	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2008

Casey Dellacqua

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you think you came out of that?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I mean, I was obviously in the first set. Was down 5-2, was able to get back into it.
Yeah, then I guess the third said -- second set, sorry, yeah, I let Jelena get away a bit. She picked it up I think a bit.
Her pattern to play kind of caught me off guard a little bit, different to who I played in the last two matches. Obviously, she's No. 3 in the world, a different competitor.
But, yeah, uhm, yeah, a little bit disappointed in the end.

Q. The first half dozen games, you seemed to have a lot of unforced errors. Was it nerves or finding your range?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I think it was just finding my range a little bit. I didn't feel so good with my forehand tonight. I think I hit probably a few too many unforced errors off my forehand side. Felt like she targeted that. Felt like I've been hitting my backhand really well, so I think that exposed my forehand a little bit tonight.
But, yeah, I guess -- and then I was 5-2 down, I obviously stepped it up a bit, stayed aggressive. Then in the second set, I thought she stepped it up a little bit, as well. I kind of fell off the scales a little bit.

Q. After the last 36 hours, were you more nervous going out tonight than the previous match?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I actually was a little bit more nervous tonight. I have been nervous every match. Even looking back to my first match, I was pretty nervous.
But, yeah, tonight, yeah, I was pretty nervous, like every match. I think if you weren't nervous, you probably wouldn't be prepared. So I think it's a good thing. Yeah, I felt good. I settled quite well. It wasn't so bad.

Q. How do you feel after everything that's happened over the last week?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I mean, I guess at the moment I haven't really had a chance to think about it. But obviously in the next couple days, now that I'm out of the tournament, I guess I'll have a chance to think about and go through all my matches, think about the week.
For me, I mean, I've achieved pretty much my goals that I set out to achieve for the whole year in one tournament. So I'm going to have to reassess a few little things. It's not a bad situation to be in.
But, yeah, my rankings are obviously going to be somewhere, yeah, where I was hoping it to be at the end of the year. It's just been a great week. I've had so much support, through Target, through Nike, through my whole support team, through everyone. It's been amazing. It's just been really enjoyable.

Q. You said it's one tournament. It's important now to follow it up, isn't it?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Absolutely. There's nowhere that I can go for complacency. I have to keep going. I have to keep working on the things I need to work on with my game to beat players like Jelena if I want to go further in Grand Slams. I mean, I've obviously made huge gains this week. But, yeah, there's always stuff to work on.
I think if I get complacent and just say I've had a good week, I'm just going to stay steps backwards. I need to make sure I stay on my game. I mean, we fly out on the weekend for Fed Cup next week. It's going to be a big tie for us. I have to keep on my game. Obviously, I'll have a few days off but then get right back into it.

Q. Do you have any sense how this week can form a foundation for the rest of your career, whether it's getting into tournaments or financial stuff, anything like that?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, for all different reasons it's a huge thing. For me, ranking, it's going to get me into a lot of bigger tournaments than I had planned on, so I guess I can reschedule my schedule a little bit in terms of which tournaments I'm going to play.
I think the biggest thing is probably confidence and knowing how good I've played this week, it's just such a positive and gives me such confidence to know that hopefully one day I can be even higher, maybe top 30, aim for higher because I've beaten some top players this week.
Yeah, and obviously financially, it's a great benefit and a great reward for this week, as well.

Q. How did that measure tonight, the gap between yourself and the top three? Is that a fair reality check of where you need to get to?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I think so. I've played Sharapova now and I've played Jelena a couple times. These girls are top 10 and top 5. I think they are at a different level again.
They don't give you anything, I don't think. They're so competitive, so tough. And, as I said, Jelena's game really threw me off guard a little bit. Playing Schnyder and Mauresmo, the ball set up a bit. Tonight it came through quite quickly, different than what I was used to.
Yeah, different aspects of the game, it was really, uhm, a different, different game for me out there tonight. A good learning experience. I mean, a positive week but knowing that I've got some work to do if I want to beat players like that, as well.

