00:00 It was an extremely tough match.
00:03 Lots of things were happening.
00:08 I was set down 0-2 down.
00:10 I was really, really upset with my level and just slowly was getting back into it.
00:16 It was an unbelievable moment for me to win that match.
00:21 Alina, I wanted to ask about your next opponent in the quarterfinal.
00:26 You will play with Vega.
00:27 What are your thoughts about her?
00:30 You have a great journey here at Wimbledon.
00:34 What do you think about how this match will look like in the European?
00:39 What do you have to take care of to handle Vega and try to defeat her?
00:47 Firstly, she's a great champion and also a great person.
00:53 I'm really thankful for her support.
00:56 The support of Ukrainians and Ukraine and doing everything that is in her power.
01:03 Being vocal about that.
01:05 She had a big battle today as well.
01:10 To be fair, I didn't speak yet with my coach about what's going to be the plan.
01:19 But I'm going to have a practice day tomorrow.
01:23 The priority is going to be to recover.
01:26 Then I'm going to sit down with my coach, go through the game plan and see how I can find a way to beat her.
01:35 Alina, how do you think this result will be viewed in your homeland?
01:44 Do you think it was right that you should have been playing someone from Belarus in the first place?
01:50 I got lots of support and I quickly checked my phone.
01:54 There were over 60-70 messages that I got from people.
01:58 They were watching, they were cheering.
02:00 Lots of videos from people watching it on the TV.
02:05 I'm really proud of the effort that I did.
02:09 I was there when I was sent down, zeroed to Dan.
02:14 I was really feeling bad because I didn't show up for the match to just play like that.
02:23 I was really upset about that.
02:25 I just told myself that I have to fight, I have to give everything here.
02:29 In the end, I just slowly got back into the match.
02:38 This mindset really pushed me through because I have no right to complain in this situation.
02:48 I just had to go out there and fight.
02:52 The second part of that was, do you think it was right that you should have been playing someone from Belarus in the first place?
02:59 Last year, there was a clear message from Wimbledon.
03:07 This year, it was changed because of different kinds of pressure.
03:13 I already answered this question on the first day of the media.
03:19 I don't really support the change.
03:24 Can you tell us how Wimbledon is working with the start of the season?
03:43 Yes.
03:45 Actually, today we're talking with some of the Ukrainians about this.
03:49 It's a huge help for us.
03:51 Starting from any tournament leading up to Wimbledon, our accommodation was paid.
04:00 Even if you lost in qualifiers, the accommodation was paid.
04:03 You had a chance to practice, to prepare well.
04:07 Here as well, it's a huge help for us because a lot of players right now had to relocate completely.
04:18 They are paying for their family, for their friends somewhere in Europe to find new homes.
04:26 So, any help is really a huge help for us because our expenses are much more these days than, I guess, years before the war.
04:38 What did you make of the crowd reaction, both to yourself and also to your opponent who was buried off the court?
04:52 I got the same in Paris.
04:58 I played three matches in Paris, in this way, and today as well.
05:08 For me personally, I think the tennis organizations have to come out with a statement that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian players.
05:23 I don't know if it's maybe not clear for people.
05:27 Some people don't really know what is happening.
05:31 So, I think this is the right way to do.
05:37 Did you think it was a bit unfair then on your opponent?
05:40 Well, it was like this in Paris.
05:42 It also was unfair for me in Paris in the quarter-final.
05:48 But here you had a lot of support.
05:51 There were shouts of "Slavia, Ukraine!" as well.
05:54 It was Ukrainians who were there.
05:57 I heard a lot of Ukrainian people actually in the crowd.
06:04 So, this was really special.
06:08 And the crowd was amazing.
06:11 It was really an unbelievable feeling.
06:13 I think it was one of the best atmospheres that I ever played.
06:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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