N. LI/M. Sharapova
6‑4, 7‑5
MARIA SHARAPOVA
Q. After you have been probably at your best during the tournament, today something seemed to go wrong, like especially maybe too many double faults or some type of unforced mistakes. Maybe was it her hard game that led you to try to hit harder and make mistakes. How did it go today? What made that?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, she played a very good match. She certainly played a lot better than I did and a lot more solid, and, you know, she played the crucial points better.
There were some ‑‑ I had some chances in the first set on her serve, a couple of games that went deuce and had a couple of break points. I felt like I had a short ball and just didn't step in and then just made an unforced error.
Then you kind of give your opponent confidence, and then, yeah, just ‑‑ and then at times I didn't serve well, and, you know, was rushing more than maybe I had to, and maybe went for ‑ considering the conditions ‑ maybe I was just trying to go for, you know, too big of second serves, especially.
Yeah, little things like that.
Q. How much was the wind a factor in your tossing of the ball? It was looking like you were finding the rhythm.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, you know, it's tough for me; it's tough for her; it's tough for both of us.
Q. Is there a point during the match you told yourself, Okay, this is not working; I'm switching to plan B? And if yes, what was plan B?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I mean, you obviously try to adjust, especially after you lose the first set. I still feel like I had my share of chances in the first set, and I just didn't take them.
You know, I tried to move in a little bit more and be a little bit more aggressive, you know, but she was hitting the ball really deep and hard, and sometimes I was a little late, as well.
Q. Before and during the game, did you feel very different than yesterday?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: No.
Q. During the opportunity, how big is your disappointment? What state of mind are you going to get going for Wimbledon and the next?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: This was a great result for me here. You know, it's been a good season on clay. I had a great tournament in Rome, and I got to the semifinals here after not being in this stage of a Grand Slam for a long time.
So, you know, I'm quite proud of what I've achieved here, but I still feel like I have a lot of work to do. You know, I don't have any doubt in the fact that I'll be going out and working on some things and trying to improve, as always.
Yeah, it's good. Obviously it's disappointing. As an athlete you want to win. There's no doubt. But, you know, good retail therapy and I'll be fine. (Smiling.)
Q. In any case, you are moving better on clay. I mean, I remember Ferrero, it took him semis, final, and in the end he won. Will you try to come back and win here in the clay?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, of course I'm going to come back and try to win. I'm not retiring or something just because I got to the semifinals.
Q. I mean, two semis, quarters, it's a good curriculum here.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Thank you.
Q. What is the final step, in your opinion, that you have to make to be back on the highest stage? Because you've always been a great fighter; that's not a problem. Is it being maybe a bit more consistent on this high level, or not?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I know you don't get from the first step to the 30th step in one jump. I have always said it's a long journey, and there's going to be ‑‑ there's been tough moments.
There's going to be good moments. There's going to be good ones ahead, and there's going to be plenty of good ones that I'm going to cherish. I really have no doubt in that. That's why I go out and I keep working.
As disappointing as it is to lose, I believe in my game a lot. I know I can improve and improve and get better with every year. I feel like especially on clay I'm getting better.
Q. Considering that you already won all the other Grand Slam tournaments, achieving a career Grand Slam would be obviously the biggest achievement you can still achieve. Is it the main objective in the coming years, to win here now in Roland Garros?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, it's not ‑‑ I will always say maybe it's a coincidence that, you know, the three Grand Slams I won were different. I would have been just as happy if I won two of one and one of the other.
Obviously it's great that I have an opportunity, you know, to win all four. It didn't happen this year, but it's not ‑‑ you know, for me, if I won another Grand Slam, whether it's not here, I think it will mean just as much and even more to me in my career than having it to be all four on all different ones.
Q. We have this unfortunate situation where you get off court, and immediately have to look to the future. I would specifically like you to address Wimbledon where you've obviously had great success. It's a surface you like.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uh‑huh.
Q. Just talk about coming off this run on clay and then going there, please.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I enjoy going to out to the grass from clay. You know, the whole summer swing of things, you know, the warmup tournament and Wimbledon and then the summer swing in the U.S., you know, it's probably my favorite part of the season.
I feel like I have a lot to look forward to. Yeah, you just go on from here, you know. The beauty of tennis is that there is a lot of tournaments during the year.
Q. Could you assess this whole Roland Garros from just an emotional standpoint, given how the last few months and year have been for you and what this whole run to the semis means to you?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it means that I'm improving, that I'm stepping up, and I'm adjusting within the matches. You know, I was down in some matches; I came back. You know, I changed things around; I'm moving better.
Yeah, I feel like it's been good progress, but it's not where I just want to end.
Q. If there were a final game between Marion Bartoli and Li Na, what would be your favorite in type of game?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: The tournament is over for me, so, yeah.
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