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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2017

Laura Robson

Wimbledon, London, England

B. HADDAD MAIA/L. Robson

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How frustrating was that for you?
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, very. I just didn't feel like I played my best tennis at all. It wasn't the way that I've been playing the last few weeks even. So, yeah, I do feel like I let myself down a bit out there.

Just never really let myself get into the match. Just a bit overwhelmed with nerves when I first got out there, then tried to play too perfect when really I didn't need to go for so much.

Q. Why do you think those nerves were? Is it the expectation of the crowd, on yourself?
LAURA ROBSON: No, it was just how I felt going into the match. I thought I had a really good chance. With the way that I'd been playing the last few weeks, there is no reason I couldn't have won that match.

Yeah, just let myself down.

Q. How tough is it when you are tense out there, you're trying so hard to get over that line, but you feel like you can't do it?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, to be honest, I think if I had won that first game after having the two points at 40-15, then I might have relaxed a little bit. But just the way that the match went, you know, my feet were just not moving. She had a tricky serve that I was finding it tough to read.

You know, it just kind of gets a hold of you. Once you try starting to overhit it, try to play too perfect, it's tough to get out of that.

Q. You obviously dropped down to play a few lower-level events in recent months. How far off do you feel you are from really challenging again on this sort of stage? Do you think you're there physically, mentally?
LAURA ROBSON: It's a different pace of ball sometimes. It depends who you play really. At the tournaments I've been playing this year, it's definitely a good level. But there's just that extra bit of difference.

So when you come back up to these events, you do feel it straightaway, with the pace of ball, I think with the opportunities that you get on breakpoints and things like that.

Yeah, you know, I'm dropping back again after this to try and get more matches and get my ranking up. But, yeah, it's frustrating.

Q. There was a bizarre Hawk-Eye instance in the first set where it appeared to play a different one from the one you challenged. Is that something you noticed?
LAURA ROBSON: I mean, I didn't think it was the right shot just because of where it came up on the screen. You know, it's one point in a whole match. It doesn't make a difference and it happens sometimes.

Q. Did it bother you?
LAURA ROBSON: No.

Q. Sometimes in matches like that, you had a break-back point in the second game, she gets a dead net cord. Do you start thinking, For God's sake, give me a bit of luck here, get on a roll?
LAURA ROBSON: No, it's just the way it happens sometimes. She played solid. I felt like she didn't have to do a lot, to be fair. I was kind of giving her all the opportunities that she could have wanted.

Net cords happen. I was hoping for one back at some point, but unfortunately didn't get one.

Q. You obviously have been around the world quite a lot in the last year or so, going to various places, playing lower tournaments. I'm guessing you're going to have to do a few more of those to get your ranking back up. Do you feel you still have the enthusiasm to get back up to where you were?
LAURA ROBSON: For sure. I'm going to be out in the States, so it's not really like a massive hardship or anything. I enjoy the tournaments and I enjoy trying to grind through as many matches as I can, get as many wins.

To be honest, trying to get my ranking up so that next year hopefully I won't need a wild card, so I feel like I really deserve to be here.

Q. Were you close to tears out there? There's been various interpretations of how emotional you were looking.
LAURA ROBSON: No, I didn't. No.

Q. You didn't feel particularly emotional?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, I felt emotional, but I wasn't close to tears. I was more angry at myself.

Q. Where will you be playing next? What is the plan over the summer?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, I've got ladies doubles with Joss here first. I'm hoping to do really well in that. We've done well recently, in Nottingham especially.

Yeah, I think we're just going to have a good time out there. Both of us play a lot better tennis when we're relaxed and enjoying ourselves. So I think we bring out the best in each other that way.

After that, my schedule is kind of middle of July, end of July, there's a couple of 60s out in the States I'll be playing.

Q. Do you have sort of an idea in mind where you'd like to be coming end of the year, a goal, a ranking goal, anything specific?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, I definitely would like to qualify for US Open again. That's always a highlight, playing in New York, for me. Ranking goals, I'm not really overly concerned.

It is what it is. I think as long as you get as many matches as you can, you know, grind through these 60Ks and things like that, you move up with the wins.

Q. Unconnected to this match, but today Marion Bartoli described her illness from last year, suggested there wasn't a huge amount of support for women in tennis. Is that something you had experienced or were aware of?
LAURA ROBSON: In regards to what?

Q. That she had been ill, and people were saying she was ill for the wrong reason. She then ended up in hospital. Whether there is any sort of pastoral support on the tour or...
LAURA ROBSON: I mean, I have my own team. The support is there from the WTA if you want it. They have a psychologist, a nutritionist. Whatever you're interested, they've got one. The support is there if you need it.

No, I've always been very happy with how things are.

Q. You've been working with Magnus Norman's team. How has that been going? What are you getting out of it so far?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, it's very early days. You know, the first two, three weeks you're just trying to get to know each other a little bit, get more comfortable around each other. You're kind of pushed into 18 hours of day hanging out. Yeah, it just takes a bit of time.

But I feel like it's going well. I feel like we want the same things out of my game. We tend to agree on what I need to work on. Yeah, on the mental side, as well. He knows that I'm working really hard on it, and everything can be improved.

Q. How did that collaboration come about?
LAURA ROBSON: To be honest, I just really have always liked Magnus. I have, you know, chatted on and off with him over the years, met with him a couple of times. I thought it would be a good fit just based on the personality of Magnus. He suggested Johan.

Yeah, so far so good.

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