ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2023

Diane Parry

Press Conference

D. PARRY/A. Kalinina

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Share your thoughts about how you felt out there on the Simonne-Mathieu court.

DIANE PARRY: Yeah, I'm really happy with this win. It was a really good player and she was in confidence also with her final in Rome. I know it will be a tough match, but I'm really happy with my game today and how I played all the match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. How do you feel to beat a seeded player in a first round for the second year in a row?

DIANE PARRY: It's quite positive. I will try not to focus too much on that and to look at the seeding, but I rather focus on the match and how I was going to play.

I'm satisfied on my game level today, so it's very positive.

Q. This match was almost perfect in terms of variations, of typical game on clay. You bothered her with a slice on your backhand and putting her back with a lot of lift. You played very wisely, and after your win in the Clarins Trophee, the Paris atmosphere is successful for you?

DIANE PARRY: Yes, indeed. That was the objective. It was the tactic against her and against a lot of players. It's my game style. I have to try and implement it as efficiently as possible, and I'm very happy about that.

And also playing in Paris, I'm always happy to be here, and I love playing with this atmosphere, with this crowd, and also feeling that I'm almost at home.

So of course it's a big boost on such a match.

Q. Although the post-Roland Garros 2022 and your victory against Krejcikova was a bit complicated for you, we have the impression that you're finding confidence and bearings. Was it difficult to manage this focus on you last year at Roland Garros? Can that explain results that were not so good afterwards?

DIANE PARRY: Well, I played quite well, actually, after Roland Garros on grass, so it was not just after. I will survive quite well post-Roland Garros. I know it's only one tournament, and afterwards you have to continue the season, and the tournaments continue.

You have to switch fast. I played quite well on grass, because I love this surface. But of course there are always ups and downs throughout the year, and sometimes it can last a longer time. But I'm happy to be in an up moment right now, and I hope that it's going to be nice weeks ahead.

Q. You'll be playing the small Russian prodigy, Mirra Andreeva, 16, who did an excellent tournament in Madrid. Do you know her? Have you seen her play? Have you been able to train with her?

DIANE PARRY: I don't know her at all. She's very young, so I've never played against her in juniors, and she's coming on the pro circuit in a beautiful manner. She's a newbie, and I haven't had many opportunities to see her play, so I know it's going to be a tough match. She plays very well. She had excellent results recently, and so it's going to be a beautiful match.

Q. How did you find the tennis balls? Benoit complained about the tennis balls yesterday. How did you find these Wilson balls?

DIANE PARRY: What did he complain about?

Q. They were too bouncy.

DIANE PARRY: No, I have not noticed anything different. Then of course I have decreased in levels of tournaments and categories of tournaments, and the conditions are way below these. So playing at Roland Garros with these conditions, it's like luxury tennis, the best you can have, the best experience you can have. I was feeling quite well with these tennis balls.

Q. The fine that Hugo Gaston received a week ago led to a lot of comments due to the high amount. Do you think the amount of the fine is very harsh? Regarding the code of conduct, should we accept that players are human?

DIANE PARRY: Well, I totally agree, but I didn't follow the exact details of Hugo's fine. I don't know exactly why he received such a high fine. But it can be a bit harsh for one word shouted a bit too hard or too loud or because you throw the racquet.

You have a lot of emotions on the court. There are a lot of very stressed moments. You're tense, all the more since you play on the big courts and the fine is even higher in that case. It can be a bit harsh sometimes.

Sometimes of course these fines are well-deserved, but there should be a fine-tuning about when people have to be fined.