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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (WOMEN)

May 15, 2007

Ana Ivanovic

ROME, ITALY

THE MODERATOR: We welcome the German Open champion, but she injured her left ankle during the third set of the Berlin finals. So why don't we start with questions about that, and then we can move onto other subjects.

Q. How did it happen?
ANA IVANOVIC: In the final in the second set in 3-2, I was running on a short ball, and I think I stepped a little bit harder so it was the compression. I didn't twist or anything, but it started hurting and it was really painful through whole the match.
I couldn't move it very well, so I was really surprised to have finished the match. I took some painkillers in the third set, so I guess that helped a little bit. And then after the match I had a lot of treatment, and also yesterday whole day a lot of treatment and a lot of icing and trying to recover for today's match.
But, yeah, I practice this morning and it was hurting much more after the practice. So, yeah, we just needed a couple more days for recovery. But, yeah, unfortunately it wasn't enough, and I thought this would be the best for me just to take it easy and have a full recovery.

Q. Talk about what it means to you to win Berlin, especially a couple weeks before the French. You know for your career it's probably maybe your best one.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I can say also it's one of turning point in my career. It was unbelievable week for me. I think also after the tournaments in America I had holidays and then I took my time.
I had two weeks preparation in Barcelona. Coming into Berlin I felt really confident, rested, and ready to play some more tennis. And obviously match by match it was getting better, and I played some really good tennis against Patty in quarters and then again in the finals.
So, yeah, it was incredible experience for me and it was my first clay court title, so always be very happy about that. And also make breaking into Top 10, which was my goal for already some time. It was very amazing to reach that.

Q. You said at the beginning of year that your goal was to reach the masters at the end of year. Now with Clijsters that is retired and in the end not play every tournament, something has changed in your goal?
ANA IVANOVIC: No. Obviously that's still my goal, and there is still half year to go and a lot of tournaments. But as I said, at the moment I really enjoy being on a court and enjoy playing tournaments and competing.
And obviously winning the tournament it also help with the confidence. So for sure I'm going to go towards next tournaments hoping to play the best I can and to win some more matches and hopefully reach that.
But I think it's very important for me to take it step by step and see how far I go.

Q. For the tournaments you are playing you have Sven Groeneveld as your coach. What did he bring to you?
ANA IVANOVIC: He's very experienced coach and he was shortly working with me also last year between -- I had two coaches, and it was about this time of the year. And obviously I learned a lot things, because difference between Top 20 and Top 10, it's very small, it's very small difference, but it makes a big difference in a big picture.
So these little things like I can learn from him, and also about tactics in the match, and he helped me a lot with my serve. My serve is getting much better. So, yeah, it's great to have such an experienced coach on my side, and he will also be helping me at French Open and Wimbledon as well.

Q. You won a Tier 1 in the hard court and a Tier 1 in the clay court. Have you decided which is your best surface?
ANA IVANOVIC: It's hard to say. I enjoy playing an all kind of surfaces. And now I was in Barcelona preparing on clay at Sanchez Academy, and obviously they're very good on the clay, especially Spanish players.
So I can say I learned there a little bit how to play on the clay, and that helps a lot. But also before I played the quarterfinal in Paris which was one of, yeah, big results I had so far. So, yeah, I can say I enjoy all kind of surfaces.

Q. Sven was with you in Barcelona?
ANA IVANOVIC: No, no. I practiced with a coach from the academy. Yeah, we just contact them. In America we talked with them about the possibility of me going there and practicing. Emilio, he helped me there with organizing the court, and also they have lots of other players as sparring partners, so it was great experience for me.

Q. How is your Spanish?
ANA IVANOVIC: It's getting better.

Q. You speak Spanish?
ANA IVANOVIC: I can understand a little bit, yeah. I like a lot to learn it.

Q. The fact that now you're in the Top 10, you think you feel different, you have another personality?
ANA IVANOVIC: I feel the same.

Q. You feel the same?
ANA IVANOVIC: No. I mean, for sure it's a great achievement. As I said, many players want to achieve, to become Top 10. But obviously I always said I have even higher goal: To become world No. 1.
This is one step closer that. And I know I have still a lot of tennis to play and to show in areas I improved. But definitely this is a step closer, and it motivates me to work harder and to actually see that it's possible.

Q. If I'm right, the WTA say they would like to be a little bit stronger about the withdrawal at the last minute on the tournament. What do you think about that?
ANA IVANOVIC: I think in the past there was some extreme pull outs and maybe not really with the reasons behind it. I think it's good to do something about it. But on other hand, it's very strict.
And for players who are really injured and can't play it's very hard to -- for example, they can't come to a tournament due to having treatments and recovery and then they're forbidden to play other two tournaments. I think it's very tough.
But I don't know. It's very hard to say unless we try it and see how it works.

Q. Two Serbian players are now in the Top 10. Does it mean that maybe you're going to play Fed Cup with Jankovic next year to try to get to first division and maybe winning it?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, definitely it's unbelievable what we achieved. It's been long time -- I mean, we never had player in Top 10 and also Djokovic in the guys. So three players in Top 10.
And I think people back home should really appreciate that, because who knows when it's going to happen again. And regarding Fed Cup, we have a match against Slovakia after Wimbledon. That's match to go into a higher group, and I would really like to play together with Jelena, because as I said, I think we have really good chance to get into World Group and maybe even win it. Because I think we deserve place in the World Group.

Q. You have a good record with Jankovic I think in head-to-head. Because she doesn't like to play with you or you like to play with her?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, we always have tough matches. She's a great player and she had some very good results lately, but it's tough. It's not like for example Russians have a lot of players so they often play against each other.
I guess when we do it's more emotional match because we both want to show that we are better or deserve maybe better place. But still it comes down to a tennis match, and who performs better that day wins.
So, yeah, I'm sure we'll have lots and lots of matches against each other again. Yeah.

Q. You're more famous than her in Serbia, right?
ANA IVANOVIC: It's hard to say.

Q. Say the truth. You're more famous.
ANA IVANOVIC: No. But people know both of us equally. I think now people recognize us in the street and it's becoming much more -- popular, tennis is, and it's -- yeah, it's probably because of us. Djokovic and all of us.
So it's unbelievable feeling for me, because I start playing tennis because of Monica so maybe some kid will start because of me. So it's a great feeling to bring something more to sports.

Q. You have obviously some very good memories from the French Open and you know what it is to play on center court against a French player. So now with your experience, with the level of your game, what can you expect this year?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, as I said, every tournament you play you go to win it. But obviously there is many players who are competing for same thing, and all of them come in the best shape for the Grand Slam and they want to play the best tennis at that point.
So definitely winning Berlin is going to help me a lot, and hopefully my if feet will be good in couple day's time so at least next week I can use for preparation for Paris.
But definitely I'm very excited because I think I have a very good chance this year. But it's important to take it match by match and just enjoy being there and playing, competing, and see how far I can go.

Q. When we go to your site on the Internet, we see many, many pictures of you, and some of them taken by famous fashion photographers. Is that something that you liked to do?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I like sometimes when I have free time just to do something different. Not always to be in sports clothes, because people see us all the time on the court. So I think it's nice to be actually in outfit for maybe going out or something different.
So it's for sure nice to do sometimes. But tennis still is my priority and I would never change practice for a photo shoot.

Q. What's your favorite stylist?
ANA IVANOVIC: It's hard to say. I like to follow the fashion, meaning to see what's in, but not necessarily to follow it or to wear that.

End of FastScripts

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