“So you will play your second Grand Slam final of the year …
To be honest, it’s a weird feeling. I’m really happy with the way everything is going. Yes, it’s not easy to get to a Grand Slam final, so doing two in the year is really special.
Precisely, you already have the experience of these great matches. Do you think it will be an advantage in the final?
Yes, totally. I’ll try to turn this to my advantage. I know I will still be nervous when entering the court, I’ve been through that. I know the emotions that invade you during a first Grand Slam final. I know what to expect and hope she gets a little nervous. But yeah, I know what to expect and I hope it turns out in my favor.
“I like to think about the game to be produced. “
You haven’t faced Iga Swiatek since the Juniors four years ago. Do you have a memory of her?
I remember I lost. I don’t know how I played anymore, but what I do know is that I was not as comfortable on clay as I am today. But we are, she and I, very different players now. Of course, she has been playing very good tennis since the start of the tournament. But Petra (Kvitova) hadn’t lost a set before our semi-final. That sort of thing doesn’t have to mean much if I’m playing well. I will have to use my experience in Melbourne.
You always seem to find the solution to your opponents …
I like it, yes. I like to think about the game to be produced. In a tennis match, you have to expect tough times. You are not the only one who wants to win on the court and your opponent is looking for your weak point. Of course you have to be smart in a match. Obviously, I prefer it when the matches are easy, but you can’t expect that in the Grand Slam semi-finals. I knew I was not going to win 6-0, 6-0, especially against Petra. But to get there, you have to love the game, love the competition. We must have the sacred fire. Like I said before, I hate to lose and I love to win. I do everything possible to win. “
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