ASHLEY HARKLEROAD  vs. MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY

6-2, 6-2 Harkleroad

Q.  How much fun has this been for you the last couple days?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  It's been pretty fun.  I'm just trying to enjoy every minute of it because this is my last tournament until I turn 18.  So I just came here and just going to try and play my best tennis and enjoy it.  So I'm pretty happy with it.

Q.  I know it's not easy out there, but you're not just winning, you're winning convincingly the last couple days against really good players.  How do you explain that?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  You know, I mean I've just been playing really well, and just feel pretty confident out there, and I'm just trying to enjoy it.  And I like the clay, so you know, this is just really enjoyable for me.  I'm about to be 18, and then I'll have all my restrictions off.  So I don't really know.  I'm just playing well this week.

Q.  Is this your first pro tournament on the green clay?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  On the green clay? 

Q.  Yeah. 

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Well, I've played challengers and stuff on the green clay, but yeah, this is my first WTA.

Q.  Does that suit your game?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  I do like clay a lot.  I mean I made the finals of the French Juniors last year, and I've always had really good results on clay, so I really like it a lot.

Q.  I know you've had some big wins before, but how does today's rank up there?  You beat a very good seeded player. 

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  You know, I'm just happy about, you know, this week, and I've beaten some good players this week.  And I don't really know how to describe, but you know, it's been really fun for me, and it's been a big confidence booster.

Q.  I know you're closer to home where you grew up.  Does that make it a little more special?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Yeah.  I'm in my own backyard here down in the South, but I feel good being here.  You know, I feel close to home, and maybe I might just make a trip back home, you know, to celebrate an early birthday and see my family, but I do really enjoy it here.

Q.  Is it easier -- is there less pressure now that you know you're going to turn 18.  Are you coming in here with some more fun maybe?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Yeah.  It's a little bit because I came in here I was ranked exactly 100 and I knew I was going to get into the Grand Slams and stuff and I wasn't really worrying about that.  I had just a few more weeks and I was going to be able to play as many tournaments as I wanted.  So I was just saying, okay, let's just go in here and just play tennis, you know.

Q.  Have you surprised yourself this week?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Well, I've been working really hard, and you know, I've had some good wins earlier this year with Kremer in New Zealand, and you know, some other people in the top 50 and 30 and stuff, so I mean I'm surprised because I haven't played a tournament for about a month because of my restrictions, so this is actually, you know, it's a good confidence booster.

Q.  Could you feel the crowd getting behind you there today?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  A little bit, yeah.  I could. 

Q.  Was that neat?  What was that like?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  You know, it gets you going more, you know.  But everybody always likes the crowd to be behind them I think, so it was nice.

Q.  Obviously when you turn 18 you'll be able to play more tournaments.  Do you expect your lifestyle or anything to change with your birthday?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Like in what ways? 

Q.  Will you be traveling more or perhaps  --

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Yeah.  I'll be traveling a lot more.  I'll be able to go to any tournament I want to go to or I can, you know, it's not like I have to like plan out my schedule exactly the right way because maybe I might run out of tournaments.  So it's going to be a lot of pressure taken off of me.

Q.  In the bio it was talking about Flintstone, Georgia and Pebbles.  What was that all about?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  When I was like 11, I won an Easter Bowl and my coach just started calling me Pebbles because I was from Flintstone, and ever since then people just call me that.

Q.  When you first kind of came on a couple years ago, you got all those Anna questions.  Do you think that's over with or do you embrace that or are you tired of that?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  I mean, you know, I'm not tired of it or anything.  I'm sure they'll come around a lot, but even if it does come along, I just take it as a compliment.  You know, I've been practicing with her a lot in Miami, and she's a very sweet girl, and we get along well, and she's a very cool girl.  So I just take it as a compliment.

Q.  Is your mom or dad here to see?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  My father.

Q.  He played football at Chattanooga?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD:  Yes.