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U.S. OPEN

September 1, 2007

Agnieszka Radwanska

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Which game decide about the match? 4-2?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah. I think so. I think it was 4-2. It was so long game. She was serving. But it's hard to say. Every game was so long and was so tough, every point. After match point I believe that I won this match.

Q. You have excellent fitness. Can you tell us a little bit about how you train?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Normally like every player. I'm practicing around four hours a day in Poland. So not in some tennis academy. So it's normal.

Q. Two jurors from your generation win today. Did you think both of you would have an impact like this?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. I hope so. My sister is playing here. So I think she can do it like in Wimbledon, so we will see.

Q. Right after Wimbledon, you went to play a challenger, was it in Italy? What did you play right after Wimbledon?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Which tournament?

Q. Uh-huh.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I was playing ITF 100. I was playing there because I get a wildcard. And I play Palermo also on the clay court, like a Tier IV. Then before US Open I was playing just New Haven before.

Q. Right after Wimbledon seems to be where your game really took off. You've only lost three matches since then.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't understand. Sorry.

Q. Did you notice that she was very nervous out there?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Who?

Q. Did you notice Maria Sharapova was very nervous out there with her serve? Did you feel that she was nervous?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah. Because it was so windy, and against the wind it was very tough to serve. And also I have problem with my serve, but yeah, I think she make many mistakes and double-faults so I think she was a little bit nervous.

Q. You were coming in very close, especially the second serve. Did you do that to try to maker more nervous?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah. I knew that she doesn't like if somebody is moving if she serving. She was also nervous with this, so I was trying to do something like this.

Q. What happened to you in the second set?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know actually. She destroyed me I think the second set (laughter). But then I woke up after this eight games in a row I lost. I just hit the ball and I made next six games.

Q. How were you able to do that? I mean, could get pretty discouraging to lose eight straight games. How were you able to turn it around?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: It was very tough because I didn't know what happened like this. I lost four my service games. So actually I didn't think about this. Just think about next games and next points. And it was like 3-2 for me and I just -- I was -- I feel a little bit better than in the second set and then I could believe that I could beat her.

Q. You played Maria Sharapova one other time this year. Horrible third set. Were you thinking a little bit about that match as you went into the third set today?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, yeah. I play her once and I lost to her 6-Love in the third. But I had so many chances there, like it was very long games in the third set. I didn't use even one chance to break her and to win a game.
But, yeah, here was different, you know. I just, yeah, was so long games if she was serving and finally I break her twice or three times.

Q. Were you always confident that you could stay with her from the baseline?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, she's playing very well. Forehand and backhand is the same. She was serving well if not windy. But I just think I have to play like right-left, and I have to hit also the ball, not just run, the chair umpires right there.

Q. How is it different, just the atmosphere when you're playing somebody like that, center court and playing Maria Sharapova? When you're going into the match and you first step on the court, is it different?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, I was playing a few times at center court against top players but not on the center court like this. Against Maria Sharapova, and she won here last year. But I had nothing to lose. Just she was the favorite and I think she was more nervous. Yeah, I think -- I just played my game.

Q. There are not many great Polish players in this game. Who did you look up to as a child? I know that your father started you. But where was your inspiration coming from?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, yeah, you're right, there's not so many Polish player. Just me I think (laughter) Top 100 is just, yeah, only me.
I mean, it's hard to say. But I just, you know, my father is practicing with me 13 years already. And we just like family business. So nothing, I'm working with him, so we'll see. Maybe I will do something.

Q. Did you idolize any players?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah. Few years ago there was Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf, and Martina Hingis, and then she come back and she's always playing very well, yeah.

Q. Where do you train between tournaments?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: In Poland.

Q. Krakow?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah. At home.

Q. In Key Biscayne I talked to you a little bit and you were going take time off in May to take your final exams in school. Did you do that?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, I did it.

Q. How did you do?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I did all the exams, so I did 5. Very happy with that also.

Q. So you're graduated?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah. It's good that I can do great result in tennis and I did everything in school and I just finished my school.

Q. Before today, what was the biggest occasion for you on a court with a lot of people watching?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. I was thinking that everybody is going to be against me because she's a star, she's a top player. But after I think it was different. Like everybody was surprised something, you know, like somebody can beat the winner of last year.
So I mean it was a great feeling. I was nervous on the center court.

Q. Tomorrow morning is a big newspaper day in the U.S., especially here in the tri-state area. Your picture is going to be on the front page. How do you feel about that?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Good. Very good (laughter).

Q. Will you actually read the papers?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. But in my hotel is all the time the newspapers are on my door so I always watching just the pictures. So maybe I will watch myself.

Q. This big win coming so early in the Open, how so you prepare for next week now?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. For sure I watch my sister, and also I have mixed doubles tomorrow. And I lost on doubles yesterday, so just I think, yeah, I will play after tomorrow. So I'm just going practice like one hour, two times one hour.

