Transcript: Emma Navarro def. Ashlyn Krueger, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Emma Navarro def. Ashlyn Krueger, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Round of 16

MODERATOR: Emma congratulations. That was a battle out there today. Can you share your thoughts on your win?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. Really proud of my effort today. I think first set she was super in control and really couldn’t get footing in my return games, her service games, and just came out in the second set and played really aggressively and wanted to push back against her and make her think a little bit more on her serve, and I think I was able to do that and ended up returning really well. And, yeah, had some ups and downs with my serve, but I think the way I returned allowed for that to happen and me to be okay. So, yeah, happy with that, my performance today.

Emma, congratulations. Seemed like you had the crowd with you. The net court was with you. But it seemed like you also had to look pretty deep within to pull that out today. Would you say that’s fair?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, for sure. Definitely had a few net courts go my way. I think she hit a good number of lines as well that maybe I was able to fend off that one specifically, but then it was just like a put-away shot on the next one, yeah. But, for sure, the tennis gods were with me a little bit with the net. But, yeah, I think I found a level today that I felt really good about, and I felt like she played really well, and I was able to find myself a bit on the return and kind of, yeah, not let her breathe at all, I guess.

Another American in the next round. I wondered if you could look forward to that match.

EMMA NAVARRO: Amanda is really tough. Big serve, big ground strokes, kind of similar, I would say, to the way Ashlyn plays. So, yeah, just game plan is probably going to stay pretty similar, just try to be really strong and aggressive on returns and maybe serve a little bit better. And, yeah, I think she’ll be really tough. So I’m excited for the challenge.

You talked about kind of looking within. You get down 0-40 early in the third set, you fight back, you win that game and kind of never look back. Take me through that and kind of the momentum that you think kind of that you brought with winning that game.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, the game before I had two break points and wasn’t able to convert, and I kind of was a little frustrated at myself. Just felt like I didn’t do things inside of my control during that game that I could have done better. So maybe I was feeling just a little bit frustrated to start off that 1-1 game and maybe took me getting to 0-40 to kind of regroup and find myself a little bit and realize, okay, don’t lose two games just because you lost one. And then after that I felt like, yeah, like I said, just strong in return games and felt good once I got into the rally. So, yeah, just felt good after that.

Emma, over the years Shelby always said there’s just like a different pressure playing here. But over the last year you’ve played so many high-profile matches. Has that exposure in those big matches made it a little easier here that you’ve played a lot of pressure matches?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, it’s definitely helped. I definitely feel different this year versus last year or the years prior. I think I made this week a little bit more than what it actually is. You know, when it comes down to it, it’s another week on tour. It’s another 500, and I’m definitely seeing the enjoyment in it, just playing at home and trying to take it all in and really embrace that, but at the same time making sure that I’m understanding that, you know, it’s another week on tour and not make too much of that, not make it more than what it is.So, yeah, maybe I’m finding a little bit more of a handle on that pressure, but for sure, there is more pressure than other weeks.

Emma, for as much as it means to you to be playing at home, have you let yourself start to think about what it would be like to be here Sunday, lifting a trophy in your home tournament?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I’ve thought about it before, maybe not a ton this week. I’m really trying to take it one match at a time and not get too far ahead of myself. And, yeah, there’s lots of things on the court that I know I can do better and that I hope to do better with each consecutive round. So those are the kind of things that I’m putting a lot of my energy on.

As players that get to play at their home tournament, which aren’t many, they always say it’s great, you’re able to sleep in your own bed and obviously there’s the pressure. But what would you say is the downside of the home tournament? Is it easy to get a little too comfortable sometimes, not get the adrenaline going or is there anything about playing in your home tournament that feels very different from playing in other tournaments?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. There’s just something about being at home, which is normally it’s our comfort place. It’s the place we go when tournaments are over, and it’s a place we can go to kind of de-stress and regroup and just feel the most comfortable and natural. So being home and then having a tournament at home in that normal place of kind of comfort and relaxed quality is definitely weird.But I had a bit of time to prepare. You know, I was out of Miami early and got to train on clay for a while. So it was sort of looking ahead for a week or so. And, yeah, definitely have to remind myself when I go to sleep at night, okay, I’m in a tournament. Like gotta stay focused. Can’t totally relax. But, yeah, there’s definitely a bit more pressure and a bit of reminding yourself what’s going on, I guess.

I have a silly question, Emma.

EMMA NAVARRO: Okay. I like silly.

The sun was bright today. You never wear a hat or a visor. Have you tried that before or why do you like to go au naturel?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. I’ve never — well, I used to wear a visor when I was really young, and then I switched over to a hat. But when I was maybe 13 or 14, I stopped wearing anything, because I had this tan line. My forehead was super pale, and the rest of my face was really tan, and I was like, uh. I think I was maybe early high school or something. I was like, ah, I can’t have this tan line. So I stopped wearing anything and haven’t worn anything since. I’ve gotten pretty good at the squint, I guess.

End of Interview