ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL

June 28, 2023

Jodie Burrage

Devonshire Park

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/J. Burrage

6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Jodie, a tough result against a very tough opponent today. Just talk us through your thoughts on the match but also your results here in Eastbourne this week.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, it was definitely a tough match today. I think Coco played a very, very good match. Probably, you know, one of the better matches I have seen her play.

She, you know, made me feel pretty bad out there. Absolutely suffocated me. Put a lot of pressure on me. Couldn't really get my foot in the door, which is a bit disappointing.

Yeah, she's a top-10 player, and that's what I expect from them when they are playing well. Yeah, it's a good benchmark to have and experience.

Yeah, I've just got to work harder to make that closer.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Did you feel that the match just slipped away from you really early on?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yes and no. I mean, you know, I felt like, you know, I actually started okay. A lot of the games, they weren't like love games. They were actually quite close. I actually don't feel like the score really reflected what the match was like.

Yeah, I struggled with my serve. I have been for the last few weeks. It's just not where I have wanted it to be, and when you're not serving well and you're not confident stepping up to the line, yeah, it doesn't help when you're then trying to return as well, because those return games are going quickly and she's not feeling the pressure either, which makes it easier for her.

So, yeah, it did slip away. That is what happened. But she didn't take her foot off the gas. I was kind of waiting for it a little bit. She made like a handful of errors. I was expecting a few more.

She, yeah, I think she just played well. Yeah, I just didn't play great. I didn't adapt to the conditions very well. My feet were pretty slow today. The wind caught me offguard, and her pace of ball caught me offguard. Yeah, it was just tough.

Q. What's next? Are you going to take a little break now like a couple of days off and rest?

JODIE BURRAGE: I think so. I haven't actually spoken to my team yet, but I'll definitely have tomorrow off. Maybe hit some balls on Friday.

But yeah, obviously Wimbledon next, which is really exciting. So, you know, we'll chill tomorrow and then get my mind on for that next week.

Q. You have had a very strong month. A day like today, just doesn't go for you, are you able to just put it to one side?

JODIE BURRAGE: I think so, yeah. Like I said, she played so well. She's a top-10 player. When a top-10 player plays well, the chance of you winning the match is so slim.

The last month has been up-and-down for me. I have been coming back from an injury, and my first match back lost first round in Surbiton. But then obviously a complete U-turn, made final of first WTA in Nottingham, beat some great players on the way up to that. Still wasn't playing my best tennis but managed to get through them.

A match like today, yes, I have lost 1-1, but there was still some good stuff in there. Just not enough of it.

So, you know, it's very easy to be negative, disappointed, feel like, oh, God, I'm not good enough, all of that. But I don't actually. I feel really motivated to get back on the practice court, to get better.

I know where I need to get better. I know what I want to do. It's good to experience that level, because it shows me how much more work I've got to do.

Yeah, it's been up and down the last month. It's been good. I mean, look, I thought I was done three days ago, as well. I lost in quallies. I was on the way back home. No, you need to come back. Win my first round.

Yeah, disappointing today, but I'm a Lucky Loser at the end of the day and I'll take it.

Q. When you're on the receiving end of a performance like Coco put on today, what does that tell you about what she might do at Wimbledon?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I mean, if she keeps playing like that, she's obviously got a great chance. You know, her breakout was I think obviously at Wimbledon. I can't remember, she maybe made fourth round, qually made fourth round.

She was chucking down serves at 125 today. I remember looking at the serve clock. Like it's a huge serve. On the grass, there is only so much you can do. Even if I got the ball back, she's got a sitter next ball.

Yeah, if she keeps playing like that and keeps playing with the pace of shot she did today, I think she's got a good chance for Wimbledon, yeah.

Q. Obviously you're playing a top-5 player. You spoke a couple days ago of your excitement to play a player of her stature. What can you learn from playing against these top-5 players? Especially today, what can you take away from that and learn from that?

JODIE BURRAGE: Like I said, it shows me where the level is at, when they're playing well, it shows me what I have to do. Shows me how important, you know, the serve, pace of shots, footwork, every single point, like if I was a bit cleaner on some of those points when I was 30-Love up or at 30-All, I hit a few doubles faults in some key moments then, and it's just not good enough at that level.

And, you know, it's a good experience to have, because when I'm in that match next time, I'll be ready for it. I'll think in those moments, know I can't be lax here, I need to be on it again.

I think that's just the difference today. She was on it every single point. Yeah, I just wasn't or felt the pressure and just couldn't get it going.

Q. Hard luck today. You said in the press conference the other day that you were heading home and you were contemplating playing this week. Was it the right call to play this week?

JODIE BURRAGE: I think so (smiling). Yeah, I obviously won my first round, which was great. My body is okay, because that was why I wasn't going to play. I was worried that I was going to make it worse.

Yeah, it's still sore in parts, and my shoulder didn't help my serve today, but it's fine at the end of the day.

I am a player who always wants to play, and I am a player who plays through quite a lot of pain. So I'm glad, you know, that I did make that decision. I came away with another 55 points, which is great for me and my ranking right now.

I got two more matches. The experience I had today, yeah, it was a bit of a tough one to take, but it was a great experience for me to have. Yeah, very happy I played.