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WIMBLEDONJune 30, 2008Elena DementievaLONDON, ENGLAND E. DEMENTIEVA/S. Peer 6-2, 6-1 THE MODERATOR: Questions for Elena Dementieva. Q. There was a lot of slugging it out from the baseline today. Did you have any particular tactics you were working on? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, actually I think that we didn't have much rally today. I was trying to stay aggressive and make sure that we don't play a long rally because I know Shahar loves it. I was watching her match against Dinara a little bit in the end. I knew she was going to be a little bit tired today. My plan was just to finish the point as quick as possible and move her a lot during the match. Q. Were you finding it a difficult match with the grass? How is the grass playing at the moment? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, actually this Court 11, there is not much grass left. It feels like you're playing on clay courts here. But I think after a couple of wins you really feel confident playing on grass. I mean, every single win gives you just a little confidence for the future. Hopefully I can play better in my next round. Q. A lot of players will say after big losses they put it right behind them and don't think about it. That's easier said than done. After Paris you seemed to have just forgotten about that and just moved ahead. Can you talk about the mental process of forgetting losses, getting yourself back together again. ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, for sure. I mean, it was a really disappointing moment for me, you know. I think I was really close to reach my semifinals in Paris. I mean, it was a lesson to learn. I mean, it was a experience - maybe a bad experience. But, I mean, took me couple of days, you know. You know, I didn't play tennis, I didn't practice. But then I just realized it's a game and, you know, I have to learn from this loss and just move on, and I did it. Q. Does surface matter to you any more, or do you think grass, clay, hard court, if you play your game you'll be pretty much okay? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, exactly. I just feel like you have to really play your game and be focused on what you want to do on the court, so you don't have to adjust for the different kind of surface. I mean, if you stay aggressive, it doesn't really matter if you're playing on clay or on grass, you know, you're going to win your point. Otherwise, you know, it doesn't make sense. Q. Beating someone like Shahar, you said you watched her match against Safina. She was a little bit tired. She's also a player that can be mentally tough because she keeps running. You didn't seem to ever lose your focus or doubt what you were doing. ELENA DEMENTIEVA: That's right. I mean, Shahar, she's such a big fighter. I mean, I played a lot of times against her, and I know she's going to play until the end. You really have to be focused, you know, because she is physically strong. As we can see against Dinara, she is a fighter. I mean, I was trying to stay focused until the last point and, you know, make sure that I didn't finish before it was over. Q. Talk about your serve. Have you been working on it? Do you think it's improved? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think I improve a little bit, and I feel confident on my service game. I feel like there are a lot of work I can do still, but it feels better now. Q. After you won you had this wonderful smile. Is that moment here at Wimbledon worth all the tough losses, the injuries? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I mean, it's just great to be in the second week of Wimbledon. I mean, I've been play here for maybe seven or eight times, and this is only my second time in the second week. So I'm really, really happy about it. Q. Both you and Nadia have been through a lot, and you both have big goals left in your career. You'll be playing her next round. How much does this mean to you? How much would a victory mean to you? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think it's not about who I'm playing the next round; it's about -- it's an opportunity for me, and Nadia as well, to go in the semifinals. I'm sure it's going to be difficult match. I know Nadia likes to play here, and she always had great results playing in Wimbledon on grass. It's going to be tough. She has a good serve. You know, she's very aggressive on the baseline. But, you know, I'll just try my best. Just like I said, it is my second time in the quarterfinals, and I just want to go a little bit farther. Q. Will the winner be the one who plays technically better or the mentally tough player at the end? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think, you know, the mental preparation would be the key for the match. We know each other very well. We played lots of times against each other. So I think from now on it's just who's going to be mentally ready, stronger for the next match. Q. Seems every year or two there's a whole new wave of young Russian players which is sometimes to pronounce their names. ELENA DEMENTIEVA: To pronounce their names. Q. Does it sometimes get a little confusing for you with all the new players? ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It is confusing, because sometimes I don't even know if they're Russian or not. I mean, because they're all coming from a different part of the country and sometimes I don't know them. They come to me, they say hello in Russian. I'm like, Who is that? I need to find out because there are a lot of them out here. Q. The pronunciation has to be easy for a Russian. ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Of course. I can read. End of FastScripts |
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