“You get the win back (she was knocked out in the first round in Washington and Montreal), I guess that feels good.
It’s true. It was a good victory, even if everything was not perfect in this match. She played well, without making many mistakes. Fortunately, I was able to stay consistent to earn the points I needed. There were a few lucky points, with balls on the lines, but so much the better for me.
What did you think of Caroline Wozniacki’s level?
She’s a former world No. 1 and that means a lot. She is still dangerous. And I think if I let her get into the game early on, she’s going to destroy me. If she gets confident, it becomes difficult to play her. In the second set, she raised her level well. I really felt it, I felt that she wanted to cause me problems. Fortunately, I was able to hold my service.
You live a great story in Cincinnati. Defeated in the last round of qualifying, you are fished out and you pass the first round.
Yes, it’s true. I was staying here anyway because I’m engaged in doubles with Anna Blinkova, but the idea of just training… It’s not nice to lose at the start of the week, but hey… So if I can win a few matches, that will be good.
There was your French naturalization this summer. I imagine that you have received many requests on the subject. Could it have been disturbing?
I received a lot of very positive messages and it was very nice to feel accepted in this way. Of course, I’m originally Russian (laughs) and I thought a lot of people would think it was an opportunistic maneuver, to be French No. 2 for example. But that’s not my goal and everyone understood that. Really, I am happy with this reception. And that didn’t bother me because I know who I am. »
