A. Yeah, I think it took me a little time to, you know, find my rhythm. Playing at night, it's not the same, quite the same. Just took me a few games to get in that match. But then I think I played good tennis.

Q. You think you benefitted from just being patient? You had a lot of long rallies there.

A. Yeah, I think so. Some very long points. Try to stay in the rhythm in the match, try to put the ball back in longer than her.
Q. How would you compare this match to when you played Tara at the French Open?

A. You know, it's not the same for me. You know, the pressure is not the same also. I think I was maybe less -- I felt less tension today than I did at the French Open. But both matches I think I played pretty good tennis, today also. You know, good.

Q. Were you at all surprised, did you feel that she hit the ball with a little more pace than you figured or was it just about what you expected?

A. No, it's what I expected. I know her. I know how she plays. I know how she hits the ball. She can hit it very hard. But we know each other for a few years now, so I knew how she plays, what I have to do to beat her. I think it happened the way I wanted.

Q. I guess unless somebody was following the Juniors for the last couple of years, they maybe haven't heard of you. Is it a surprise to you to have risen so quickly through the rankings and to have cracked the Top 10, to be the 15th seed here?

A. Well, you know, it was a little bit of a surprise to do what I did at the Australian Open. After that, I think I confirmed it very well in the Paris Open, and then in Rome when I reached the Top 10. You know, I think I can play this level very, very often now. That's what I'm trying to do, even though I'm coming back from a long rest.

Q. Do you think maybe ten years ago an openly gay player would not have been able to sort of keep their endorsements and things like that? Do you think you've benefitted a little bit from the gradual acceptance now, even though there's probably still a long way to go.

A. Yeah, I'm sure it wasn't the same like a few years ago, like Martina Navratilova said. I think people are growing in their mind. I'm coming today, so I don't know what it would have been a few years earlier. I think, of course, I benefit from what they did.

Q. What is your reaction to the speed of the surface, of the court? Do you like it or do you think it's a little too fast?

A. No, I like it. It's true, it's very fast, very fast hard court. I think it's okay for my game

Q. On your time off, was it mostly for an injury or was it mental rest, as well? Was it a combination of both?

A. Sorry?

Q. Your time off, rest, was that mostly a mental rest or physical rest?

A. Injury. I twist my ankle, so I had to rest for a long time. It was a bit of both. It was good.