TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN

March 13, 2001

Elena Bovina

ELENA BOVINA: Cinderella, yeah. Why?

ELENA BOVINA: Well, she was just playing better. I mean, for today, for this moment, she's just better than me. I think I just have to work on some things that I think, you know, if I would use them today, then I could win. Like I think she's stronger than me physically. She was always hitting the ball earlier than I did, so it was difficult for me in that way. Well, I don't know. It was just a good match for her.

ELENA BOVINA: No, I wasn't thinking about, you know, that it was like quarterfinals. I don't know, because I know her for a long time, and I knew that it would be a difficult match. So I just tried, you know, to do whatever I could. But wasn't enough today.

ELENA BOVINA: Yeah, well, I think it's going to be a close match tomorrow or whenever they going to play. It's going to be a very close match, because the last time they played, it was very, very tough. It was close. I don't know. But I'd say that Martina's going to win because I think at that point, she is a little bit more experienced. I don't know. I don't think Kim was, you know, a lot of times in semifinals. I know she wants to win the tournament, but I think Martina, she just knows how to play, you know, the important points. She just knows how to play, what to do. Kim, she is still a little bit unexperienced in this way.

ELENA BOVINA: Well, for her it's a great result already, the semifinals. I mean, she's 17 years old. I think it's great. But, I mean, she earned it. She is playing unbelievable tennis. She beat some good players this week. Tomorrow, for sure, I mean, it depends what she's going to, you know, take out of those matches, you know, what she's going to learn for them. I mean, I think it's a good experience for her. Anyway, semifinals is not bad.

ELENA BOVINA: I don't know. Maybe it's supposed to be like that. For me, it's all new. Of course, it's great. I try to talk to as many people as possible because for me, you know, it's for the first time. I look with my both eyes. I listen with my ears. I'm trying, you know, to get everything. Maybe like later in a few years, I'll be like, "Okay, please don't bother me." But now....

ELENA BOVINA: Well, yeah, I thanks to her for this. I mean, I'm very pleased that she thinks that way, that I'm going to be a good player. I'll do my best. We played a few times there. It was just so great for me to play her, against her. The only thought that she's No. 1 in the world was like unbelievable. You don't get to play the No. 1 in the world every day. She was very nice to me. I think she's just a great player.

ELENA BOVINA: Yeah, I think the serve has helped me a lot during this week. I made some big serves at the important points. Maybe I should work a little bit more on my volleys because I'm coming in a lot of times, but not, you know, so good at the net yet. So I think I should work on that.

ELENA BOVINA: Of course, yeah.

ELENA BOVINA: Fairytales?

ELENA BOVINA: I think it's C-k-a-z-k-a.

ELENA BOVINA: Yes. Like Cinderella.

ELENA BOVINA: I know, yes. Why are you asking about this?

ELENA BOVINA: That's nice.

ELENA BOVINA: Yes, Ericsson. I'm going to start preparing for that this week. I think it starts in a week or so from here. I mean, I'll try to keep it up that way there, but we'll see. You never know. I'll do my best.

ELENA BOVINA: I think, no, with my ranking, I have to play the qualifying. Maybe I'll get a wildcard again to the main draw. I'm not sure about this yet because IMG is working on this right now. Hopefully I'll get a wildcard. If not, I'll play qualifying.

ELENA BOVINA: Me neither. I have no clue about this really.

ELENA BOVINA: I don't know really. I don't count the money that much because, you know, after I lose I don't like to get the money, because you do it after you lose all the time. Either after the finals, you lose and you go take your money. I don't like it to go in that room because, you know, it's after you lost you go there. I don't really check the money. I know that they wouldn't lie. I just look. I think it was maybe 7,000, something like that, maybe 8,000 at the most. I think I played the Russian, Kremlin Cup, so. I don't know yet how much here really.

ELENA BOVINA: Yes, Russia, back home. I have everything like a club there, sparring partners, everything. It's pretty nice there, but sometimes before coming to United States, it's better to adjust to the weather and time difference. Maybe you go to the academy somewhere to prepare a month before, especially if there is important tournaments coming up.