Q. What is the most important thing you think you need to work on in the immediate future?
CASEY DELLACQUA: I think it's probably, for me, when I'm playing someone that hits the ball like Jelena, hard and fast, and I've had it against Sharapova, I felt like I just wasn't staying low enough when the ball was coming through, if that makes sense.
I was kind of upright a little bit; therefore, I shanked a few forehands. I just wasn't used to the ball coming through like that. I like to have a little bit more time and the ball sitting up a little bit more higher.
It's more a technical thing in my game. I guess I'll work with my coaches on those few things in my game particularly.

Q. The fair chunk of prize money you'll take away for the week, any plans for what you'll do with that?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, no, not at this stage. Yeah, I guess I'll pick up my prize money tomorrow and probably get a bit of a shock (laughter).
Yeah, I'm not really sure actually. Well, obviously the Monaro is still an option.

Q. Have you picked a color yet?
CASEY DELLACQUA: I'd love a red one, a fiery red one (smiling).
I always did say if I did get my first big check that I would donate just a little bit to my favorite charity. Yeah, that would probably be about it.

Q. What is your favorite charity?
CASEY DELLACQUA: It's the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It's close to my heart.
I've always said if I did get a big check, I'd donate a small portion of that to them. Yeah, then maybe do some shopping. I've obviously got my Target shopping spree, which I'm really looking forward to. So, yeah, it's going to be a bit different for me.

Q. How has Nan handled her publicity over the last 36 hours?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I think she's found it quite strange, I guess. She's not used to it; nor is any of my family, I guess. So I haven't actually really seen my Nan, so I'm looking forward to going and seeing my Nan, giving her a big hug, having a chat with her, sitting down over a cup of tea.
I think she's found it a little bit daunting, but I think she's handling it not too bad.

Q. On looking on FaceBook, I see that you're a member of the Fans of Casey Dellacqua Group. The change in recognition you've now got, what does that mean to you?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I guess -- it's so funny, because, yeah, as I've said, I've played at such a different level. I've had like probably five people come out and watch me, which is usually my family. Now I'm having 15,000 people the whole nation, the whole of Perth and everyone behind me.
I love it. It's great. I thank everyone for all the support. I've had so many text messages that I haven't been able to reply to, so many FaceBook messages that I haven't been able to reply to. Hopefully over the next couple days, I'll be able to thank everyone.
Yeah, I even went to get a sandwich for lunch today. A few people came running up to me. It's different for me, really different. I've really enjoyed it. It's great. I really just, yeah, thank everyone for the support.

Q. As a confirmed fan, are you pretty proud of yourself this week?
CASEY DELLACQUA: Yeah, I think so. Definitely. I think I've come a long way. I've worked really, really hard, starting even from the Gold Coast up there, then last week in Hobart.
Then I've really pushed through this week. Yeah, obviously won some really close matches. And mentally I think I've made a lot of gains. Now my belief is up there and I know that I can compete with these type of girls.
Yeah, as I said, I'm not going to be complacent and I'm going to continue to work harder and harder because it hasn't finished for me. Obviously, my career, I feel, like is just starting. So, yeah, I'm pretty happy with the week.

Q. You seem in pretty good spirits despite the loss. Does the enormity of this week outweigh the disappointment of losing tonight?
CASEY DELLACQUA: No, I am disappointed. I wouldn't say that I'm not, especially how I let the second set slip away, I guess, in a way.
But I've got to take the positives out of every match. I've got to take the mental gains that I've made, the physical, the match play, everything. I've got to try to take out the positives.
Yeah, obviously disappointed, but I guess move forward and next week I'm going to be playing Fed Cup for Australia, so I have no time to feel sorry for myself. Got to get back on the court and keep working at it. Yeah, hopefully Australia, we can have a good week next week in Thailand.

Q. Do you know what comes after Fed Cup?
CASEY DELLACQUA: There's a tournament in Pattaya, WTA. I'm going to play there. Then I'll maybe head back to Perth, have a little time to settle down before I head overseas, head to the States, then be away for most of the year, I would think, yeah.

Q. What will you take from this tournament that you think you'll most treasure?
CASEY DELLACQUA: I think the Mauresmo match was pretty special for me. Yeah, I think it's just the whole feeling of the whole nation getting behind you. It's an amazing feeling for me, for someone that's never been at a tournament and had so much support.
I won't forget the feeling like being out on Rod Laver Arena. I'm certainly going to remember that and want to be out there again, that's for sure.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297