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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2009

Jelena Jankovic

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

J. JANKOVIC/K. Flipkens
6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. She gave you a bit of a sweat out there today.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, it was a tough match for me. I thought that my opponent played really well. She had nothing to lose so she could go out there and really swing freely.
I wasn't really happy with my game, what I was doing on the court. So I have to clean-up my game a little bit and try to do the right things for my next match.
Just overall happy to get through. It's good to get into the competition and feel those nerves and feel this atmosphere because I haven't competed for two months. It's go get some tough matches in the earlier rounds.

Q. Did she surprise you sometimes?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, because I haven't played against her. I don't know the way she plays. She came up with great shots out there and kept hitting that forehand and coming to the volleys without fear. So she played really well. I had to hang in there and find my way to get through the match.
I was able to do it in two sets which is good. I want to save as much energy as possible.

Q. Can you imagine that she's only 110 in the world?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. You know, because she comes out today and when the player has nothing to lose can play without the pressure. She hits the balls and it's great. If she has -- if she even wins it's like an unbelievable win for her. So she has nothing to lose. She can go out there and really enjoy the game and have a great match. So they did that. She went after her shots and, you know, she really had nothing to lose.

Q. You seem to have some problems with your feet. Was it the shoe?
JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, it's because the conditions here are quite hot. You know, I'm sweating more than usual, which is normal. So my socks are slipping a little bit in my shoes. I have to make a couple of adjustments for my next match.
But it will be fine.

Q. Did you have to put your feet in the ice again?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, no. It was not that hot today so I didn't have to put them in the ice. But let's hope in my next round it won't be 37 degrees so I might have to do that.

Q. The next round your going to play against Sugiyama. She says she has nothing to lose against you.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Nobody has nothing to lose against me, no? This is the bad part. The good part about playing me is that they have nothing to lose and I'm just always the favorite because I'm the No. 1 player in the world, which is normal.
So I have to go out there expecting that opponents are really going to try their best and go out there and play with no pressure. I have to stay in the matches try to -- I just need to go after my shots more. I have to play a lot more aggressively, go out there with confidence. I have to work a little bit in the practice, you know, to try to clean-up some things in my game and hopefully I will be better in my next round.

Q. Now you know how Justine always felt?
JELENA JANKOVIC: It's normal. It goes with your success. You know, you want to be No. 1 you have to deal with this. It's the way it is. I don't complain. I love being here and being in the role of the No. 1 player of the world. I also feel I have nothing to lose. When everybody wants to achieve and come to No. 1 ranking and I have done that, so it will always be in any biography and record and nobody can take it away from me. I can just enjoy any game and try to improve get better as a player.

Q. Serbian fans normally are very loud, but today I think the Belgians were louder.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, it was a small group of Belgians, but they were so loud out there and kept cheering every point. Every point that my opponent made they were so loud out there. I think what is fun about Australian Open is that those fans really get involved and get so loud and dress up in different colors of each country.
So it's quite interesting. You know, I also have my own Serbian fans and other fans as well out there. So I had a lot of support, which is always nice to see.

Q. You came very close at Flushing Meadows. Your serve let you down you think? Has your serve improved?
JELENA JANKOVIC: It has improved, I think, in the Autumn. I was serving very well at the indoor tournaments at the end of the year. Still I have to get it where I want it to be. I'm still not really satisfied with that shot, but I'm working on it. Hopefully I can get better and better.

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