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WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2008

Tamarine Tanasugarn

LONDON, ENGLAND

T. TANASUGARN/J. Jankovic
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. How does it feel to finally be in a quarterfinal?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Can I say, wow, wow, wow? Well, it was very great feelings because, you know, I'm being in the fourth round so many years and I make this year, so was very happy.
You know, wow, it's really good feeling, yeah, uh-huh.

Q. Were you aware that Jelena was struggling with an injury out there?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Yeah, also -- well, the way of her movement a little bit, but I guess probably -- I probably notice when she have to do her serve.
She maked a lot of -- quite some double-fault at the end of the second set, so I guess probably that's, uhm, bother her. So was it kind of maybe good for me somehow.

Q. Must've given you incentive that you could finish her off.
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Definitely if she's hundred percent, it's going to be a really, really tough match for me today, yeah.

Q. Were you aware before the match that she was not a hundred percent?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: I heard about her previous match, but I'm not -- I don't know about any in detail. But means like I know she have like a problem with her knee in the last matches, the last match, so, yeah.

Q. Did that give you more encouragement today?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Uhm, I think it's tough. It's very tough for me that, you know, like, you don't know your opponents is hundred percent or not or not hundred percent, how you gonna play, you know.
But today I just go out there and play my games and be aggressive and, you know, try to, you know, work on my serve also. So I think it's really -- you know, I just go out there and play my games and have fun for that, uh-huh.

Q. You seemed to have a back injury. What happened and how is it now?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: It just happened during the match today. And, uhm, I think should be fine. It's just like a jam thing. Just like, you know, not really -- hopefully I have to see the trainer today and find out, you know, to release more, but not really a big serious thing hopefully.
But hope it's good for next round, yeah.

Q. You seemed very emotional at the end. Were there a few tears?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Yes, of course, because, uhm, every years I was goal, my thing, I would love to be in the quarterfinals, and, uhm, I didn't make it.
I was very kind of disappointed that I didn't make two quarterfinals because I made so many years in fourth round.
This year it's the only year that I didn't, you know, really want to go -- not really want, means I just concentrate on my games. I didn't really -- I said earlier that I'm happy, you know, to be in fourth round or even be in the quarterfinal.
So whatever rounds, I'm happy. So, you know, I don't really have to, like, disappointed if I lose today, because I'm happy the way I'm playing. I play my best every matches, yeah.

Q. You spoke yesterday about your superstition. You've been the same shower. Is that something you did today?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Yes.

Q. You will do before the game against Venus, I take it?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Well, I like to do -- I like to be in the comfort zone. That probably is my comfort zone, so I probably do that again. I don't know, so...

Q. You've been toiling away at this for a long time. When the season began, did you have sort of a plan for yourself of, Well, I'm going to play this season and see how it goes? Did you have a feeling that maybe the end was approaching at all?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Well, I was struggling last couple years, two, three years ago, and I drop my rank to maybe 140, 130. Is really my tough time because I have injury probably three years ago and try to come back. I understand a lot of, you know, many players that injures and try to come back.
They struggle. I understand that. It's not easy to come back right away. And right now I just -- I don't want to plan anything that, you know, it's gonna be the end or something. But right now I'm very enjoying playing my tennis right now, so I hope you can see (smiling).
Anyhow, yeah, I'm still enjoying. And, you know, love to play more tennis, hit more balls, yeah.

Q. Paradorn got a lot of attention a couple years ago when he had to go and essentially become a monk for a week I guess it is. Is there any similar ritual that women from Thailand go through when they're a certain age?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Uhm, for Paradorn, in Thailand, to become a monk, it's for more gentleman thing. Because for gentleman in Thailand, it's -- to be a monk, it's really -- the mean to be a Monk, how do you say? You do to be a monk because you're thankful for your parents, so that's a really gentleman things to do in Thailand.
Also Danai Udomchoke, he was doing this year, too. So it's more kind of like thank you to your parents and take care of me. To be a monk, it's really a Thai tradition thing.

Q. There's no equivalent thing for a women, like going into a convent or anything like that?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: It's not really that, but I'm a Buddhist also, and I learn a lot from to be a Buddhist. I also maybe in one of the class of meditating, so I was there for a week. It was really good, yeah, uh-huh.

