	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

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (WOMEN)

May 18, 2008

Alize Cornet

ROME, ITALY

J. JANKOVIC/A. Cornet
6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (From Italian) Are you happy that you met Jelena Jankovic in the final? You said a few days ago when the lady asked you whether you could pick a player to play in the final, and you said Jelena would have been a good opponent.
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, you know, but I didn't really care who I will play in the final, you know. Maria Sharapova, she's a very good player and I never play against her, so it would be exciting, too.
You know, just to be in final was the most exciting experience of my life. So, you know, I knew that Jelena could be the maybe the most difficult player to play because she moves very well on the court. So it was really hard for me to make winner.
I was tired, so it was a much more difficult than the other day.

Q. Do you ever cry when you lose, or today was exceptional?
ALIZE CORNET: Right now I'm just disappointed, you know, because it was a great week for me, for sure. But now, you know, I couldn't do my best tennis today because, you know, of my physical condition, because I was tired because of my six matches before. So right now, you know, I just want to do better for everybody, the public, my coach, and my mother, for me.
But, you know, we play not quite one hour thirty and it was 6-2, 6-2, so it don't show the real level of the match, I don't think.

Q. (From Italian) Was it just that you were tired, or were you maybe a little bit tense and nervous as well?
ALIZE CORNET: No, I was not nervous before the match. I don't know why. It was like I was very, you know, very cool just before the match.
I just tried to take this match like another one. No, I think it was not the nervous. It was really the physic, you know. I just felt tired from the beginning of the match until the end, so after that, you know, it was difficult.
I just had a better moment at 4-2 in the second set, but it was already too late.

Q. (From Italian) What are you plans? Are you going back to Nice, or will you do something else?
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, I come back to Nice on Monday, so tomorrow. I have my flight at 9:00. I'm very happy to come back home because, you know, I'm here since ten days, so I'm really happy to come back now.
After that I have maybe two or three days for relaxing, and after I will play Roland Garros. I'm leaving Nice to Paris Friday.

Q. (From Italian) You came out of the qualifying tournament into the main draw. If anyone had told you that you would reach the final, would you think they were crazy?
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Just before my first match of qually I was disappointed not to get in the main draw because I was first out. So, you know, I didn't really want to play before the first match of qually.
If somebody told me that I will reach in the final after that, no, I think I would not believe it. But now after that I just played it match by match, day after day, and it makes me go in finals, so that's just -- it's just a beautiful story, I think.

Q. (From Italian) How are you arriving in Paris since it's your home tournament? Do you think you're one of the favorites maybe?
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, I think for French people actually I'm the best player on clay right now, at this point. So, yes, I come to Paris with a big goal.
I want to play good there because it's a very special event for me. I think I have the level to win some matches. Maybe I'm the favorite. I don't know. But I don't care. I will just try my best like I do usually.

Q. (From Italian) What will your ranking be from tomorrow?
ALIZE CORNET: No, and I don't want to know. I already know, but I prefer to have the surprise when I wake up on Monday morning and you see on WTA Tour what's my ranking.
So please nobody -- maybe two or three people already told me, Oh, you will be there or there. But I don't want to know. I just want to see on the ranking, and after that I will be happy.

Q. (From Italian) When you arrive to French Open?
ALIZE CORNET: On Friday. How will I arrive?

Q. Yes.
ALIZE CORNET: I hope good. I will rest during two or three days just to recover from my crazy week.
After that I will start to again practice, you know, to be ready for the beginning of Roland Garros. But, you know, I'm young. I will recover easily. There is no problem. I will start Roland Garros in a good way.

Q. I read in L'Equipe that you've had the same coach for ten years; is that right?
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, eight years. He start with me when I was ten.

Q. He said to L'Equipe that you already have a good mental outlook. All you need to work on is the strokes and the physical.
ALIZE CORNET: I have to work on everything. You know, if you want to get better you have to work your physical, you have to work your mental, your technique, your tactic, everything.

Q. What did he say to you today?
ALIZE CORNET: To me, he just, you know -- when he was on the court that I was tired, he saw it because he know me like my father. So he know that I was tired, so he just told me to do my best, try to make a last effort to try to win this match.
After at 4-1 in the second he just saw me crying, so he was a little bit sad. But he told me, Hey, you have to be proud of you. You made a good week. Just try to have fun on the court, to hit every ball like you do, like you want.
After that, if you lose 6-2, 6-1, it's okay. It's not drama; it's life. She's better than you. I know you're tired, so just be proud of you and try to show your best.

Q. Will you buy a present for you to celebrate, to remember this week?
ALIZE CORNET: No. My best present is to come back home and to see my father and my family and all the people that I love. I think it's the best present, you know.
After that, you know, I don't spend my money when I play good tournament. It's not like this. It's when I want to do.
Now I have a very tough program for the week, so I think my first goal will be to relax and to practice after that and to be ready for Roland Garros. So I have ideas in my head.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297