US OPEN

September 6, 2005

Nadia Petrova

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

NADIA PETROVA: Well, when she took a bathroom break, she came back, she was completely different person. She played the first few games very aggressive, very clean, no. She just made winners, you know. By dropping my serve, it made it very difficult. But then at 5-2, I managed to break her as well. But it's been disappointing, the last game. I had everything in my hands. I had 40-15 up. Suddenly, I don't know from where a double-fault came. Then I missed an easy backhand and just gave it to her in the rally. I felt like if I would get this game, she would be fragile, that I could have win the match.

NADIA PETROVA: Yes, yeah. Well, I mean, you have to be also lucky at some stage. And sometimes there have been a lot of strange calls; I didn't know if it was in or out. But I felt really uncomfortable on the court because of that because, I mean, we playing one of the best Grand Slam tournaments and so many wrong calls.

NADIA PETROVA: Pardon?

NADIA PETROVA: A little bit. Maybe I was not expecting it. I thought maybe I would just make either easy point or a put-away. But it went like a bullet so...

NADIA PETROVA: Well, I guess I can't say the quality of the match was well. We both were on and off on court. We had breakpoints, we had really bad points, lots of unforced errors. I think it was very tough mentally match. We both wanted to win. We both fought hard. We both stick to the last point. And, I guess, you know, because we both wanted to win, we were sometimes disappointed in some points and that's why we were little bit overreacting I can say (laughing).

NADIA PETROVA: Yeah, I did better today. I could read where she was serving, and I think that helped me a lot as well.

NADIA PETROVA: Well, you try not to think of who you play, which country they come from. It's just an opponent and you want to keep it that way.

NADIA PETROVA: No. That's correct.

NADIA PETROVA: I haven't asked, but actually because I was expecting probably that every single player would come and play because it's the final game. But they decided to keep the team the way they played the semifinal.

NADIA PETROVA: Well, it's their decision. I don't blame them. Maybe it's even better for me because I have to attend a trip to Romania for the Habitat for Humanity. That's next week Tuesday, Wednesday. That would be difficult to go and practice with my teammates in Paris.

NADIA PETROVA: Well, in kind of way, yes, because, I mean, I would will to help my team and I would will to be there and support. If they don't want me to be playing, at least I could have been there and support in some kind of way.

NADIA PETROVA: You know, I couldn't really understand what it was, so I just kept on playing the point. I had the chair umpire stand there, so really didn't understand what was happening.

NADIA PETROVA: Yeah, but I think it was a decision of the chair umpire.

NADIA PETROVA: Yeah, was the reason. Was the reason.