Q.
You've obviously made the big‑time.
LAURA ROBSON: This room is a bit different, yeah
(smiling).
Q.
Must be great to make the final here, obviously.
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah. I mean, I just did my best
today, and that was good enough.
I didn't start so well. I felt really out of energy
throughout the whole match really, so it was good to get
through it.
Q.
Why do you think that was? Do you think it was just sort
of accumulation of waiting around... LAURA ROBSON:
Yeah, I think throughout the last couple of days, I've
just been getting more and more tired. Then today I was
just waiting around for so long. So I think that was the
problem really.
Q. Is
there anything you learned at Wimbledon that actually
helped you here?
LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, this kind of stuff, yeah. That's
about it. Oh, and then playing in stadiums, as well.
Q.
Used to playing in wide‑open places?
LAURA ROBSON: I'm used to playing in smaller courts
without ‑ not really seats on the sides, just fences.
Q.
The final is in Rod Laver Arena. Have you been in there?
LAURA ROBSON: Nope. I went to watch yesterday
Federer. He played really well. Uhm, then I'm looking
forward to getting Hawk‑Eye again. That's fun.
Q.
You were in the stadium watching Federer?
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, I was.
Q.
What did you think of it, the stadium?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, 'cause I'd never seen Federer
play like live before, so that was really good.
It's quite a big stadium, yeah.
Q.
Will you have a chance to hit there tomorrow morning?
LAURA ROBSON: I think we've booked the court from
11:30 or something, just for a little hit before.
Q.
Presumably you've learned a lot this week with the
difficulties of waiting around, pacing yourself,
drinking enough, and having to cope with the heat.
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, I probably won't get another
week like this for a while in terms of weather. But, uhm,
yeah, it's been hard dealing with it. But I got through
it, so that's good.
Q.
Have you found this week more difficult than you found
the week of Wimbledon?
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, I think so. I don't know. I
think at Wimbledon I was kind of like the underdog, and
then no one expected me to even do well. So it's nice to
get to the final here.
Q.
How much contact have you had with people back home,
your family and friends, over the last week?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, most of them didn't even know
how I was doing, I think, because I went on Facebook
this morning, and they were all asking me, What round
are you in now? I'm like, Oh, yeah, semis.
Q.
And then your parents, do you speak to them each night?
LAURA ROBSON: Uh‑huh, yeah. My mum, I told her not
to watch on the live score, because I think that's
really horrible watching on there. So, uhm, she usually
just goes to bed and then she kind of wakes up for my
texts to say if I won or not.
Q.
Have you spoken to her today?
LAURA ROBSON: She sent me a text because I forgot to
send her the score. But she heard from a million other
people. So, Yeah, why didn't you send me the score
first? Then I actually got a text from my brother, which
was strange, yeah.
He usually doesn't send texts. But today, uhm, he said,
him and his friends stayed up. He must have not got any
sleep.
Q.
What do you think your energy levels will be like
tomorrow in the final?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, I'm just gonna prepare as well
as I can. Then I went in the ice bath again tonight,
so... There's not really much I can do if I'm completely
out of energy. But, yeah, I'll just try to prepare as
best as I can.
Q.
Just hope she's maybe in the same condition as you?
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah, I guess that's all I can hope
for.
Q.
Has Ann Quinn given you a couple of long chats about
what you should and shouldn't be eating? LAURA
ROBSON: Well, we have the nutritionist at NTC anyway, so
we already have an idea of what we should and shouldn't
be eating.
But, uhm, she's given me some, like, jelly snakes, so
those are good. Also like the energy gels, but those
don't taste so good, no.
Q. So
what's on the dinner menu tonight?
LAURA ROBSON: I just had dinner actually. I just had
pasta.
Q.
Favorite color of jelly snakes?
LAURA ROBSON: The dark red one. I think that's ‑‑
I'm not sure what flavor that is. But that's definitely
the best.
Q.
Safina said today if she wins tomorrow she's going to
have chocolate cake. How do you think you'll celebrate
if you win?
LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, I don't know. I want to go
shopping, yeah. I heard Chapel Street is quite good.
Also, I got my letter from Safin, the birthday card.
Q.
What did he say?
LAURA ROBSON: Well, because it turns out that Sven
didn't like get the card in time, so he got him to write
on a piece of paper. Then he put the piece of paper in
the card.
It just said, Happy birthday and all the best. But it's
good enough for me.
Q.
You need to run into Serena and ask her best shops on
Chapel Street.
LAURA ROBSON: I heard she's quite a good shopper. I
think she has a bit more money to spend than me, though.
Q.
What's on your list? Bags? Shoes? Clothes?
LAURA ROBSON: Anything, you know. I haven't gone
shopping in a long time, so...
It will be fun. I'll go with my sister.
Q. At
least one British television station was talking about
broadcasting the final live. It's going to be live on
the radio services of the tournament. Do you think there
will be any interest in that through the night in the
UK?
LAURA ROBSON: I don't know. I don't know how many
people are interested really.
But, well, from how many people watched the Wimbledon
final, there might be a couple people willing to stay
up. Then I have a feeling that the Rod Laver Arena won't
be completely jam‑packed like Court 1 was.
Q. Do
you think your brother will stay up again?
LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, he said he will. I don't really
know if he's certain on that, though.
Q.
Away from the tournament here, have people recognized
you at all?
LAURA ROBSON: Huh‑uh.
Q.
Not at all?
LAURA ROBSON: No. It's good.
Q.
You like that?
LAURA ROBSON: Yeah.
Q. It
was different, wasn't it, after Wimbledon?
LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, not for very long. Yeah, that was
nice. Straight after Wimbledon, two days after actually,
I went to Amsterdam for training with my coach. So a
couple of people recognized me at the airport.
They actually made an announcement on the plane, which
was really embarrassing. I was sitting right at the
back. Literally, the whole plane just turned around and
went (gawking). That wasn't very fun, but now it's fine.
Q.
After your match I saw you signing autographs. Did you
enjoy doing that?
LAURA ROBSON: The little kids are really cute, so I
don't mind doing theirs.
Q.
Did you collect autographs?
LAURA ROBSON: I did, yeah. I remember when I was
really young, maybe like nine, we did an exhibition at
Wimbledon. We didn't actually get to play because it got
rained out that day.
But I spent the whole day running around. I had my
little badge to get into Aorangi. I was running around
all day with my big ball trying to get people to sign
it?
Q.
Who?
LAURA ROBSON: I think Hewitt and Clijsters signed
it. And Dementieva, I think. I've still got that ball at
home.