D. GAVRILOVA/D. Yastremska
6-4, 6-3
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How good did that result feel for you?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Okay, it felt pretty good. Every time someone asks me like a pretty obvious question, I really want to be sarcastic. But, yeah, it felt pretty good.
Q. The fact is that it's been so long. What I was trying to just get is the feeling that came over you when the last point was played. Obviously it's happiness. What would you expect?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: I don't know. I played a pretty confident match. I started well. I felt like, Okay, I'm going to win this one. I kind of knew what to expect from her, so I knew that I had to hang in there and play tough points, then take my chances.
Yeah, I was pretty stoked with the way I played.
Q. Give me the timeline since the US Open in terms of the injury, what happened, rehab, that leads you to here.
DARIA GAVRILOVA: So as soon as I got back to Australia I went to see a specialist. I got in the boot, the CAM walker boot straightaway the same day for my left foot, the plantar fascitis. I was in the boot for probably six weeks.
Then I started working on my Achilles rehab a little bit after that. To be honest, I thought I could potentially play Australian Open. My team, they knew I wasn't going to play. But I think they wanted me to keep motivated, so they lied to me on purpose (laughter). That's what I think, but it's probably not true.
Then, you know, I was meant to come back during Indian Wells. I was meant to play my first tournament in Canberra. Obviously everything went to shit with COVID. Yeah, that didn't happen.
Then I was meant to play US Open. I was meant to come back there, but I got a new injury, a very random injury. My big toe. That was very random. I had to take care of that. Then, yeah, we decided let's just come back on the clay. I didn't think I was going to get into Rome, so I didn't go there. Then when I saw the draw, I was like, Oh, my God, I didn't even need to use my protected there. I was spewing. But that's okay.
I played in Cagnes-sur-Mer, played quallies there, then made quarters. Yeah, then I felt like, Okay, I've had enough matches. I felt, yeah, pretty good. I feel pretty fit, yeah.
Hope that kind of answers.
Q. What was the toughest part about the whole injury period?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: When I got back from the U.S., I was back in Australia by myself. Then also I forgot to mention I had a terrible injection. It was the worst. I had a PRP injection into my Achilles. That was the most painful thing ever.
The next day I could not walk. I woke up and I was like, Okay, I'm going to get up, go to the toilet. I couldn't put any weight on my foot. I was like, What the hell is this?
Yeah, I felt pretty bored because, you know, I was in my own lockdown before the whole lockdown because I couldn't really do much. All my friends were away playing tennis. Some of my friends were just away on holidays and whatever. I was pretty bored.
I kind of started, like, doing my thing, my arts and crafts, doing some courses online. I kind of was, like, prepared for the whole lockdown before it hit. But otherwise, like -- I had ice on my Achilles and I don't know where that bag is. That's random. Sorry.
But, yeah, I'm pretty grateful. My fitness trainer, Gabe, he was with me most of the time. Probably got sick of me. But I think he'd be pretty excited about my win. Nicole was there for me. That was awesome.
I think they would be more pumped than me about this win.
Q. Thinking back 12 months to the US Open when you played your last match, you were so dejected and down. It almost gave the impression you were going to be hanging up the racquets. Did that actually cross your mind?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Not really, no. I love tennis too much. I love the lifestyle. Probably not this one that we are living in, but that's okay.
I just knew that I had to have some time off from it. But I was still, like, watching it and stuff. I really like tennis. I was excited about the Oz Open even though I wasn't playing. My friends are here, I want to watch some matches, some women's drama on the tour (smiling).
Q. Your next match, you're going to be playing Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. Your thoughts on that matchup?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: I don't even know if I've ever played Genie on WTA tournaments, like on tour. If I did, I probably lost. Yeah, it's going to be tough. We're probably in a similar boat. I'm making my comeback. She's making her comeback. It's going to be exciting.
Both of us, like, we've got nothing to lose literally. For me, it's a success just being here, playing Roland Garros. Yeah, I'm going to try my best, as I always do. I think it's going to be fun.
To be honest, I think I like the matchup. I like playing players like her. Yeah, I'm excited. I would be excited playing anyone, but... I just got to say that, right (laughter)?
Q. You're both the same age and had great junior careers. Do you have any first memories of her?
DARIA GAVRILOVA: I do. I played Genie under-14s. No, actually 16s in Prostejov, this world thing. I was playing for Russia. I remember I lost against her. Like, I was meant to win because I think I was just behind Laura Robson.
I felt like she, like, blew me off the court. When she was young, she played similar. She held the baseline. The coach, the captain was, like, not happy about my performance. I was like, No, this girl is good. What are you talking about?
I have this memory thinking, Okay, well, maybe I didn't play that well, but she's actually a good tennis player. She's going to be good. I was pretty happy when she had her breakthrough. I was like, See, wasn't me playing bad tennis.
Q. On today's match, you said you played confidently. Where did that confidence come from for someone who hasn't played a ton of matches? I saw the tweet about saying you had a hunch. Talk me through both those things.
DARIA GAVRILOVA: Well, the confidence thing, I'm just using that word. I think for me, I was just, like, really happy to be back. I felt like I've done enough work. I was just enjoying every moment. I felt, Okay, I've got nothing to lose. Being here is already, like, a success.
Yeah, the tweet. I was asking Alison Riske, which is the draw coming out?
She's like, I don't know.
I was like, I'll probably play Dayana.
On Twitter, I was just giving shit to her. I wasn't, like, mean. I'm digging a hole here. I was just being funny. I've got nothing against her. I think she didn't even see it. Well, I don't know. I just thought it was funny.
She messaged me, Are you going to come out with a statement? I'm like, Oh, my God, Dasha.
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