AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2006

Tsvetana Pironkova

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: What do you want to know?

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well, I started playing on age three or four I think. My father is my coach. His name is Kiril Pironkova. He used to be a coach in my country. Good coach, I can say. Then my first tournament was age seven, I think. I lost second round then. Then with years I started to play better and better. Won almost everything in Bulgaria. Then I started to play ITF tournaments. My first ITF tournament, it was $10,000. I played final there. Lost to Niculescu. My second, I think I won it. It was 10,000 again. So in WTA tournaments, I play from since last year. My first WTA tournament was in Istanbul, $200,000. And then I play semifinal again with Williams. I lost badly then. I think that helped me to play better today 'cause I kind of know a little bit of her game. And that's almost everything.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yes, he was.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, he fell in love with tennis, and he started to play every day around five or six hours. He love that game. He started to coaching after. He had a success like coach. And then I came (indiscernible) and he started to coach only me. Also my brother and sister, but they're not that good.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, she agree with my dad. Tennis, it's like a better game. For swimming also you need to work very, very, very hard. And I kind of liked tennis better, so it was also my choice.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: In the first set, I start to play a little better. I kind of relaxed. I was little nervous in the beginning of the match. And then when I sit down the break between the sets, I said to myself, "It's okay. You are here in the Vodafone Arena, this big court, you need to show some tennis to the audience. Just relax and play your game." And that happened.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well, I know Venus since long time from the TV when I just was a little kid. I always love her game. But when you go on court, I am a professional player already, so when I go on court, I should not think about that, that she was kind of my idol before. I just have to play tennis, and I did. So there is no big difference.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, in the beginning it was really difficult. I was like, "What is happening here?" And then I used to it, I used to everything. I just started to play my game (smiling).

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, I can't say that's a surprise because I had terrific matches before. I also played very good before. It's not my first match that I played like that. But I can say truly I did my best today, and it gave the result.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, I don't have any relations with them, but I played for two years Fed Cup with Maggie so we kind of know each other. That's it.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well...

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, I think so (smiling). In Bulgaria, it's like I don't think the men work that hard, you know (smiling). I can say they work, but most of them don't have coaches. I have big priority that my father is my coach and I think this is helping me a lot.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well, I know Sesil also from the Fed Cup. We are kind of friends. I felt at first place I was really surprised about that case. I don't know anything actually. Few days ago I had an e-mail from the world tennis, I should say WTA, that they have suspended her for two years, and I was really surprised. I don't know anything about that case, so...

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: It's a kind of shock, yeah, because she was Bulgarian first racquet. Now I became the first one. What can I say? If it's true that she took those what was the medications that are not right, this is kind of shame. This is not right. Really it's not right.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Uhm, yeah. I felt a little bit that way. But this is tennis. Everything happens. I should not kind of leave the game because I lost my opportunity. Now she have her opportunity. She might lose it. Well, it's tennis.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, I think there were lots of unforced errors.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, I didn't think that way. I was just playing. And, I don't know, that's it. I was just playing.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, that's right, I try to forget all those things. I really don't think about these things in the match. I just, like you said, I try to imagine like opponent only and that helps me.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, I think so. Next one, it's Gaz de France, I think, in Paris. Let's first finish this one and then we'll talk about the others (smiling).

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, of course (smiling). In Rome, it was a great tournament really. I was really happy when I won it. That gave me the confidence that I had, then play Istanbul very well, then Zagreb very well.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Oh, it was amazing, really. It's my first time I'm playing on this big court. There was few Bulgarians. I would like to thank them very much. They supported me a lot - not only they, the whole crowd. They were screaming, they were yelling. It was just amazing.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, really is.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: How much what, sorry?

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: I don't know. I try always to go on the court like 50/50. You can't go on court like, "She has 99% to beat me, so what should I do?" You just go, try to go 50/50. I did that way, and it helped me.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: It's the different -- it's really big. That I show that on the first set, that I couldn't do just anything. Just trying to put the ball in the court. As I said, I was nervous at first place. But then I used to the things and that happen, I won.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: I just see her.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, he's not here. I wish he would be. But my brother is here with me. He also help me. He is my hitting partner. I also have one more hitting partner, Chris owe mere sty couugh, if you want to know him. Anyway, I'm with my brother here.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: No, I haven't yet. I called but my sister was screaming on the phone. They were all watching the game. She said he went out to clean his brain because he was very excited, and I should call him when I finish this press conference.

TSZVETANA PIRONKOVA: What kind of celebration? After one day I have another match. It's just one match that I won. I don't think I should celebrate.