Q. When was this?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Probably three years ago. Yeah, uh-huh.

Q. You have a very long first name and surname.
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Yes (laughter).

Q. Have you ever had a nickname, a shorter name?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Sure. Actually my nickname is Tammy. But many, many girls give me to that Tana, TT. Many, many nickname. What else from other players? Yeah, mostly Tana, TT, Tammy T or something like that. So many of that, but really my nickname is Tammy, yeah.

Q. When you were struggling, 130, 140 in the world and you had to go back and play the satellite tournaments, what kept you going? You were 27 or 28. Most players would think it's the end.
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: I have a tough time, too. During that time I was thinking to stop, you know, for this career. And, uhm, somehow was two years ago in Wimbledon I have to play quallies. I just, you know, like, I just playing just have fun and just go out there.
Suddenly I just quallies and back to third round again. You know, that's coming start again. And then, you know, it's really -- but in this kind of age, you really, really have to have knowledge to take care of yourself: your body, your mind, a lot of things.
So you're really probably -- during that time I was maybe burn out and, you know, like trying to play lots of tournaments.
And now, you know, I start to learn and take care more of my body and see how is your feeling. So, you know, the timing, it's really important in the way you are plan your circuits, yeah.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing Venus Williams?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Uhm, I play her many times and she kick my butt, though (smiling). So, you know, for me, I just, you know, happy to be in quarterfinals. No pressure at all for me.
You know, I just go out there and have fun and do my best. You know, I'm happy the way I am right now. Even if I win against her is really, wow, wow, wow, great feelings. But I just, you know, go out there and do my best and play great tennis, yeah.

Q. As someone who has been on the tour for quite a long time and been at Wimbledon for so many years in a row, what sense of appreciation do you have at this sometimes seemingly inevitable march to a Williams sisters final, and what are your thoughts on when they play each other?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: I think they been in many Grand Slam final against each other. You know, they're, both of them, you know, they're great players. They're working hard.
You know, I admire their so much because they're working on the tour like really hard and very serious on their career. And, uhm, you know, for them to be in the final is like probably bored, huh?
I don't know. Not really bored. But good for them anyway. So it's gonna be maybe, I don't know -- I don't know, I couldn't say. But they're good players, yeah.

Q. As you look around the locker room and see these tall trees around, six-foot teenagers, powerful, did you ever think like the game might have passed you by? Why do you think you might have been able to remain competitive?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Yes, I feel very short in the locker room (smiling).
For sure right now because, you know, being on the tour long and since, you know, Martina Hingis and Nathalie Tauziat, many great players, I think I'm in between both generations.
Right now all the fitness levels, it's really, really like the main issues for tennis right now, and psychological also. Uhm, you know, it's because probably right now you have more knowledge about tennis and you have many more staff, many people.
So the way of tennis game, it's really, really tougher than before. Definitely, yeah.

Q. Both you and Jie Zheng from China, you beat the world No. 1 and no. 2. Do you think it has similarities for the Asian girls beating world No. 1 and No. 2?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Jie Zheng is one of my great friends. She's very nice. It's great for her to make this quarterfinal and beat No. 1 in the world. It's really good feelings.
I think it's great for Asian tournaments that, you know, we can provide a great tennis and doesn't matter you have to be two meters or something like that.
So I think this is how the women's tennis are. You know, you don't have to be like two meters and something and you can do well on the tennis tour.
So I think, uhm, good that me and Jie Zheng are doing well here. You know, Asians can do well. Everybody can do well. So it's good for Asians to come this far, yeah.

Q. I wonder which culture you feel you identify with more? Do you feel equally split between Thailand and America, or if you identify more with one than the other?
TAMARINE TANASUGARN: Okay, everybody always thought like I grown up in States, but actually no. I was born in States, and when I was four I moved back to Thailand with parents and I grown up in Thailand.
So I definitely am Thai. Everything, the culture, everything Thai. But I also know also American culture also because part of my family's also in L.A.
So I learn language and, you know, how -- maybe you can tell from my speak. But I think it's great to know both of culture and, you know, adjust in your life and bring all the good stuff on each culture to improve your life and make your life happy. So I think that's a very good to learn for both culture, yeah.

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