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WIMBLEDONJune 24, 2004Karolina SpremWIMBLEDON, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Okay. Good evening. Can I introduce Karolina Sprem. Who would like to ask the first question? Q. The complete mess in the tiebreak, in the second tiebreak, did you understand that the chair umpire had made a big mistake when he called the score wrong? KAROLINA SPREM: I don't know. I was confused. Venus, she take the ball and she start to serve. I just go to the next side. I just want to return. That's all. I didn't think about this. Q. So it was 1-2. Then you hit a ball in the net, a first serve. You hit a fault. He called 2-2. KAROLINA SPREM: Oh, I could say I didn't think about this. I was like 100 percent in the match. I was just want to play. I didn't... Q. So what was the key to your victory today? What was the key? KAROLINA SPREM: I was playing against her before one months, and I have, in third set, I have like 3-all. I lost this match. And today I was just going on the court and I was just want to do the best where I can and hit the ball and play 100 percent, play my tennis. I was want to win. That's the key. Q. Where were you trying to attack her? Were you consciously trying to take apart her forehand? KAROLINA SPREM: I was playing everything what was I can. Like I said, go in the net. Hit the first serve. Hit the ball. Everything what I have, I was trying to hit. Q. Do you think her stature in the women's game has come down in the last year? KAROLINA SPREM: Why you say this? Because I beat her (laughing)? Q. I mean did you have confidence, in other words -- she hasn't reached a semifinal in a Grand Slam in a year. Your confidence going out there? KAROLINA SPREM: I didn't think about this. I play against her, like I said, before one months. I lost this match. Today I was just want to go on the court. I was playing first time on the Centre Court. It's my second time that I was playing on Wimbledon. I was just want to show my game. That's it. Q. When you played her in Berlin... KAROLINA SPREM: Yeah. Q. Did you feel like you should have won that match and you let it get away? KAROLINA SPREM: If you have 3-love in the third set, then, yeah, I was feeling that I need to win this match. But I lose. But that's the tennis. That's the game, so... Q. When she hurt her ankle, did it change the way you played her from that point on? KAROLINA SPREM: No, no, it didn't. Q. Do you think this helps to ease the pain of the Croatian football team losing, you and Goran winning today? KAROLINA SPREM: I don't know. I hope so (laughing). Q. You took several small toys out of your bag, soft toys. What's the story behind them? Did someone give them to you? You bought them yourself? KAROLINA SPREM: One I get from my coach and another from one person, so... Q. Who's that person? KAROLINA SPREM: I can't say (laughing). Q. You must say. You must tell us. KAROLINA SPREM: No, I don't think so. Q. From your boyfriend? KAROLINA SPREM: I'm not telling (laughing). Q. Have you ever met Goran? KAROLINA SPREM: Yeah. Q. And tell us about the meeting. KAROLINA SPREM: He's good with my coach. He sometimes come to my town, to my coach. He was talking sometimes, but nothing special. But I didn't know that he's win today, so... Q. When you met him, was he a hero of yours? KAROLINA SPREM: Of course, come on. But he win the Wimbledon. He need to be hero. He's hero in Croatia. He's also my hero. Q. The fact that he's here playing, did it help you in any way? KAROLINA SPREM: If he can play, of course, then I can play. That's for sure. Q. You won against some big players, Kustnesova, and then you've lost against a girl like Randriantefy. What does it take to keep you at this level? KAROLINA SPREM: I think I need more matches like today. I need to play against bigger player. I need my confidence go up. I don't know. I'm young, and it's everything -- this, it's new for me. I just need to play more matches, and that's all. Q. 6-3 in the tiebreaker. She has two serves to come. Did you feel that it would probably go into a third set then? KAROLINA SPREM: Yeah, I was feeling like this - for sure. I was happy when it was 6-all, and then when I had 7-6. But still I didn't think that I will win this set. But it's great feeling. Q. Venus won here two years in a row. KAROLINA SPREM: Yeah. Q. I'm wondering if you think the Venus of that time would have sent it into a third set or if you think you've gotten better and everybody's gotten better and she's exactly the same player as she was then, but everybody else has lifted their game and reached her level, including you? KAROLINA SPREM: I don't know. I didn't think about this. I think that she's playing great tennis, still. She's great like a person, great like a player. So I don't know. She will do good results for this year, for sure. Q. Myskina said in Paris there was a time when the players were quite afraid of Venus, to go out there on the court. She said they've lost that fear. Do you know about that? KAROLINA SPREM: No, I don't know about this. I know when I was playing in America against Serena, I was scared because I lost 6-1 first set and I was like in first set 5-love down. And I was just want to go home and not be on the court. But second set, when I was like, "Come on, you can do it. You can play against her," it was like 7-5. But they are still great player and something special in the tennis. Q. Where was that? KAROLINA SPREM: In Amelia Island. Q. This year? KAROLINA SPREM: Yeah. Q. So we would be wrong, then, to think -- you're still saying there's still something special? KAROLINA SPREM: I think, yeah. Q. Venus, too? KAROLINA SPREM: Yeah. End of FastScripts…. |
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