THE MODERATOR: Questions for Ashley, please.
Q. Just talk about your summer post Roland Garros, your injury, how you feel now.
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I was injured after Roland Garros. I was playing with a tear in my ligament, in my elbow. I basically just needed to rest it. I didn't play any tournaments after Wimbledon. Now I'm just trying to come back and trying to do my best from the injury. But it feels good now.
Q. So is it 100%?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, it's not 100%. The doctor said I could play with it; it's not going to get any worse. I tape it up and everything. I take care of it well. It doesn't really hurt if I serve.
Q. What exactly is it?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It's a tear in my ligament. I don't know which ligament or what it's called exactly.
Q. In your arm?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.
Q. So surgery wasn't recommended?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It was if it was completely torn, and it wasn't. It was just a slight tear, so...
Q. How would you say you're hitting the ball compared to prior to the injury?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I would say that, I mean, I haven't really played, uhm, any matches, so I don't really know how it's going to be during the match. But I can tell you that I seem to be hitting the ball well. Yesterday I was hitting the ball really well. It's just a matter of going out and competing and fighting and trying to do my best.
Q. How much time did you have to take off?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Like two months. But that's just the way tennis is, you know, it's up and down, you have injuries. You just have to deal with it.
Q. How long have you been training full force?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Two weeks.
Q. Have you been able to do a lot of off-court stuff?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Uh-huh. I've been trying to get in really good physical shape with my trainer, you know, just working on other things right now.
So I think, you know, just have to do my best. I think I'll be fine. I seemed to be hitting the ball very good yesterday, so...
Q. After as well as you did in the spring, how discouraging was it to go into the summer after Paris?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I wanted to play all those tournaments that I was entered in, like Stanford and San Diego and LA. Like I said, there's nothing you can do about it. It's just bad luck, you know. Everybody has injuries, and everybody has to take time off for it. It's just the way that tennis is.
Luckily, I mean, I had had a really good, you know, couple months in Europe, so I was able to do that. I was able to take time off. It might have been good for me because maybe I needed to rest. I was over there for like two, two and a half months. So I think it was good. Maybe I needed a rest. Maybe it happened for a reason, I don't know.
Q. Will you be wearing the same contraption you had on at Roland Garros?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Uh-huh.
Q. Are you the type of player who feels like you need matches in order to succeed? Do you need to be match-tough?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I think I'm always -- I'm a match player, you know. I just think that once I get in the match, you know, if I fight and everything, then I'll be fine.
Q. Given that you haven't played, what are your expectations coming in here?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No expectations. None. Just trying to, you know, play my best, keep my arm healthy, just build on it, build on it one match at a time, if I even get more than one match in. No expectations, but I'm just going to go and play my best. I know that I can do it. Even though I have been injured, I know I'm hitting the ball well.
Q. How long has this been bugging you?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It's been bugging me off and on for seven months or so.
Q. Any thoughts on neither of the Williams sisters being here?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, you know, it's unfortunate that they're injured. Like I said, that's just the way that tennis is. If you know anything about tennis, you get injured. You have to take time off. You can't play all the time.
It's still a very strong draw. We still have a lot of depth in the draw, a lot of good players obviously. I think it's unfortunate that they can't play and that they're injured. Like I said, we still have a lot of other, you know, girls in here that are very dangerous, so...
Q. Before the injury, where did you feel your level was? Top 50, 40, 30? Did you pretty much feel like after you beat Hantuchova that you could play with Top 10 players?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Oh, yeah. Of course, you want to have confidence. I think I can, you know, play with the Top 10, Top 15.
It's just a slight little injury, it's not a life-changing thing, you know (smiling). Everything's still fine.
Q. What do you know about your opponent? Seems to be a good young player.
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, she's a good player. You know, I think she won WimbledonJuniors. She's dangerous. I'm going to have to go out there and play my best and fight. Hopefully it will be a good match and I'll play my best.