TENNIS US OPEN – 5th of September. C. Wozniacki d. P. Shuai 7-6, 6-3, RET. An interview with Peng Shuai
Q. First off I want to say, how are you feeling now?
PENG SHUAI: Feeling better. Yeah. Safe now.
Q. I’m glad to see it. I can only imagine how painful it was. It was hard just to watch you. If you can, just talk about the experience.
PENG SHUAI: Well, it’s really tough match and then Caroline always bring a lot of ball back. She’s like really like tough, the energy, you know, and to play — when we finish first set already maybe one hour or 50 minutes and the heat is really hot. I just try to fight, and my body is getting more and more hot and it start cramping. It’s really painful right there, yeah.
Q. Then you went off the court and I guess you were evaluated and determined that you were healthy enough to go back out and try. Talk about that experience that you were feeling better and felt like you could maybe compete and you realized you couldn’t?
PENG SHUAI: No, actually went first because they tough to move me out to, you know, to get the treatment outside the court. It was only like few minutes in there. And then I think they check my temperature. And then everything — because the doctor, she said to me, You are not able really go out to fight, compete, because look is not really well. I said, No, no, no, I don’t want to give up. I want to try one more time. Yeah. And then I come back. I know it’s not going to be maybe — I know I’m not gonna stay maybe too long, but I just want to try, you know. I just wanted to challenge her one more time. Yeah.
Q. How disappointing is it? You were playing so well in this tournament. Obviously a big breakthrough tournament for you. How disappointing was it not to be able to complete the match?
PENG SHUAI: I think is many good things what I started and what I did it for like whole this year my tennis, but also with my fitness. But also I saw also many thing I need to improve that. And then how I what’s like in the match, in my fitness, in my body. And then always like learn, you know. And then also keep going, looking forward.
Q. What was the moment that you realized that you had to retire? When did you realize that you had to retire from the match?
PENG SHUAI: I think was the moment I come back on the court. How you say, I could not really control maybe like myself, my body already. And with the moment I think the doctor saw that, and then it just like — I don’t know. I didn’t like — I cannot say already. I think see saw that and then have to no choice. I want, but I could not.
Q. But did you say, I default or did they tell you you had to default?
PENG SHUAI: I couldn’t not remember, actually. I don’t know in the moment, because already for me was tough for me to breathe. Was cramping. I don’t know. Maybe they talk to me or they telling me or asking me. Already I could not heard it. So in the moment everything, maybe yes or no, yes or no, I don’t know.
Q. They said that you said, I have to default. They said you told them.
PENG SHUAI: Okay. Maybe. I don’t know. Sorry. Really honest to say, because after the court the doctor ask me, Do I know what’s going on? Because I was cramping there. Because my body is really hot and it could not really breathe. I think in the moment I could not cling to remember everything. Maybe. Maybe they more clear than me. So, yes.
Q. Were you feeling anything else other than cramping? Were you dizzy? Were you nauseous? Was it just the physical muscles?
PENG SHUAI: I think it was the physical because today is really humid and hot. And then like my body is not like from like — maybe I got from I parents when I’m born. It’s not like the strong, my physical like everything. So also from like what I does in the practice and just the lot of fitness and then try to improve with everything. Like I think I was going to improve that, but I need to like keep going like doing more, because now the compete more stronger than before. Yeah.
Q. Was this the same thing that happened to you in Australia?
PENG SHUAI: Oh, that was like worse yet. Different opponent. But the heat is over 40, so is not like really natural. So is like also really tough, yeah. But good things I finished it. Here is more humid. And then it just — I tried. I tried to just like give my body all energy on court. Yeah.
Q. Actually I think for you you must have very complicated feelings about 2014 US Open, because you had victories and also you had sort of injuries. China media has very high remarks of you. How do you see yourself?
PENG SHUAI: Well, it’s really good almost two weeks. Is lot of new experience to me. A lot of challenger. And then is really happy this time I make some like — you know, I did some like usually a lot of time the player and I make this time. This almost two weeks I feel like I play really good, and then I just maybe need to believe more like to myself. And then give me a lot like energy. Keep going fight and work, and then looking forward. Yeah.
Q. For you on the court the main physical problem was the cramping?
PENG SHUAI: Yeah. Yeah, because I think when it start cramping, it’s like your body a little bit out the energy. You just keep going try and fight. I think it’s with the cramping, yes.
Q. All over the body or mostly in the legs?
PENG SHUAI: Start from the leg.
Q. And then did it go…
PENG SHUAI: The front, the back, and then it was my back. Horrible. (Smiling.)
