	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

OPEN GDF SUEZ

February 13, 2009

Elena Dementieva

PARIS, FRANCE

Q. It seems that you took the good habit of winning your match in two sets now, because you had the reputation before to be the queen of the three setters and the long match. How can you say that you improved of going early in the match?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I think I used to have a slow start, you know, most of the time. And today my focus was in the beginning of the game. Because I know she's a very experienced player, and she played a very solid match last night.
So it was strange to get ready and start from the first point, to be aggressive, to take the advantage. You know, just dictate it in the game.
So, yeah, I'm very satisfied with the way I was playing from the beginning to the end, just the whole match.

Q. Three good matches under your belt so far, how do you feel now?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It feels good, you know. I had some good tests in the year. It was in the earlier rounds, it was a good match against Nathalie. I realize tomorrow's going to be a completely different game. It's going to be a tough challenge for me if I have to face Serena.
Anyway, it will be a good experience for me to play, you know, against the best player in the world. And I'm just looking forward to this match.

Q. And your mother is back?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: My mom is here, yeah. It's very good.

Q. It could be Emilie Loit tomorrow?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, we don't know.

Q. You are very focused today. You have no lapse of concentration. Is that one thing you're very happy with?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I mean, I was really focused today. Sometimes it's difficult to stay concentrated the whole match. But I think I against someone like Nathalie, you know, you really have to be very focused not to give her any chance.
And just like I was watching her match against Patty Schnyder, and as soon as patty gave her a little opportunity, she took it and changed the game completely. So for me I was trying to be aggressive, and dictate, and, you know, from the beginning. So that was the key for today's match.

Q. You've been playing this tournament many times. So this year they changed the color of the court. Are the conditions different or is it just a matter of just the color?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I was really surprised not to see the purple or pink. I think it was kind of dark in the beginning. Now I think we all get used to it, and it looks good on TV with the new color, so it was a big change, I guess. But it looks nice.

Q. Did it suit you starting a bit earlier in the day than your previous two matches? And also Nathalie finished quite late last night, so do you think that was an advantage?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think she had a very physical game last night, and not enough time to recover. She had a really busy schedule this year, you know, playing every single day. No byes. So you really have to be really physical, and, you know, for this kind of circumstances I think she was a little bit tired after yesterday, for sure.

Q. You had this serious injury last year or the year before. Then you came back even better than before. Do you think that this injury kind of helped you to be more fresh for the rest of your career? Because it's been a long time now that you're on the tour.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think this injury that happened to me completely changed the way I see the game and the way I play. I was really close to not to play tennis anymore. There were a lot of doubts at that time.
So, I was so happy to come back on the tour. I was so happy just to play, just to be around. I just look so much different at the game right now.
So, yeah, it was a tough time to go through. But it really gave me a lot of confidence. A lot of good things, you know.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297