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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2007

Alicia Molik

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What happened after the first set? You looked so good in that first set.
ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I know. I thought I looked great, too.
I think she got pretty used to my patterns. I think I started opening up the court in the first set until 2-All. I was very much playing through the court. Patty loves to use angles.
I did lose my concentration, but just I started opening up the court for her. That's the way she likes to play. All of a sudden she started dominating, dictating.

Q. What do you take out of the match?
ALICIA MOLIK: Oh, look, in a match like that, I think I'll probably take the first set and very much remember that. That's something I need to try to replicate over two sets, not just over one set.
But I was a little rattled after the game at 2-3 down where I was 40-15 up. I played a few very loose shots, a drive backhand volley. Again, I went for a dropshot from the back of the court as I moved into the net.
I played very solid till that point. It was quite a letdown to play two very loose points in a row. I think Patty started picking my game, too. So, again, something I need to work on.

Q. Is it that you haven't had a lot of those sort of tough matches, and she's No. 8 in the world?
ALICIA MOLIK: Possibly. Somebody like Patty, she's No. 8, top 10 in the world for a reason. She's there because she's not just a fantastic player, but a great thinker. All the top girls in the world are great thinkers. If something's not working they change it. If that's not working they revert to a different game plan and they figure plays out.
In Patty's case, she found a game that beat me today. She opened up the court. She used her angles. She started ripping her backhand cross-court, really using her forehand very well, jagging me from side to side.
That's what the best players in the world do.

Q. Do you come out of tonight's experience thinking you can get clear to the top 20 type player than you thought, or not as close as you might have thought a week or so ago?
ALICIA MOLIK: No, a week ago I still thought I was close. Walking out today, I was expecting to beat Patty. 6-3 in the first set, I thought I was going to beat her. 2-3 down in the second set, I thought it was my match.
My thought process doesn't change in that sense. You know, again, these girls are that good that you can't let up even for five minutes out there because, before you know it, you're a couple of breaks down and the set's gone and you're trying to play catch-up.

Q. What about how you'll reflect on the tournament? Beforehand if someone had said you'd get a couple of wins, would that have satisfied you?
ALICIA MOLIK: Oh, look, it's hard to say. I was really expecting to win today. It's very disappointing. Especially from the position that I set myself up in after the first set. I mean, I always try and walk away with a couple of positives. I feel like I'm hitting the ball very well.
I think I've set myself up to do well for the year.

Q. Where Patty adapted in the match, do you think that's where you failed to?
ALICIA MOLIK: Sorry?

Q. In adapting to the match, she changed her tactics. Do you think you could have done something different?
ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, she changed her tactics slightly. I think more or less she committed more errors in the first set. I think she just tightened up slightly in the second two sets.
But, as I mentioned before, I think I probably didn't play through the court enough. I'd been up the court a little bit too much. Patty is very talented. She loves to hit a really whippy backhand, get her backhand off the court. She's one of the players that can use spin, can use slice.
In hindsight, I really needed to buckle down and just go through the court a little more and close down the court, play a tighter line a bit more, I think.
But, I mean, you learn. I'll learn.

Q. Your ambitions for the year have been enhanced by this tournament? What had you hoped to do first of the year coming into here?
ALICIA MOLIK: Today doesn't change what I was hoping to do for the year, no.

Q. Going into the third set, were you still thinking positively?
ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah. I think I was definitely a little frustrated with myself for letting that second set slip so quickly. Felt like a bit of a blur actually. You know, when things get tight I generally start rushing. It's a habit that I have to get out of, especially when I'm serving.
I really need to take my time. I need to get my ball toss up high because, you know, sometimes I get a little anxious. I want to start the point very quickly. That's something that I'll definitely need to work on the next couple of matches.
I think I really need to clear my thoughts, take my time, not rush so I can be very clear with my thoughts.

Q. After this it's off to Asia?
ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah. I head off to Asia, then India, then Doha and Dubai, followed by a few other tournaments, which I'm really looking forward to actually. I've been looking forward to playing. When I say "playing," I mean tournaments from the minute the off-season started in November.
You know, generally this time of year, in January, when you are at home, you'd love to stay home. I'm actually looking forward to playing, to traveling, getting close to that feeling of being in finals again. That's something I feel is in the very near future.

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