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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 17, 2009

Caroline Wozniacki

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

C. WOZNIACKI/U. Radwanska
7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about today's match? Looks like you were kind of in trouble in that one.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I mean, I was playing a really good friend, yeah. It's always difficult to play a friend. I was a little bit nervous, especially in the beginning and the end. But I'm happy to pull it through for the first time being in the quarterfinals here.

Q. Can you talk about that friendship? How long have you guys known each other, how that has evolved?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: We've known each other since we were like 10, 11 years old. We've known each other for a long time. We went for dinner last night, as well. You know, we're really close friends. Yeah.

Q. Talk about the match at all last night at dinner?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: A little bit. We were making fun of each other, that the match was postponed, you know, till 12:00.
No, just that we're, you know, going to lock each other up in the bathroom. That was just for fun. Yeah.

Q. Didn't put anything in each other's dishes or anything?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, we were actually sharing a little bit as all, so if one got food poisoned, then the other would to.

Q. You shared your food?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: We were taking two different dishes. Because we went to the Cheesecake Factory and they have huge portions, so we were, yeah, changing up a little bit.

Q. You have to tell us what you each had.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Orange chicken and chicken Marsala.

Q. Dessert?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yes. Coconut and chocolate cheesecake (laughter.) Very good.

Q. Did you have to do an extra training session after that?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think I burned all the calories today. It was really hot, and we played a long match.

Q. You had a pretty interesting point where you almost ran into the net. Have you done that before in matches, or is that...
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think I've done that in practice, but I don't think I've ever done that in a match. So, you know, it's trying to keep the balance, because I was like looking for the bounce, and the bounce was really high, so it was like, Okay, I need to keep the balance for one more second. Yeah, I hold it there.

Q. Have you ever played better, or are you in the absolute form of your life?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, I think I've played better, but I'm -- I think I'm in a good form. I think that I'm making the right decisions, and, you know, at the important points I'm playing well.
I think I can still play better, but it will come. Yeah.

Q. The higher up the rankings you go the more difficult it gets obviously. Do you feel any extra pressure?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I feel that the others are feeling more free. They go up against me and they don't feel any pressure, because I'm, you know, usually the higher-ranked player. That's more difficult.
Usually it was me playing against higher ranked so I could go out there. But, you know, I try and keep my focus and play one ball at a time.

Q. You might have discussed this before, but can you just talk about your time in Las Vegas and how that worked out for you?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, it was a really great time. I really loved working with Gil. We had the adidas double-up development program where we're a few players and working really hard during the day, and, you know, relaxing and having fun during the evenings.
We really got close together, everyone, all the players. You know, it was a really great experience, and I feel in great shape.

Q. Mirza was there; Ivanovic was there. Who else was there with you?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Sorana was there, CÃ®rstea; Fernando Verdasco was there. Yeah, that's...

Q. Did you get to go and gamble at night?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, you have to be 21, so no.

Q. So what did you do?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: We went eating together. We went to the Strip, couple of times, went shopping, went to the movies. We went for a show. We went for the Cher concert. We did quite a lot of fun things.

Q. Do you know Cher?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: We got to meet her after the concert as well, so it was fun. Made a few pictures.
I know a lot of her songs, so we were all screaming and dancing, yeah. It was fun.

Q. What's your favorite Cher song?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Turn Back Time, I think. Yeah.

Q. What makes Gil such a special guy? What quality does he have that makes him so special?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It's really difficult to explain. Just the work that he does, and every day you think you've made your limit, but then the next day you can do more. It just makes you believe that there is no limit.
I actually had a shirt -- I didn't bring it here. I have it in the hotel, where every time it was hard I was writing something on the shirt. So all my expressions are on the shirt. We kind of had it together, me and Gil, and, you know, so it made it easier.
So every time it was tough, I just looked at the shirt and I could do more. I'll have it with me every time.

Q. Do you think Andre Agassi could have had that incredible success late in his career without the help of Gil? Could you talk about that?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I met Andre, as well, and he explained to me a lot of things. I don't think that, you know, he would have been able to do that that late in his career if he wouldn't have worked with Gil.
I mean, he was in incredible shape, and, you know, his footwork was amazing. So if he wouldn't have been in good shape, then no. No, I don't think so.

Q. Did you get to meet Steffi? I remember you were saying before that maybe you wanted to meet her.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I really wanted to meet her. She was going to come out one day, but she got sick. So I didn't meet her, unfortunately.
But I'm going to be back, so hopefully I will get another chance.

Q. Two quick things. Did you walk into the gym where there all the trophies, and did you have to run those sand dunes? Can you talk about that? Did you have to run the sand dunes in Las Vegas?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yes, I walked into the gym where all the trophies were, and, you know, it's a special atmosphere. It was great.
But I didn't have to run the sand dunes, no.

Q. How long were you there?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I was there for a little over two weeks.

Q. That was your first time there?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Uh-huh, yes.

Q. What's important for you now, quarters of a tournament, for you to be playing good tennis? Do you feel like you're in good shape and relaxed?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I mean, I talked to Urszula after the match, and she was like, I was dying on the court, you know, in the end of the match. I could see that she was struggling a little bit physically, you know, with the heat and everything.
You know, I felt pretty good out there. I was like, I can continue. So I think that was a really important point, as well. I felt like I just had this extra gear out there.
Yeah, I feel fit. Yeah.

Q. How is your shoulder?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It's getting better and better. So, yeah, it's keeping up.

Q. Still hurting?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: A little bit, but it's much better now.

Q. Jack Kramer, the great player, said if you're playing someone who's injured or really a good friend, beat them as badly as you can, and then take them to lunch. Do you agree with that philosophy?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yes. You know, we're really good friends off the court, but on the court, it's still competition and we both want to win.
Yeah, no, Urszula went for lunch, and I'm probably going to join her.

Q. What are some of the things you wrote on your shirt? Like, "Pain is Nothing" or...
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah. You know, what did I write?

Q. "I Hate You, Gil"? (laughter.)
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, I was nice to Gil. Because sometimes I was hurting and sometimes it was tough, so, you know, I wrote "No Limit" on my shirt. I wrote, you know, "Iron Woman" on my shirt, you know. Because he was, you know, really making me strong.
I was writing, "Ouch, It's Hurting," or, you know, if there was a -- if there was a tough exercise, you know, I was like, "Aye-Yi-Yi," it's going to be tough. So I wrote, "Aye-Yi-Yi" on my shirt, or "Vamos."
Then on the back, I wrote, working with Gil makes -- working with Gil -- no, what did I write? I wrote, "When You Work With Gil, Impossible is Nothing." Yeah.
So, yeah, I can bring the shirt. I'll have it with me.

Q. You played both Radwanska sisters. Which one is more tough?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: They're both really tough, so both of them -- I had tough matches against them, so they have a little bit different game, but still similar, too. I think they're both really tough.

Q. You were saying at the beginning that a lot of times now when you go out and play, you're the seeded player. You're the hunted one. Now you're going to be playing Vera, who is more experienced, higher ranking. Talk about that.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, she's a good player. Great shape. She's proven this year that she's a great player, as well. Now I'm just going to enjoy the rest of the day.
Yeah, tomorrow I'm just going to go out there and try to play my game, and, you know, stay aggressive. Yeah, I don't really have a tactic yet against her, but it will come tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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