	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

CHINA OPEN

October 9, 2015

Ana Ivanovic

BEIJING, CHINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How well do you think your body was able to recover from last night's match? Were you struggling at all today?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I struggled a little bit actually to get going. The first set I took some painkillers, then it was a little bit better. Recovery is going to be very important for tomorrow.

Q. Quite a fight at 4‑All, endless game. How did you pull it out?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it seems like I have a few of these games each match. But I was very happy to stay tough and win that game. It was very important.
Also to come back 4‑2 down in the second when she was serving. She had some game points. I managed to come back strong and win that game. It was very important for me.
I was happy to stay calm after I got broken at 5‑4 serving for the match. She hit well, but I felt like I served poorly that game. I think that was the only game that I actually served quite bad, I felt. Not a good time to do that.

Q. I know you've been working with Andrew this week. How did that come about and what has it been like working with him? He's quite young, 22.
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, we are working with Nigel together. I actually hit with Andrew a few years back when I was working with Nigel. Nigel knows him. He brought him into the team just at the US Open. We kept working since then.
I really feel like it's a great team and a great match for each of us. It's important to feel comfortable in an environment. He's been really helpful. We've been practicing really hard. It's been really fun.

Q. You have a very British feel to your team with Nigel, Andrew and Howard. Are you planning to establish a base in Britain and train there?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I will be there more. Yeah, it just came about. I think for me it's very important to have a good team and to feel comfortable in the environment.
So, yeah, I will be based more there now.

Q. Anywhere in particular? Howard has been working in Bolton.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yes, I'll be in that area, yes, Manchester.

Q. Your best result since the French Open, yet you haven't been 100% physically, I think it's safe to say, this week. What do you think has been different this week in Beijing for you and for your game?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I do have little pains here and there. But I actually do feel like I've been the fittest I've been this whole year actually. That I think sort of last few weeks, it was like a buildup. So to put it together this week, it really means a lot to me.
Of course, to be again in a semifinal, yeah, it's been a little bit of struggle, but now I feel I have my game back. I just enjoy competing again because I feel I can put out everything physically, as well.

Q. Now that you've had a few months away from the French Open results, sometimes when you're talking about your year, you think that it's been a bad one or negative one, yet you have that result on your résumé. What are your thoughts on that French Open now?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think it was amazing achievement because I do think I was not as fit getting into that tournament. But I played some good tennis and obviously was very happy to be in the first Grand Slam semifinal since 2008, winning French.
But just in between there's been so many changes. It's been a little bit tough, especially first part of the year. After French I sort of felt Wimbledon was a little bit disappointing, but I felt like I got a good structure and good team after that.
I just felt that I've been playing better than my results have been showing. That's been a little bit frustrating. But I did have tough opponents, playing Belinda when she was high, Serena, Cibulkova, she was top 10 last year and I lost to her twice, US Open and Tokyo. It's been tough draws as well but I am really happy to put it together this week and actually to have a result.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297