|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
FEDCUP FIRST ROUND: ARGENTINA v USAFebruary 4, 2009Gisela DulkoSoledad EsperonRicardo RiveraAranza SalutSURPRISE, ARIZONA THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We'd like to welcome the Argentine Fed Cup team. We'll take questions, please. Q. Gisela, maybe you can talk about how you feel about playing the U.S. in the first round, especially here in the U.S. GISELA DULKO: Well, I think it's a great challenge for us. We are very happy to be here. It's a very tough match I think for both teams. We hope to play our best tennis. Hopefully we can win the match. Q. Mr. Rivera, analyze your players. Tell us a little bit about their strengths as players and how you perceive those strengths playing to your advantage in this weekend's matches. CAPTAIN RIVERA: Gisela, our No. 1 player, is a player who has been playing for many years. I think she's playing good. Then Betina, our No. 2 player, she's very young. She started playing Fed Cup like two years ago. Also she's playing very good. Then we have Soledad Esperon, which is the first time she is on the team. She's improving a lot. I hope, you know, she feels very good in our team. And we have Aranza Salut, which is a junior player here with us to learn and to take advantage of the situation. Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit more about the specific matchup with the U.S. and your chances against the United States. CAPTAIN RIVERA: I know that it's very tough match. United States is a great team. We have a lot of respect. But, you know, I think that the girls are playing very good, so I think we can beat them. But for sure it's a very tough match. Q. Gisela, of all the players that are here, you're the one that has been playing more Fed Cup, also with better results. Is this a motivation or is it a bit of a pressure for you on the team? GISELA DULKO: No, I mean, I feel proud to be here, to be No. 1. I don't feel any pressure or something about that. I just want to play good tennis and try to win my matches, and also be with my partners. Just try to enjoy the weekend. Q. Have any one of the four players played against the Americans in head-to-head matches? GISELA DULKO: I played Jill Craybas a few times before. I think she beat me twice. And then I don't remember playing Bethanie. Q. She's not playing because of injury. GISELA DULKO: Who is playing? Q. Julie Ditty. GISELA DULKO: I think I played her once. I think I won the match. I don't remember where we play. Then, no, I don't know. Q. Coach, can you address how important the Fed Cup match is back home in Argentina and the support of your fans. CAPTAIN RIVERA: For Argentina it's very important, the Fed Cup. Now also we are in the World Group, so it's very, very important for us. It's very important for our people. It's very important for our Federation. It's very important for the woman tennis in Argentina. This I think is going to help for the young girls to start and play tennis in Argentina. It's going to help a lot. The Fed Cup helps a lot, you know, for the development of tennis in Argentina. Q. Aranza and Soledad, can you talk about playing in your first Fed Cup tie. SOLEDAD ESPERON: I'm so excited and so happy to be here. I'm trying to do my best to practice as good as I can. If I have to play, I will try to do my best. I'm so happy to be here, sharing with them the week. ARANZA SALUT: I'm so happy to be here. The same of Soledad (laughter). End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|