Q. Twenty minutes ago your father told me that your victory today is for him like winning one hundred million dollars in lottery. What value has that victory for you?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I think the same. The same situation. Yeah, I couldn't believe after the last point. And yeah, before the match -- I mean yesterday, I spoke with my sister, if I will beat her, we will buy two Louis Vuitton bag, because is so expensive. And she was okay. If you do it, okay.
And then she will come to locker room and, okay, now we're going who Louis Vuitton and buy two bags. I have to buy now because I said that.

Q. How much are the bags, did you see them?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: For sure a few hundreds for the one bag.

Q. You're going buy two?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, I have to buy two. One for me and my sister.

Q. Do you and your sister fight? What you do you fight about?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Practicing together all the time, like 13 years already. So, yeah, sometimes we are playing against each other. But the matches was not like real match because I couldn't feel the same pressure like normal match.
So we're always together. So we're traveling together all the time, so we are best friends.

Q. You don't argue with her at all?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No.

Q. Coming into take a second serve, have you done that frequently before and has anybody done that against you? Coming in close to attack a second serve?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, I have to do it because she's playing very strong like every shot, so I have to do it. I have to do it before her, so, yeah, I was trying playing everything.

Q. Has anybody ever tried to do that to you to sort of try and psych you out?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah. Everybody are doing the best, and I think everybody -- on this tournament everybody knows everybody, so I knew that I have to play stronger and receive also.

Q. There was a lot of talk after the draw about the lower half of the draw, and that it was dominated by Maria Sharapova and a lot of the players at the top. Did you think about that and look at that and say, There's a tremendous opportunity here for somebody like yourself to get to a semi or final in the US Open?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. In Poland they will say like, You will play third round with Maria Sharapova. I'm like, no, no. Hold on. I'm playing first round then second and then third.
So, yeah, and then I beat Morigami and then Razzano and now I'm playing with Maria Sharapova. And then it was like big show in Poland because everybody was like before US Open -- I mean, after the draw they will say like it's going to be center court night session, but it was just 11:00.
I think it's better for me. Yeah, and then -- yeah, I think I couldn't believe like before the match also. I just came to the court and do my best, and I did it.

Q. But it will give you a big opportunity now. Is that going to be a different challenge now because the draw has kind of opened up for you?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know the draw. I didn't see. I just see, you know, like before Maria Sharapova, then I have no idea.

Q. Have you done many press conferences?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, when, before?

Q. Any time in your life.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, I mean, a few.

Q. You're doing great.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah?

Q. Yeah.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Thank you.

Q. Those exams that you took in May, what was your strongest subject? And if you were to at some point go to university, what would you study?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know actually. Hard to say, but I don't know. I don't know.

Q. And your best subject on those exams?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Fitness.

Q. What about Flippy and Floppy, are they still alive?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes. They're so fat. But yeah, they're still alive, yeah. They're waiting for me at home.

Q. When you went to the baseline to serve the last game of the match, when you were four points away, what were you thinking?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, I was so nervous. I mean, I was thinking that I have to hit the first serve, but I missed. Then second serve my hand was like this (showing shaking hand). And mean, she missed. I was a little bit lucky because it was out like this (indicating), and then it was like shock.
You know, yeah, she missed three points on this game and she shouldn't. But, yeah. She help me out a bit in last game.

Q. They're rats, right?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah.

Q. How long do rats live actually?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. I think around five years.

Q. So you've had these two how long?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Just few months, yeah.

Q. You let them out of the cage to run around a little bit?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No. No. They're dangerous I think. They're aggressive.

Q. Why do you have rats? Why don't you have a dog or a cat?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I had a dog but it was not so nice dog because it was very danger dog.

Q. What kind of dog?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Bulldog.

Q. Did he bite people?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, my sister. Twice. So that's why no dog anymore. And I don't like cats so, yeah, to us, because my friend, she had one and, yeah, it was a nice. After this we both do like that.

Q. You and your sister ever dream about, talk about the idea of one day maybe playing in a Grand Slam final?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Juniors, yes, but never on the Grand Slam like this. Because, yeah, I made like fourth rounds, third rounds at Wimbledon, but never until -- I mean after quarterfinals, so maybe we'll see here. I don't know, I hope I can do it.

Q. Have the two of talked about someday?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No. I mean, we're talking about something else, not about tennis, because it's going to be crazy like we're traveling all the time, practicing actually all the time, and we don't talk about the tennis.

Q. After this big win, do you think perhaps now you might be able to make it to the finals? Is it enough of a confidence builder?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I'm not favorite here, so I will play with seeded player I think also. So I will see and I have no idea who is next.

Q. But in the back of your mind, do you think now perhaps, I have a good chance of winning?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. I don't know.

Q. You actually, just looking at the draw you played, including Maria Sharapova, three of the most seasoned veterans on the tour and done very well. Do you think that puts you in a better position going into the second week?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, you know, I saw the draw like New Haven already, and I say, Oh, my God. It's so bad because the first opponent is playing very well and second round also was not so good, so I see already it's so bad.
I'm seeded but the draw is so bad, but now I think I can say it's very good draw.

Q. After that victory, there are two Louis Vuitton handbags. What would be reward after next round victory?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. I have to think with my sister because I have to buy for me and for her. I have no idea. I have to buy first the handbags.

End of FastScripts

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