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ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2017

Alize Cornet

Paris, France

A. CORNET/A. Radwanska

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You looked very emotional at the end of the match. Tell us how you were feeling after you won.
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: I was feeling just very happy. Of course it's a lot of emotion to qualify for the second week of your home slam. So of course a lot of positive emotion at the end. Big relief, also, because I just beat Aga once in maybe nine matches that we played.

I played a good match today. I enjoyed a lot my time on court. I was very stressed before the match. Even during the match. Because I felt like I could, like, beat her. When you have this feeling, you have to be focused from the first to the last point. That's what I did.

So I'm very glad to be in the second week.

Q. Coming into Roland Garros, when there is no Serena, no Sharapova, no Azarenka, when you get this far, do you start to get the feeling that this could be a really good opportunity to make a really good run and maybe win it?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: But, you know, there is many, many, many other very good players, even though there is not these three names you just told. It's not easy to win a slam, even when Serena is not here.

Of course when you see the draw, you have the feeling that everything is open, and I think it's kind of -- it's kind of open, I have to say, but there are seven matches to win against very, very good players.

I try to take it match by match, you know. I don't try to look too much ahead. I didn't even know who I was playing in the next round, actually.

I try to think present and to play my game on the court. So far it's working very well, so I will try to keep going this way. Of course now that I'm in the second week, I'm dreaming of more and I want more, and that's a good sign.

Q. Against Aga you have had a lot of roller coaster matches, very emotional matches, like the one at Hopman Cup a couple of years ago. How often do these moments of these matches go through your head throughout the match, especially when you're in a winning position, and you just try not to think of those, maybe?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: Actually, I didn't think so much about these previous matches we had when I was playing. I thought about it before the match, and I was, like, well, this is for sure gonna be a tough one. We are going to have a big battle like we used to have.

Actually, it was kind of an easy match today. I mean, easy on the scoreboard. Of course it's never easy, but we never played, like, 2 and 1 matches. And especially when I'm the one that is winning the match. So it's kind of unexpected. It feels great that it's happening at home.

Yeah, I'm just very happy that I can beat her for the second time today to qualify for the second week. It's the best scenario ever.

Q. Obviously you take a lot of advantage from the crowd. Next round you could face another French. How does that sound?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: I think the crowd is going to be excited to see if I play against Caro, to see two French women playing for a place in the quarterfinal. Of course I think they will not take too much advantage for one or another player, but we will try to give them a good show, a good game. And then, you know, I always have the support of my team. For me, that's the most important support.

So I would say that the crowd support is more like a bonus, like, you know, an extra energy. But if I don't have it in the next round, I will try to take my team's support and my will that I have inside my heart.

Q. You won lots of points today with dropshots. Is that a sign that you are confident about your game and the way that you are playing at the moment?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: Yeah, the dropshot has always been part of my game, especially these last years. On clay court it's working unbelievably well, I have to say. On the three previous matches I used it a lot and even more today because I saw she was standing a little bit far from the baseline, and I was feeling -- I mean, I had a great hand today with the dropshot. I think I won maybe eight of 10 points by dropshotting.

So I need to use it, like, you know, like an attack shot. It's a very aggressive shot if you think about it. And then of course when I do it that means my game is ready and that everything, like, the puzzle, you know, is getting together, so it's great.

Q. We saw Petra wearing a T-shirt saying "Courage, Belief, Pojd." If you had to write your own T-shirt summarizing your week here, which three words would you use?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: Oh, I don't know. I need to think about it. In one week, I go through so many emotions.

I think one of the first words I would use is "team," because if I'm here today, it's also because of them. Thanks to them (smiling).

Their support, their love, of everything, they are giving me every day, even when it's tough, because I have a tough character sometimes, and I know it, but I'm also very generous in my emotions. So I guess they find themselves in all these emotion thing.

Then I would say -- maybe -- it's a tough question. I will think of it and tell you later the three words I would choose.

Q. Dropshots?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: Dropshots win. Yeah, maybe.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. You didn't have a good record against her. We thought today could be the day. How did you prepare your match?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: The same type of preparation. The same approach, same tactical plan.

