Great stuff from both players in their presser. If I wasn't so lazy I would go back and see when the last time a heavily favored loser didn't use "I didn't play well today" as an excuse for a loss. Or a pair of pressers where both players had nothing but respect for each other.
Q. Just not your day today?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Well, I still don't think I played that bad. She just had her day. She went for it and everything came off. You know, it takes guts to do that, and she did it. I mean, I don't think I can really say I did anything wrong. It was just well done to her.Q. Do you think that Schiavone came to net today much more than you expected it? And after you say that, I'll have another question.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I kind of expected her to be aggressive, because in the other times that we played recently, she probably wasn't enough and I totally dictated what had happened and I won them. So, I mean, I was expecting her to do something different. Because if you're probably gonna do the same thing, you're gonna get the same result.
So I kind of expected her to come out that way. Didn't really surprise me, but, yeah, it all worked for her.Q. Today you've been a fair play loser, although you lost, you've been very much fair play, exactly the way you were when you won your matches. You're also like modest, kind, still with lots of winning desire. Have you always been like this, perfect sportswoman like that, in the attitude?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Well, yeah, I mean, I try to. Obviously right now it's not easy and I really wish I'd won. But when you play someone who played well against you, sometimes you just gotta say, Too good.
You know, I think she's a very nice person. She's a great competitor, on and off the court. She's the same way, as well. You know, that's just the way it is. I think, yeah, my idols I think were like that, so I try and do the same thing.Q. You seemed a little bit tight at times, and at times you seemed very loose. Can you just describe the process of that in your mind? Were you aware of that? Did you feel that? When you thinking about it?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I actually felt quite good the whole time. Probably not as free as other matches, but overall, quite pleased with the way I handled it. I mean, it was a big occasion, and you never really know how you're gonna react. But I tried to prepare myself as best I could, and actually felt quite good out there the whole time.I don't know. She was putting a lot of pressure on me and really forcing what was happening, so maybe that was kind of why I didn't look the same as maybe other matches.Q. Everyone felt a lot would depend on your serve, and yet she also seemed to serve, to us, maybe better than we had seen her. Did it surprise you how well she served pretty much throughout the match?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think so. Yeah, I saw after the first set she had a really good percentage and was placing the ball very well and kind of kept me off balance quite well.
In the past, that's been a shot that I've able to attack against her, especially her second serve, and today she didn't really allow me to do that too much.Q. I'd like to know if the fact that everyone almost was considering you favorite, did you consider yourself favorite, too, first? And then, if this is this a bigger disappointment because of that?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Well, it's a disappointment no matter what the case, whether I was the favorite or not. I mean, sure, going into the match I thought I could win. Past results had gone my way. I was pretty clear with the way I needed to play out there, and tried my best.
Sometimes the one who's expected to win doesn't always win.Q. You've just come off court, but down the line in a year, two or three, how do you think you'll look at this match in these two weeks?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I can only look at it as a great two weeks. To make my first final was fantastic, and to beat the players that I did to get to that point and everything, it's missing that one thing, and that's winning at the end.
You know, I'm proud of this moment, and I want to look at it as a really positive time in my career, my life, and I want to enjoy it as much as I can.Q. It's an unusual way to end a tennis match. Just like to know, aren't you surprised Francesca has only won three tournaments in her life before today, and now she wins a Slam. Do you think it's unbelievable, it's something that can happen in sports because it's unpredictable, it's something that gives you confidence, that you can do it even when you will be 30 or 32?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Absolutely. We played the final of Osaka last year, and I think she was 1 for 9 in finals. Then the next week she won a title. Now she's won this. I had only won two titles before this match, too. If I had won today it would be my third, which if you look at it, it's kind of unbelievable. Yeah, she's obviously fit and healthy, and it doesn't matter what the age. If you've got that desire, anyone can do it.
I think it proves you don't have to be the teenage wonderkid superstar to win the tournament like this....
Q. We've seen a lot of stories of a player, especially late in their career, has a good tournament, gets to a semi or final, but the players rarely win. You played a fantastic match today. How were you able to do it?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I prepared the final mentally and tactically very good. I was so concentrate on my serve. I try to don't look nowhere, but just to feel my play and try to be aggressive as much as I could.Q. Newspapers across the world, television stations, there are going to be big headlines taller than you are saying, Upset; unbelievable; couldn't happen. What do you call what you did today?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Um, to go over. Oltre? (Through translation.) Over the limits. Si, over the limits. Over the limits, and be really everything that you can be in one hour, 20 minutes, two hours.Q. I know you feel no matter where you play you are going to win the match, but was there something inside you when you came to Paris that told you you were going to do this?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: The true, in the true, maybe not. But inside, yes. I really always dreamed this tournament. It's strange to say it, but when I call my daddy, he say to me, I remember you that you always dream this one. Every morning that you wake up, you work to do something like this.
So maybe it was far away in the reality, but here never far away.Q. If you think back to the tiebreak, you came closer and closer with every point. So how was the feeling inside? Because you looked going crazy in a positive way. So how did it feel?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I was feeling much more energy and more and more and more. I couldn't stop it. I really felt that that one was my moment. I took it. I didn't lose the chance. I didn't care about nothing. I want to take that point and play my tennis. It was the moment.Q. You said yesterday that the most intelligent will win the final, so you are. (Laughter.)
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yes, I am. (Laughter.)Q. I guess you are national hero now in Italy. How does that feel? What do you expect? In Italy, are they going to celebrate you like for weeks? Are there gonna be 50,000 people in Rome? I don't know. What do you expect?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No. Who care?
No, I want to go home to mommy and daddy. This is my goal for the moment, because usually we do good dinner or good lunch, ten people, usually. Now I think I have to buy a new house, bigger, for 50 people.
No, I don't know really because now I am here and I can't feel what's happen in Italy. But for sure, for me is an honor to be champion and to be a person that maybe someone can take like example.Q. One of your trademarks in the tournament is that the last three rounds you kissed the ground after winning the matches. So did you talk to the ground, Make me champion? What happened there? (Laughter.)
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Si, si. Si, si, I talked to her. To kiss the ground for me is to thanks this clay, this beautiful tournament and this arena. I call the arena to give me this opportunity and all the emotion that I am living.Q. So why do you think you were more intelligent in that final? Sorry about that.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, that's okay. I prepare very good the match, and I never change my mind. I was so clear for me what to do that when I tried to play short, the ball after was long. When she was running to the backhand, the second ball was shot to the other side.
This is, for me, smart things. Yes, this is the way that I think that is smart.Q. You told us just now what you thought before the match point. Then she had a mishit. You knew you would be champion. What went through your mind at that very moment? What were your thoughts?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: That I don't know. I think that I am a champion, the No. 1 of this tournament. We were 128, and I am the champion. I don't know what to say. Is big emotion.
What Federer say? What Rafa say? (Laughter.) I'm try to remember, but is not coming, nothing.
