WTA Madrid, Errani: “Con Wozniacki un grande sforzo. Io e Paolini uniti per tutto l’anno” [ESCLUSIVA]

Our correspondent from Madrid

It is a tired yet happy version of Sara Errani that we caught up with in the mixed zone after her incredible victory over Caroline Wozniacki. Sarita is not only a fantastic player but also a wonderful person, an icon and an inspiration (even though she says she doesn’t realize it).

On Thursday, in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open, she will play (if she manages to) her fourth match in four days, after already spending over seven hours on the court. She doesn’t even know where she finds the strength, but she has the nature of a lioness who, despite her age, injuries, and a past glory that is still distant, still has the desire to roar. Here are her statements to our microphones.

Q: Almost three hours again today, another crazy victory… where do you find the strength?

Sara Errani: “I don’t know, I swear. But it’s inside me. I have the desire to do, to fight, and to stay focused. Maybe it’s also a bit of experience, knowing how to handle certain situations, always being concentrated and present on every point. I tried to have as few blackouts as possible, to stay there and recharge. The years on my shoulders must lead to something good, right?” (laughs).

Q: Do you know you are a great source of inspiration? For those who watch you fight and stay there, after all that you have achieved, seeing the will and determination you put in is wonderful.

Sara Errani: “Honestly, I don’t know, I probably don’t realize it. I am always focused on myself and on doing what I have to do, so maybe I don’t really perceive what can be perceived from the outside. I made a superhuman effort. In the first set, I think I paid a bit for the fact that on the other side of the net there was Wozniacki. Knowing that it was Wozniacki didn’t allow me to play at 100%: I made some mistakes because I was up against her, if I had faced another opponent I probably wouldn’t have made them and this made me very angry. But then I managed to calm down, to do what I had to do without thinking too much about who she was and believing in myself more. I think that more than the physical aspect, the greatest effort was this.”

Q: At the beginning of the second set, there was a rather dubious incident. You played a drop shot, missed it, and then called out for a challenge, which confirmed that your previous shot was indeed out. It made me smile when you told the umpire that you would review the incident after the match, did it actually happen or did you let it go?

Sara Errani: “No, in the end, I didn’t have time. I did stretching and took a quick shower, then I have treatment waiting for me, so I’m afraid I won’t make it. However, I would like to review it, so that the umpire realizes that Wozniacki called for the challenge very late. It also depends a lot on the perception of the umpire, sometimes it happens that in some cases the player calls for the challenge immediately and it is denied, but it seemed really clear to me at that moment, even if it wouldn’t have changed anything anyway.”

Q: Thursday you will face Haddad Maia immediately, are you ready?

Sara Errani: “At this moment I have no strength, I am really tired. I don’t know if I’ll be able to play: I was already tired before starting the tournament, let alone after these three matches! We’ll see, I really don’t expect anything, just stepping on the court would be a miracle.”

Q: And there’s still the doubles!

Sara Errani: “Which in the end is the most important thing! I hope to recover physically to be at the top to play.”

Q: What did you say to each other after facing each other in Stuttgart? I saw your post on Instagram where you thanked her for letting you win a game!

Sara Errani: “Yes, it’s true, I told her that afterwards too! We have a wonderful relationship, she came to see me today as well. She came every day, both in the first two qualifying rounds and in the first round of the main draw. When she comes, I never lose, so I told her to come always! Jasmine is an amazing person, I am happy to have her by my side and to be able to share the court with her. We will also play together in Rome, we will play together all year. I went to Stuttgart more to play doubles with her than singles, even though it turned out well in singles too!”