NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 31, 2004

Elena Dementieva

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: You know, I really like this tournament. I was playing couple times here, and I remember I won my Orange Bowl Under-18 here in this same court. So I have a good memory on the center court. So, you know, from the beginning of the match I had the feeling that, you know, I'm in good shape and I have a chance to beat her. But she's a great player. She's a great fighter. So you never know until the end if you can do it or not.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, you know, I think it was, you know, she has more difficulty on my second serve than my first serve, you know, because she has no return in her return, you know, to return this kind of serve. No matter how good my serve is, I was trying today everything as possible to win and try to be positive on the court.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes, I did have some problems with my toss today. You know, it was little windy. But like I said, you know, if you want to be champion, it's not about -- it's not all about your serve, you know. You have to win no matter what. That's what I did today.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No, I don't think so. No, I don't think so. I'm working on my serve. I mean, I take it seriously. I'm trying to improve, but it's takes time. Because if you were serving for so many years with a different motion, it takes time, you know, to change this. That's what I'm working on. Sometimes it works; sometimes it's not.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think that, you know, it was a very difficult situation for me because it was in the middle of the game, you know, very important game. It was 30-all on my serve and she took a really long medical break. Then she start to play and move, you know, much better than she was playing in the first set. So it took me few games, you know, to, you know, to come back to the game, to get my focus on the court. You know, just play like I started to play. I think she did everything by the rules, you know. She can do it. I'm not sure that she has something or not, I can't even know, you know? But she did everything by the rules, so I was, you know, I was trying to continue to play; that's it.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It was very emotional game, I mean, for both of us. She was nervous a little bit; me too. I think I put a lot of pressure on her serve, my return was good today. You know, if you remember, when she was 5-4, you know, 5-3 serving, she did, you know, couple mistakes. So, you know, it was a very difficult, long, but I think interesting match.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I said I can't know if she has something or not, you know. Her face was that she has like a very painful something, you know. And then she started to move very well. I don't know if you saw the match, you can tell so. I don't know. She is a fighter, you know. Maybe she has something, but she gonna play till the end no matter what.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: But I think, you know, it was little bit easy to play -- for me to play against her. There is nothing to lose for me. Even in the tiebreak, I was enjoying myself. I wasn't thinking about score, I wasn't thinking about semifinals of this tournament. I was trying, you know, to play my games and to win. That's it.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I was trying not to move her too much because I know when she moving, she's good. So I was playing a lot, you know, to the body. I was trying to serve to the body. That's really worked today.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No, I just said to myself, "She's just like you, you know. She can be nervous (laughter)."

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah (laughing).

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: During the match?

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Not to her. To my mom and my coach (smiling).

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I wasn't thinking about this.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No, I wasn't thinking. I wasn't thinking about this, you know. I was really enjoying myself today on the court.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It was easy one, you know, we didn't have such a long rally during the matchpoint.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: You know, first time I won my tournament in Amelia Island last year, I saved a matchpoint against Justine Henin in semifinals.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, can be, can be.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Last time I played Nadia was in Zurich last year, indoor tournament, and I lost. She's a good player, she has a great serve, great first serve. She moves very well. She's the same age with me. So it's always interesting to play against her. It's going to be a tough one for me.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Oh, sure, yeah.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: She's a great support for me. She's the one, you know, I'm playing for. She really wants me to play. I am very happy that she is here with me and she's helping me. I realize that I couldn't, you know, go so far without her. So I'm really happy to have someone like her with me all the time.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I have a coach with me as well, Olga Morozova is working with me, so there are two of us.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Right, yes.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It was the first time that we play on this stadium because Under-16 and Under-18, we play in different site. It was the clay courts, I think. I remember it was a great feeling. I won, and Roger Federer won his first Orange Bowl title. So we had this very, very nice cup with oranges. You know, had a really nice memory of this tournament.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: We start to work in the end of the last year in Moscow. Now she's traveling with me.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: She's here, yes.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I mean, there is no change. She's with me. She is the main person for me no matter who's coaching me. I'm always happy to hear her advice. You know, she's my mom (smiling).

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: We do a lot of stuff together where we're not just mom and daughter, we're good friends.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Right, yeah. She can't see me play like that (laughing).

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes. I'm gonna have a tough conversation after this second serve, you know, today. Probably I'm gonna have little practice this afternoon with her... But I don't want to (smiling).

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: She said that I was serving much better on my practice in Moscow - much better.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes (smiling).