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January 15, 2009

Elena Dementieva

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

E. DEMENTIEVA/S. Williams
6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've now set up an all-Russian final. You played Safina in the Beijing final. Are you looking forward to it it?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I'm just very excited being in the final here for the first time. It's going to be my second final of the year, so it's great, you know.
I realize how tough it's going to be to play against Dinara tomorrow. She's in great shape right now. But it's going to be a great experience anyway.

Q. When you beat someone like Serena Williams you're going to be one of the favorites in the Australian Open. Are you prepared for all that?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I don't really think about it, you know. I'm just enjoying myself right now. I just want to focus on my final tomorrow.
When it comes to the Australian, you know, I mean, this is what we're all here for. We just want to get the best preparation as possible, and, you know, play our best in the Grand Slam.

Q. You've beaten Serena, I think, the last three times you've played her now. Have you worked her out? Is there something you're doing now that you weren't before?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think all the matches were completely different, you know. My first time winning against her was in the final of Kremlin Cup in Moscow. It was a three-set match, and then another tough match in Beijing.
So I think they're all very different. But playing against her it's very tough, because you don't really know what to expect from her. You really have to be very focused and be ready to play at your best.

Q. Have you sort of done anything different in the past sort of six or seven months with your game? You're now obviously getting into and winning finals. Do you feel like you're playing any differently, or have you done anything differently?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think I've done a lot of good work. I think all these, you know, big results from last year really gives me a lot confidence. I'm just playing with lots of confidence, which is great.
You know, I keep working and keep trying to improve my game.

Q. Was the Olympic final the turning point for your career?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Oh, I think the first big change was for me winning in Dubai in the beginning of the year, you know, beating lots of good players on this tournament.
From then on, I just started to play much better. For sure the big win in Beijing was a big step in my career and just a big goal to achieve.
So for sure, you know, after that you just play with -- you just, you know, play so relaxed and really enjoy what you do on the court and you don't feel any pressure anymore.

Q. When Serena was in here earlier, she said even if she was ranked 1000 in the world she would still believe she was the best player in the world. Her confidence is not affected very much by how good she plays. Did you struggle with your confidence earlier in your career? Is it something you've had to work on?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Actually, yeah, I had a lot of questions to myself, like if I deserve it or not. You know, especially in the beginning of my career I remember playing in the top 10, but I wasn't sure that I'm -- you know, if I'm good enough to be there.
It took me a long time before I realized, you know, how good I can be on the court and how much, you know, work I've done and I really deserve it. Yeah, I will always question myself.

Q. So that final last year in Dubai was the one that told you, yes, I deserve to be here in the top 5 or something?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No. Actually, I'm playing in top 10 for a long time already.

Q. You've had two weeks of full tennis with Auckland and here, but you're looking really fresh. Are you feeling fresh?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Do I feel fresh? Well, I think we were a little bit lucky today to play second match on, because the heat was really -- it was really difficult to play at noon. So I think it was tough to recovery after yesterday's match, you know, playing in the heat like that.
But it's good. We have enough time because we're playing tomorrow night. We have enough time to get ready for the final.

Q. I think you had a heat problem here one other time that you played.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah.

Q. Do you cope better with it now, do you think?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I remember that year. I was supposed to play in the semifinals against Samantha Stosur, and I was playing all the matches at noon. I was trying to go on the court, but I remember like the physio told me, It's 52 on the courts. I said, I cannot do that. It was just too much.

Q. Right. But it was probably as hot out there today.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, but I think it's really hard to get used to the heat, you know. You're just trying to make it as quick as possible and get away from the court.
For sure practicing outside in Miami really helped me with the preparation this time. But, still, there is no way you can adjust with an extreme weather condition like here.

Q. So do you think you're a bit tougher now than in 2005 as a player?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No, I just think that coming from, you know, from Miami it's much easier than coming from Moscow indoors. It's just such and extreme change for me, and it was always very difficult for me to play here because of that. Yeah.

Q. Now you're playing Dinara tomorrow. Looking back to last year, two matches you played against her: the one at French and the Olympics. Are they the worst and the best memories of last season?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No. I mean, I wouldn't call this the worst memory playing her in French Open. For sure I had so many chances that I didn't use it. All the respect to her. She was playing great.
I just think, you know, we had enough matches against each other, so we do know what to expect for tomorrow. It's going to be just physical and mental battle for both of us.
But, yeah, just like I said, it's going to be a good experience for me before the Grand Slam.

Q. What's the key for you to beating her tomorrow, what part of your game?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I just want to focus on my game, you know, and try to move her as much as possible and be aggressive on the court.
Because I know she likes to be aggressive and she likes to attack lot and, you know, play really deep down the lines.
I just want to be patient and just play my game.

Q. You mentioned you got on court second and the edge was sort of taken out of the heat. You did have a quicker game than Dinara. Do you think that might give you a slight edge on tomorrow?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I had long enough match yesterday, so don't forget that.

End of FastScripts

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