“Diana gave an interview to Monica Puig after her victory over Beatrice Haddad Maya in Abu Dhabi”, — write: sport.ua
– Diana, it seems that it was a small relief. The first set was fairly confident, the second was a little more difficult. Please tell us a little bit about your gameplay today.
– First of all, it is very nice to see you. When I saw you, I immediately remembered how we played together and it was very fun. You gave me energy today when I saw you sitting there looking at me. I think it was a good match for the first performance. I didn’t start very well this season, I had some difficulties with the game and a little bit from a mental point of view. But today, I think I did well. Even if something didn’t work out, I just tried to play, find solutions and use what works. You know, there are ups and downs, but I’m happy with the victory. I think that the most important thing is to continue doing your work, and the results will definitely come.
– Yes, you mentioned that we played against each other in the past. It seems like it was one of your first matches on Tour when we met and you’ve grown a lot since then, your game has become much more mature. Tell us a little about your mentality on the court, because you are a very aggressive tennis player and you look fearless during matches. Please share this aspect.
– This is a good question. I think only a player can ask such questions. You know, the mental aspect is always present, just like in an ordinary person, not only in an athlete. We all have times when we are a little lost or have work to do. The game is not going anywhere – the question is in the head. And I think that now I am going through exactly such a period when it was necessary to survive difficult moments. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m working. Yes, I am working on myself. I have a lot of potential, but I haven’t fully realized it yet. So now I’m just enjoying playing on the court. And, in my opinion, this is the most important thing both for an athlete and for a person in general: to enjoy what you do.
Diana defeated Haddad Maya with a score of 6:2, 7:5. In the second round, Yastremska will meet second seed Kateryna Oleksandrova.