days more, to feel like hundred percent.
Q. How different was your off-season? You changed coaches. Was there something you wanted to work on?
SIMONA HALEP: Just improve in my game more and more. I did in my serve very well in the off-season, and as well in my forehand. I’m moving better than last year. I’m working hard every day. I changed because I just wanted to change something, and I did. I think was a great idea for myself. Always I took my decisions and work very well. I think very good decision I had in the past.
Q. You posted a lot of pictures on Facebook of training in the snow and ice back home. How difficult is it to transition to warmer weather?
SIMONA HALEP: I have like three weeks already here because I played in Shenzhen. Wasn’t too hot there. That was a good thing for me. I like to train in snow, when it’s cold outside. I just had my preparation, my own preparation home, because many players are going where the weather is better or it’s very hot in USA and other places. But I preferred to stay home, stay close to my family, to recharge my batteries. I feel good home. Just I was like 20 days practicing in the snow and I was running a lot.
Q. What did you work on in the off-season?
SIMONA HALEP: My serve and my forehand. But I worked everything on my game. More on my serve. I did very well I think in Shenzhen.
Q. For power or for placement?
SIMONA HALEP: Both of them, and also I changed a little bit my technique.
Q. You made huge strides since a year ago. What surprised you most about your season, how successful you were?
SIMONA HALEP: I’m not surprised that I had big results last year because two years ago I just started to win some titles. I had more experience than before. I was improving a lot I think in my game. I’m much stronger now than before. My game is complete now, I think. I believe in my game. I think I was a little bit, I can say, surprised with the finals in French Open because I didn’t expect that I can play finals after just one quarterfinals in Grand Slam. But, you know, I had nothing to lose there. Was my favorite tournament, because I won in juniors, and I feel very well there. I was trying everything on court. Everything went in the right way at that tournament. I felt very well. Sometimes is very good to be close to your home because more people can come to watch you and can support you. So was a perfect tournament for me. That’s why I think I played the final. Then I had in Singapore the second big result. I played well, as well, there. I cannot say that I was surprised, but still I was very happy in the end of the year that I did few big results.
Q. After such a great year, do you feel more pressure coming into this year?
SIMONA HALEP: No. It’s better than last year. I can say now I feel no pressure. I have just to play my game during the matches and to see how good I can be, how many results I can do, how many matches I can win. So my goal is again to go to Singapore and to win matches with top players. Just I have no pressure.
Q. When you’re in Romania, do people leave you alone?
SIMONA HALEP: So-and-so. Sometimes when I go in the city, it’s tough, because everyone is coming to ask for a picture. It’s tough to stay relaxed, but when I practice, yeah, I’m alone. I feel good home.
Q. You said in Singapore that you were going to reward yourself with something, that you would buy yourself something.
SIMONA HALEP: I didn’t yet.
Q. You had the whole off-season. You didn’t buy yourself something?
SIMONA HALEP: No. I will do maybe this year.
Q. Melbourne is a big shopping city.
SIMONA HALEP: I did already some shopping. But not very big things. Just to motivate myself.
Q. What book are you reading?
SIMONA HALEP: I don’t say because I said about Harry Potter and everyone was asking me. It’s English book.
