	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

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (WOMEN)

May 4, 2009

Dinara Safina

ROME, ITALY

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you say something about the match against Pennetta, and if a day later you are a little bit tired about that match, or not?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, I think the match against Flavia was a great match. I think she played really good, and, I mean, she's a very good player. She I think played again one of her best tennis.
It was tough for me. I was lucky to pull out the second set. Maybe a little bit she got disappointed when she lost the second set, and I raised a little bit my level up.
And, I mean, I won it in three sets. Just beat in the final because I end up playing so good against Flavia like really, and then in the final I just got too fired tight and I wanted to win and I just -- nothing was coming out of me.
It was disappointing, because I really wanted to win.

Q. No. 1 in the world means something special for you, or it's a normal situation?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, I think it's not really normal when somebody becomes No. 1. If it would be normal, then many players would get it.
Just, you know, sometimes I think about it, and just last year just in one year how everything changed to make such a jump from 17 ranked and to become No. 1 is just amazing. I don't know how many other players can do this like I did it.
It just really like sometimes it's thanks for all the patience that I had and all the hard work I was giving just paid me off. Now, I'll try to work hard and to get the Grand Slam, you know. This is my next goal, to get one of the Grand Slams.

Q. Which slam? Which is the tournament you prefer in the big four?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, I think it would be -- first one would be French Open. Then I would say US Open or Australian Open. Because let's say US Open and Australia because my brother won both of them, so at least I can put my name next to him.
And, I don't know, French Open, I think this was the -- I mean, it was my first final of a Grand Slam, so it's something memorable. And I just hope also like, I mean, one of these years to get the title.

Q. Do you feel in your head like you're the world's best player at the moment? The rankings say you are. Do you feel in your head that you are?
DINARA SAFINA: It's still tough to realize this, because I've been so far like -- I mean, just in one year everything changed. You know, if I would be like consistently like already top 5 player, but I just made such a huge jump in one year.
I still like cannot really realize that, yes, I did it, you know. But, I mean, I guess like the results, I mean, it's not luck that. Nobody gave it to me. I prove it. I played two Grand Slam finals, and last year I won four titles.
I mean, there was a stage where maybe I won like twenty matches I lost one match, so I think I belong to this, because this doesn't come out of sky.

Q. Do you know the history of Jelena Dokic that was abused by father? What do you think about this?
DINARA SAFINA: You know, it's was disappointing that it happens. I just don't know what to say, you know. It's really sad what is going on. I hope -- I know she's strong and she can get out of it.

Q. Serena sat here about an hour ago and said, We all know who is the best player in the world, and frankly it's me.
DINARA SAFINA: (Laughter.)

Q. What do you think about that? Do you think that's provocation, or...
DINARA SAFINA: Okay, I mean, she can say this because she won like many more Grand Slams than me. But she's also older than me so she has more experience than me.
So let's see when I'm gonna be at her age how many titles I'm gonna have, and then we can say.

Q. What about your brother? Do you think you can help him in some way in this year? He lost three tournaments with matches he already won. Maybe you can give support.
DINARA SAFINA: Well, when he lost here to Robredo he send me a massage and he goes, Can you believe it's third week in a row I'm serving 5-4 and serving for the match? And he said like, I'm in shock.
I don't know, maybe it's from also from another hand like he knows he's gonna retire this year, so it's tough. I mean, he doesn't, like, okay, anyway I'm gonna retire, so maybe God -- I mean, I would say God punishing.
I would say that if you want to retire, either you do it or you play. So like he doesn't, you know, so I don't know. So he should make a decision if he wants to play or if he wants to retire.

Q. Do you think he will retire?
DINARA SAFINA: I think he will, but he was supposed to already retired last year, and he's still going. So, you know, he's a little bit unpredictable, so...

Q. That's the reason I am asking.
DINARA SAFINA: Because even I sometimes don't know what's gonna. Because we were not supposed to play Hopman Cup. At the end the year he say, No, I'm retiring. I'm not gonna play with Hopman Cup. And then I was like, okay, I have to go to play with somebody else.
Of course for me it's nicer to play with my brother. And then after two weeks, No, I'm playing Hopman Cup. I'm like, Okay, so just maybe one day before I should ask, So you are there or you're not coming?
So he's a little bit unpredictable.

Q. He came, but it was a strange face. (Laughter.)
DINARA SAFINA: When I open his room -- I mean, I went to his room and he open the door and I look at him, I say, What now happen?

Q. What's new?
DINARA SAFINA: Yeah. He goes, Nothing. I had a fight. I go, Okay. Great. It's likely he didn't had anything -- I mean, in Moscow everything can happen, you know, especially it happened in the nightclub. So I mean, somebody could have easily knife or gun.
So, I mean, for these thing you just...

Q. And for sure not for women reasons?
DINARA SAFINA: No. As far as I know, it was not for women reason. I mean, I wasn't there so I don't know. He said he sort it out, so I'm trying not to go into his business.

Q. Are you jealous about girlfriend of your brother, or not?
DINARA SAFINA: No, never. No, this is -- because this was also like it was funny for me, because I never -- all of them, like I'm really like getting good with them, and then of course is disappointing when he bumps them.
Then I feel in the middle, because like I'm good with them but they fight, and I don't know which side to take. For me it's also not a nice situation because I'm like in the middle between two of them.
Of course I feel sorry for the girl because she love him and then she still wants to get with him, and then I don't know. I'm like, Okay. I'm communicating with one and then the other one. (Laughter.)

Q. Who plays more with dolls when you were children?
DINARA SAFINA: He was playing more with the cars obviously than me. I had Barbies. At one stage I was playing like tournaments, and if I would win a tournament my mom would buy me a Barbie. So I like Barbies a lot.

Q. How many do you have?
DINARA SAFINA: Now, I don't know. Maybe I have like -- but they're in the old apartment, so I think I have five or six of them. I have two Kens and maybe four Barbies.

Q. Perhaps are there specific aspects of your game that you've been working on on the clay court season, or you are looking forward to this tournament ahead of French Open?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, I think it was good start of the clay court. I mean, in Stuttgart it was good preparation. Obviously, I still can improve. Even I feel still inside there is much more that I can play better.
But just I think it's good because I have now Rome and then I have Madrid, and I will have matches and that I can, you know, every day play better and better. Hopefully I can be in the top shape for the French Open.
Of course, I will not change any kind of games from last year, because last year was good enough. So just I want to play the same as I played last year and maybe better, because I'm more experienced this year.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297