So the tactical pattern that I used in the two previous games worked well, but I decided to hit lots of dropshots. She didn't move very well. It worked well, and I hit lots of dropshots successfully.

Everything came together. I was tight before the match. During the match I was also tense, more tight than in the previous games. But I stuck to my game plan till the end of the match, and when I'm focused on my game at the end of the day, I managed to produce good tennis despite lots of emotions.

Q. Second week at the French Open. If you consider your performance in Madrid, you were not good. So how did you manage to turn things around?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: There is no secret. I mean, I have worked hard. I toiled quite a lot. I didn't give up. I didn't throw in the towel. I talked with my relatives, as well, as I told you, and at the end of the day I went back on court. I practiced hard. The feelings were better in Rome. Things were coming together, and I said to myself, Go on, go on.

And after the French Open, I said to myself, I will make an assessment. Until the last point here at the French Open I will fight, and the adventure still goes on. I want to go far in the tournament. My game as a clay courter is well in place. You don't have too many players who adapt their game to this surface.

Q. There is striking statistics. When you started playing as a pro for the first nine years you had only 9% of victories. 11 victories and 6 defeats against the top 10. Why is it so? Is it a matter of experience or is it a lack of complexes? It's an important gap.
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: Yes, right. I don't know why. I don't know why. I can't give you an explanation. Maybe when you play these sorts of games you get used to them. When I was young, maybe I consider that these top 10 players were on a pedestal. But I was ranked 11th when I was 19 years of age, so I thought that I was part of this elite players. But there were some mental barriers that I couldn't overcome.

Whether I play against a top 10 or top 100, everything can happen. So I don't focus on a number. I do focus on the player I'm playing against. It seems to be more efficient.

Q. Have you asked to play the last 16, quarterfinals, semifinals at 11:00?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: I have asked not to play at 11:00, the first match. I don't like playing the first match. I'm under the impression that I have just come out of bed.

But at the end of the day, it was successful. I won't say anything for the next round, but it's quite funny to a certain extent. Nathalie Dechy, I'm in touch with her, and I asked her for the next round, Can I play the second match in the schedule, third match in the schedule? But she told me, I mean, if you play first, it's success for you.

Q. So you have reached the last 16 at the French Open. Do you feel that you can pass another milestone? Maybe it will be the results or the outcome of a good career?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: I hope it won't be the culmination of my career. Maybe it will be the beginning of a second career. But I think that I can go deep in the tournament. The two matches that I played were short, so physically I'm good. So I want to think ahead. I believe in myself, so I have passed another milestone.

So when I was younger, my objective was to reach the second week at the French Open, but I want to get more. I want to win more matches, and it's a victory for myself, because I'm confident in myself and I think I can go deep in the tournament. We'll see what's gonna happen. I want to play my game, to give my best, and we'll see what comes out of it.

I mean, the truth is on the court.

Q. 6-6 between Caroline and Su-Wei. We hope that you will be squaring off with Caroline. It will be a specific match. How would you approach this match? Is it joy? Apprehensive?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: I mean, there are pluses and minuses, whether you play Caroline or Su-Wei. For the crowd it will be good if Caro advances to the next round, so I would be very happy to play against Caroline. But when it's a match with two French players, it's hard for the crowd, because there is less craze.

But I know her very well. I will have to implement my tactics. Caroline hits the ball very hard, trying to put you in a bad patch.

So I will have to use my science of game, but it will be a tough match. It's not easy to play against a French player, but we have enough experience and strong in order to set that aside. I will focus on my tennis, so I look forward to knowing who will be my next opponent.

Q. Since the Fed Cup, I mean, have you talked with Caroline? What about your relationship? I mean, do you drink a coffee or not?
ALIZÃ‰ CORNET: We have maintained good relationships but no more than that. We haven't spent a lot of time together. We have a friendly relationship.

I think that the relationship is not very good. I think she may have a grudge against us, so she's not ready to talk with me, so I don't think that it will be good to talk to her, because we are playing against each other.

But one day I hope that she will tell me, Let's discuss. And I'm patient. I understand that the whole story has upset her. I'm quite open-minded. That's all. So it's a matter of time before we can talk to one another seriously and sincerely.

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