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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2018

Simona Halep

Cincinnati, Ohio

K. BERTENS/S. Halep

2-6, 7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just not enough left in the tank today? Too fatigued?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, but I had match ball. So I was there. Didn't take my chance. So in the third set I was empty and I couldn't fight anymore.

Q. Overall, what do you take away from this run?
SIMONA HALEP: From this tournament?

Q. Yeah, and the two back to back, but this in particular.
SIMONA HALEP: Well, it's been great, great performance. After a long break, I came and I played good tennis. No doubts that I'm really happy about that.

About emotional part, I'm a little bit upset because I couldn't manage better today, but that's it. I'm like this, and I have to work more (smiling).

Q. I kind of saw you wave off a point in the breaker, and just wondering about resetting. After that breaker, what were your thoughts going into the third?
SIMONA HALEP: At what score? I don't remember.

Q. I don't know exact score. That tweener, though?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it was nice (smiling).

Q. There was a little smile. Do you do that in training?
SIMONA HALEP: I trained few times but just for fun. Never like I thought that I'm going to do that in the match. Today it was everything gone, so I did it.

Q. Your legs are such a big part of your game, and you're having so much more success playing through all of the matches in an event. How are you changing up your schedule and allowing yourself, probably more psychologically, to take more breaks when you're actually done?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I will see with my team. It's tough to say now. But for sure I need a little bit of rest because I'm exhausted. But also I take the positive from these two weeks. It's a great confidence, and I'm looking forward actually for the next one to be better on court.

Q. Does this mean you will go and play New Haven?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I go later tomorrow.

Q. Darren kind of gave you the mantra "Little Rafa" this week. Have you ever spoken with Nadal or been to the academy in Mallorca?
SIMONA HALEP: No.

Q. At any point during that match did it almost seem like it transitioned into a clay court match just the way it was playing out?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, we played many rallies, and it was very physical match. That's why the end I couldn't make it anymore.

I was also -- I can say I gave up, because I didn't have energy left. But she played really well, and she really deserves to win that, this title, because her level was very high.

Q. When you look at last year's final and how maybe the pressure of getting the No. 1 overtook you, are you much more proud of today's performance, or do you still feel there was an opportunity missed? Like you said, you had match ball.
SIMONA HALEP: It's tough to talk about it, because, as you said, I lost it from the match point, and to lose it in the final, it's worse.

But I cannot compare with last year, so this year was much better and my tennis was much better. Everything was better.

So I'm not making a drama, but I'm upset a little bit on myself.

Q. Can you still look at a final as finished, though, as a very positive week?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, 100%.

Q. When you and Darren were talking the last couple of weeks and you won nine matches over two weeks, you need to win seven over two weeks to win a major, did that kind of comparison or context come up when you guys discussed what you were doing the last two weeks?
SIMONA HALEP: No, not at all. We didn't think about that. But he also was surprised in Canada that I could win so many matches and good matches.

I hope I didn't ruin everything with this match, because I feel like I did some wrong things on the court, but I hate to lose. It's tough to manage that moment (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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