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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (WOMEN)

May 18, 2008

Jelena Jankovic

ROME, ITALY

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

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You look exhausted. Is it for the match or what you have done after the match?
JELENA JANKOVIC: For both. I had a tough match, and I also, you know, I was drinking champagne and I put it on my face, and, you know, a lot of it went in my mouth, too.
But I'm just happy to win my title for the second time. It's a great feeling. I'm just enjoying it.

Q. You said it was a tough match. Didn't look tough from the stands, let's say.
JELENA JANKOVIC: To be honest, I was not playing good tennis. I was playing much better throughout the week.
And today I had an opponent who -- which I didn't know how she plays and I didn't know what to expect from her. She's a young player with great potential, and I just didn't know what she's going -- how she's going to play.
And, of course, she wasn't the favorite. I was the favorite and I had the pressure on me. I'm defending my title and I had to do it, so I'm glad I could, you know, cope with the pressure and win it for the second time.

Q. (From Italian) What did you tell Alize after the end of the match?
JELENA JANKOVIC: She was crying, and I know how it feels. I'm the same. It's just showing emotions, and nobody likes to lose. It's tough when you're in the final and you have an opportunity to win a big tournament and you don't.
So many emotions go through you body and mind. I told her that she played great throughout the week and had a great week and beat so many great players and she has a great future in front of her. She just has to keep going. Her time will come.

Q. She was crying, but a few minutes later you were crying also. You had some champagne in your eyes?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I was crying because I couldn't see and it was burning my eyes. But I'm the same. You know, I wanted to cry from happiness. But I tried to stay strong and not to show it to people, because I'm also very, very emotional. It's so hard for me to control everything, and I'm learning as years are going to deal with it better.
But just today was a great feeling, and I'm just so happy at the moment.

Q. How bad was the pain when you called the trainer?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I have still now like some, I don't know, with the --

Q. The neck?
JELENA JANKOVIC: It's here. Some kind of tightness, and I had pain during the second set. I called for the trainer. She was doing some work and she was putting some cream so that I don't feel it. She did the best that she could for me to finish the match, and I'm happy for that.

Q. (From Italian) If you had woken up today with pain in your calf, what would you have done?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. I would go on the court and try to win my title again. I don't know, with one leg and with two arms and with one brain.

Q. Did you at any point today think that you might have to retire?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No. I was never thinking I was going to retire. It's a final, and, you know, for this kind of occasion sometimes you have pain and you don't feel so good, but you have fans that came to watch you play.
So many people are supporting you, at least you can try your best. If it's really, really so bad that you cannot walk and you cannot do anything, then you have to stop. But until that you have to try.

Q. You had in Rome your resurrection a few years ago, and then last year you won it. What it means this year? Are you going to Roland Garros thinking about yourself as a favorite since Henin is not there anymore, or not?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, she was the one that was my worst opponent last year on clay season. She was the only one I couldn't beat, and she was the one stopping me from winning many tournaments on clay, and some on hard as well. So now she's not playing anymore, so of course I have a bigger chance.
I'm playing well at the moment and I'm working with my new coach and he's teaching me so many things. I already see the improvement, which is great.
I think I have a big opportunity to do very well in the French Open.

Q. Few weeks ago your mother told me that Strasbourg was one of your favorite tournaments, but you're not going to play this year. What are you going to do next week?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Actually tomorrow I'm going home to Serbia. I'm going to Belgrade, and I'm going to see my father and my younger brother and my older brother. I'll just relax for a few days and then start to train.
My physical condition coach is coming there, and, of course, my Spanish coach will be there with me. So I will do some preparation, and then a few days before the tournament in Paris I will go there and adapt. I'm going, you know, to do well there. We'll see.

Q. (From Italian) In tennis there are players who retire and players who lose and playing players like you who win the same tournament two years in a row. What are your objectives and your aim for the end-of-the-year ranking?
JELENA JANKOVIC: My goal and dream is to become No. 1 in the world, and at the moment I think I'm on the right track. If I continue like this, I have a big chance.
I like playing on clay courts. I had a great clay court season last year, and then playing here and winning this tournament twice gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the tournaments.

Q. (From Italian) Does your victory here mean even more knowing that Djokovic won last week?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, it's great for Serbian tennis. I won it last year and this year again, and he won in the men's. It's just Serbian revolution. It's really great for Serbian tennis, and I'm so happy that we're doing so well.

Q. (From Italian) There have been comments in a magazine that came out in April commenting about your victory last year and saying how everyone in Rome wanted you to win again. Lea Pericoli, the former Italian champion, as you know, commented that both you and Djokovic are an example because you're not spoiled and very serious, calm, and professional, and that's why she and all the Roman public wanted you to win and were happy that both of you won here again. What do you think about those comments? Does to make you happy?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Thank you very much for those comments. We are trying our best. I think the Serbian tennis players -- I think we're trying our best to represent first of all our country in the best possible light, and represent ourselves, too.
Whenever we go on the court we try to be good role models and try to fight and try to win matches and also be very fair and professional. So I think it's great, and thank you for that.

Q. (From Italian) Cornet said she would have liked to have met you in the final because you're a fair and very good player.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, it's great to be a good tennis player and also be a good sportsman and play fair tennis. Because I think when you're on the court everybody wants to win, but as soon as we step off the court we're normal people and we have feelings and here we're human beings.

End of FastScripts

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