S. STOSUR/V. Razzano

6-1, 6-2

An interview with:

VIRGINIERAZZANO

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. I have the impression that your opponent has been really playing
welltoday. Is this your impression, as well?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Yes, this was an excellent match forher. Unfortunately
there's nothing Icould do on the court. For me, it was atough match. As I had
said before, Isaid this player is a tough player. Ihad to be careful about
the match.

I had played againsther just once, but a long time ago, so I didn't have many
landmarks with her,even though I had a number of tips from my coaches. To me,
her match was perfect. I felt I was powerless on the court. I couldn't find
the solutions to win. I wanted to feel less bad, if I can say.

Q. The conditions seem not to be that good. The court was emptying little by
little. It was windy. It was a bitlate. These were not perhaps the
bestconditions for an exceptional match.

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, all conditions are good to me. Whatever happens, you
know, I had to playthis match. I had to play today. This is it. I was there
on the court. It wasblowing hard again today, but that's true for both of us.

So what I think today,which was bothering, is not the conditions, not that.
It was not crowded with people. It's my opponent. She played an excellent
match. She didn'twant me to be aggressive, and I couldn't be aggressive.

Unfortunately, this is the feeling I had,powerlessness against her. I
couldn't goto the net. I couldn't enjoy my shots onthe court today. I didn't
enjoy it. I had the impression I didn't know how toplay tennis.

She did this on purpose so that Icouldn't play my game, my tennis. So
hermatch was perfect. I have nothing toreproach myself with. It's her. That's
why I'm both frustrated anddisappointed.

Because, you see, when you get onthe court and you have the impression that
this is a bitter loss, bitter defeatand you couldn't find solutions, you
couldn't find a way out. You couldn't even enjoy playing on the court,playing
my style, my game, and this is frustrating.

But the thing is, we have to acceptthese types of things. It's likeanything
else. You can't always be awinner. Today she played better than Idid. She was
stronger than I was, so Iaccept this defeat. I accept thisdefeat.

What I remember from this is all thegood things.

Q. Sowhat about her assets, her weapons?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, her serve. First, she serves like a man. She has the
best serve as a woman on thetour, except for Venus Williams and Serena
Williams. But I'd say that she serves even better thanSerena or Venus,
because she can do all types of serves. She can vary her serves. That is, hit
a very strong first serve, orshe would give spin to the ball so that the ball
is inside out.

She is one of the gooddoubles players, as well. She hascontrol over all types
of serves, all the zones, as well. She controlled. So it's very difficult to
read her game whenyou return the points.

It's not just her serves. Her big, strong forehand, which is insideout, so
powerful, and with a spin on it so you don't know where the ball isgoing to
go. She has two weapons: her big serve and big forehand.

Q. Now,it's a very positive tournament for you here in 2009, even though now
todaythis is a defeat for you and the audience was not supporting you. Jo was
defeated. Gaël has difficulties. So still, it's positive for you?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, yes. It's not bad. I've reached thelast 16. I'm quite
satisfied with whatI've done here. I'm really glad andhappy, because, you
know, today I think this is a match I'll forget.

By that, I mean -of course this was a bitter defeat for me, but she was so
much stronger than Iwas. She neutralized my game from thebeginning to the
end. I was afollower. I couldn't find the solutionsI wanted to find.

You know, had it been different during thefirst set, you know, she broke me,
and then she would serve justafterwards. We had many deuce andadvantage
points. That's when -that's when I should have - I mean, I should have -
because it'snot easy, you know.

That's when I should have tried towin her serve back, to break her back.
Because, you know, this girl - well, from what I know abouther - is a girl
who can doubt when she serves and when she plays.

But I should have broke her back atthat moment. It should have been
2-All,3-All, or 4-All. It was not thecase. So then she didn't doubt her
gameand she had confidence, and it's been the case for her. She's gained this
confidence for a while.

So if it's easy for her, when youlook at the score, if she leads, then you
have few opportunities. Well, I had few opportunities to come up withmore
solutions and bother her.

But, you know, apart from that, Ithink it's a very splendid Roland Garros for
me.

Q. Technicallyshe served stronger than Jo an hour before, and my question is:
Could you have returned better? Is that still feasible to return
thesepowerful serves?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, maybe. But I need more practice. In thepast, I've not
played against some players with such a strong serve on thetour, even Venus
and Serena. I played Venusbefore. They serve differently. It's not exactly
the same.

Venus serves usually aflat first serve, and then it's like a kick second
serve. But it's not like Stosur. Stosur serves even better, because it
getsmore varied in terms of serves. Youdon't know exactly what she's going to
do with those serves or with thoseballs. It's really something that'sgoing to
bother you.

But it should have been - at home I shouldhave practiced with these types of
players, but we don't have them here in thetour. I can't find any
suchplayers. So when I got on the court, itwas something new. I mean, her
gamestyle was a novelty to me. It'ssomething new.

And this is bothering many players,thanks to her serve and forehand, which
has a big spin. These type of games, they destroy theiropponents, more or
less, if the opponents are not used to playing against them.

I should practice against theseplayers so that later on I can find more
solutions so that I feel lessinferior.

Q. Let'sthink about the weeks to come. Do youhave any new ambitions for the
two other Grand Slams in the season?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, first I'll enjoy what I've done here,my results here.
I know it was not thateasy, I can tell you. It was not easyfor my opponents,
not for me. I'll enjoyit. I'll enjoy Roland Garros calmly, andthen I'll go
back home.

I should have playedthe Birminghamtournament next week, but I'll pull out.
Because I need to think more about myself and take care of my back. I don't
want to overplay, play tennis toomuch. I mean, you know.

I'll be playing on another surface, which isgrass. It's not clay. So too many
matches at present in a row, andmy back is a bit tense. It's aching
atpresent. I didn't tell you beforebecause it doesn't hurt when I play, and
it's something I can manage.

Q. Thishas happened to you before, the backaches?

VIRGINIE RAZZANO: Well, from time to time I have a backache,that's true. It
goes on and off and onand off. But if it doesn't ache too much,if I'm still
mobile I can play. That'swhy I didn't want to talk about it, because this was
not really bothering untiltoday.

Even today this was nota problem, so that's okay. The nextthing is I know, if
I want to end my matches at Wimbledon and if I want to winthem, I shouldn't
play Birmingham. Well, because in terms of time lapse it's toosoon, you know.
It's next - almostlike next Monday, and I didn't have time to breathe after
all of these matches.

So I think it's important to me to stay focusedfor Eastbourne. I'll be in the
main draw, and Wimbledon, of course. It's a fortnight, two weeks. Sothat's
long.

I'd rather think about my timingright now, so I'll pull out. As I
said,tomorrow I'll pull out from the Birminghamtournament so that I can play
my best tennis at Eastbourne and Wimbledon so that I have more time to go
back home and totake care a rest. It's important for me,and to breathe a
little.