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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP WOMEN'S OPEN

August 10, 2009

Ana Ivanovic

CINCINNATI, OHIO

A. IVANOVIC/M. Oudin
2-6, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Considering the first set, must be pretty happy with the way you came back?
ANA IVANOVIC: I did. First set I didn't start so well, and I had lots of unforced errors and lots of double faults. I mean, three I served three double faults in a row.
But you know, then in the second set, on the break after the first set, I just tried to talk to myself and just try to convince myself I have to be aggressive and play the way I should play and not wait for mistake and not try to be too careful.
That's what I did, and I relaxed a lot on my serve and it started coming a lot faster. Actually, I didn't been serving the fastest I have in the long while. Pretty happy about that.
Obviously with the rain it's never easy, but, you know, really happy to get through that.

Q. It looks like you're changing your serve. It looks like you're shortening it.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yes, I did that after, yeah, L.A., because I had some issues a little bit with my shoulders. You know, just taking some pressure off it. It feels a lot better.
You know, I still generate lots of power. Actually it's faster than it was. Pretty happy about that.
Just no have to practice that and just repetition will give me confidence.

Q. It's difficult when you change your serve later in your career. Well, not later, but after years of playing one way.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, well, I'm so confused right now it doesn't matter. I changed it -- in the past two months, I changed it lots of times, five or six times, just trying to figure out what feels most natural and what is gonna give me the most power and most consistency.
Hopefully I found it, because I just tried it on practice the other day and it felt pretty good straightaway, so hopefully it will stay that way.

Q. Why did you change it in the first place?
ANA IVANOVIC: That's a good question.

Q. Because you had a good serve.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I had a really good serve. But then I had some issues with the ball toss. I think it was just at the moment, because I was maybe tight in one of the matches. You know, it just happens.
But then I start changing it and I started making a big issue out of it. The more I thought about it, the more pressure I put on myself trying to hit the perfect serve instead of just relaxing, so it went down the pipe pretty far.
Just happy that now I'm feeling, you know, a lot better with it. Obviously, you know, ball toss, it's gonna be off few times. But it's just normal, and now I feel confident to stop it and to start again.

Q. You parted company with Scott?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yes.

Q. What was behind that?
ANA IVANOVIC: You know, working with someone three years it's a long time. He was coming from Australia and we spent a lot of time together because he wasn't going back that often. It just gets to a point when you stop maybe learning from each other and stop improving. It's best to take some break.
It was just, I think, best for both of us to have some break and some fresh opinions.

Q. Is it sort of funny him not being here?
ANA IVANOVIC: It is. You know, you get used to being around. So now I'm actually traveling with my mom mostly, and before I used to have four or five people. So I'm like, Where has everyone gone?
No, I feel really good, because also made me realize more thing on my own, what I'm doing and what helps me to play good, these kind of things, rather than relying on people telling me certain things.
I think it's a learning process, and it made me also a lot more mature.

Q. Do I think you'll sort of go a while without having a proper coach?
ANA IVANOVIC: At the moment I think my fitness is at a pretty good level, and a lot of fitness comes from practicing and from intense tennis sessions. That's what I need in order to play well anyway.
So just focus on that and then do a lot of just stretching and recovery off the court and prevent little injuries that I had.
In a couple week's, month's time, I'm gonna look into that again, having a full time coach for preparation, obviously, for next year.

Q. Stop thinking for now.
ANA IVANOVIC: Thanks. Yeah, relax and enjoy.

End of FastScripts

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