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WIMBLEDON

June 26, 2007

Elena Baltacha

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: First question for Elena.

Q. At the start of the third set, you looked the favorite to win that match. Did you feel as though you could win it at that point?
ELENA BALTACHA: Why would you say that?

Q. You were on top at that point.
ELENA BALTACHA: Yeah, but she was playing well. You know, I played a really good game to break her. We basically held serve.
But, you know, we started and she played a really good service game. She broke me straightaway. You know, it was tight. It was 50/50 going into the third set.

Q. You had sort of mixed emotions about the day because you came very close, which is great, but you also might have won, which would have been better.
ELENA BALTACHA: Yeah, I came close. I think it was a really good match. Yeah, I'm disappointed that I lost. But, you know, today's really shown me that there's a lot of things that I need to work on.
But at the same time, you know, I was there with her. We played a great standard match. To think what I've done in three months, you know, from literally going from qualifying, which I was actually losing qualifying of challengers in the beginning of March and I wasn't ready to play, but I thought I might as well start from somewhere, you know.
My ranking dropped to 890. To think in three months' time, I've managed to get my ranking to 270, quallied at Eastbourne last week, beat Anne, British No. 1. That's not bad in three months. We've got to be realistic here.
This girl is 21 in the world. I was up to the pace of the game. There's a few things that need to get better, but I think as long as I keep getting better, I think I've got a really good future ahead of me. Hopefully, touch wood, I'm not going to have any more problems.

Q. What do you have to work on?
ELENA BALTACHA: I think my serve. My serve can definitely get better. Obviously, you know, with my back, I had back surgery, so I I haven't really had the opportunity to work on my serve as much as I'd like.
I think everything else is coming together quite well. Just a few things here and there. But definitely the main thing is serve and return of serve.

Q. You had a very serious surgery. There must have been times when you thought if you would play again.
ELENA BALTACHA: Do you know what, not really. I knew I needed to have surgery. I was really in a bad way before I had surgery. I knew I didn't have an option. I didn't want to sit around for six months not doing anything, in case six months down the line I find out I needed surgery anyway.
It would have been just a complete and utter waste of time. I've been very lucky. I have a really good team working with me. Alan Jones, Joe Drury, my mom. Everyone has been really behind me. Stephen Mark, of course at French Connection.
The LTA have really supported me as well. Without them, it would have been difficult for me.

Q. There were quite a lot of disputed calls today. Do you think maybe it was because of the wind? Both of you were querying the calls.
ELENA BALTACHA: It happens. You know, it's the same for both. They're only human, end of the day. I know we might give them a lot of grief. But when it's tight or when you think you're in the right, sometimes things come out that is quite naughty.
But it's human error, isn't it? What can you do about it?

Q. What do you head off to do now?
ELENA BALTACHA: What's my next?

Q. Tournament.
ELENA BALTACHA: Obviously, I'm still in the doubles here. We go to La Manga for a week, a bit of holiday, but also preparing for America. We're going to the States for six weeks. First one will be a 50, then a 75, then preparing for Bronx and then the US Open quallies. Hopefully I'll get into that. Then we're maybe looking at maybe Asia September, October time. It all depends on my ranking, what I can get into.

Q. Given your rapid progress the last few months, have you set yourself a target where you want to be at the end of the year and this time next year?
ELENA BALTACHA: No, I can't give you any numbers because, you know, that's not really fair. I think what's exciting is that as long as I stay injury-free and healthy, then I think it's exciting, then I think I can be better than what I was before when I had to stop.

Q. Career high when you had to stop?
ELENA BALTACHA: 117.

Q. You can go higher than that?
ELENA BALTACHA: I think I can, yeah, definitely.

Q. That means top hundred, presumably?
ELENA BALTACHA: Of course I'm looking top hundred, but I'm not going to say top hundred because, you know, I think I can do better. I don't want to give you a number. But I think -- well, I know if I stay healthy, fully fit, it's very exciting. I'm determined more than I ever have been. Hopefully my body can just help me, not give me any grief any more.

Q. Do you hurt now, your body, every day?
ELENA BALTACHA: Yeah, it hurts. All athletes will say every morning -- I mean, every morning I have this ritual where I have to click my knees and my ankles and my shoulder. But, you know, it's part of the job really, to be honest.
We're not healthy, healthy people. You always see an ice pack on us, always getting a massage. But, you know, I'm used to it.

Q. Katie O'Brien, someone coming along, it helps the game. You need a few of you doing it.
ELENA BALTACHA: I'm very happy for Katie. She really deserves it. She's played really well the last few weeks. She's really improved. But I do think all of us get very excited when it comes to Wimbledon. It's not really about the grass courts. It's very nice to pick up points and to do well, but the real hard work starts after Wimbledon. This is where, when the girls go traveling, they have to start picking up points, doing well elsewhere, apart from Wimbledon. We're very well-known for picking up good points here then not really doing anything for the rest of the year.

End of FastScripts

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