	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

ROGERS CUP

August 20, 2009

Elena Dementieva

TORONTO, ONTARIO

E. DEMENTIEVA/S. Peer
6-1, 1-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you know about your opponent tomorrow? What would you look forward to in tomorrow's game?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Samantha Stosur? Well, I play her in Australia and I lost to her in French Open. But I think, you know, she has such a big weapon, like a kick serve and the forehand is very powerful. So she's a very solid player, you know, with big weapons in her game.
I think she improved a lot, so it's going to be tough match. I was watching her against Svetlana in the first round. I think she was very impressive. I'm just looking forward to this challenge.

Q. You played well in the first set and struggled in the second. What was going through your mind when you were getting ready to start the third?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I was trying to just to be positive and be aggressive. I think the center court is very slow, and I feel like my footwork wasn't there today.
You know, I was rushing too much and did a lot of unforced errors instead of, you know, just be aggressive and wait for the right ball to come. Yeah, I was trying to just hang out there and try to find a way to win.

Q. Coming into the match, Shahar Peer didn't really do very well in the last month or two against top 10 players. I want to know if you were surprised by all the fight she had and the relative ease she had in returning your serve?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, you know, Shahar is such a fighter. I play her couple of times, and I know she never gives up. She play till the end. She fight for every point.
You know, she's this kind of a player that you really have to work it out on the court. Today, I mean, she was not starting very well, but you know, somehow she was able to be more aggressive in the second set, you know, and just play some good tennis, a lot of winners.
Yeah, I knew it was going to be tough match.

Q. Did the heat affect you at all?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, it was not so hot. It was very humid, you know. It was like we were expecting to rain today. I was like -- maybe that's why I was rushing a little bit, you know. It was like I have to finish before the rain comes. Yeah, it was pretty humid.

Q. I think it was at the beginning of the third set you grabbed your upper left hamstring and looked towards your box. Did you hurt yourself at all today?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No.

Q. You mentioned yesterday that because you had been partnered with Ai Sugiyama you kind of knew her weaknesses and were able to use that to your advantage. How did you prepare for an opponent like Peer?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, if I have a chance, I always go and watch to get ready. Well, yesterday we were playing pretty much in the same time, so I never had a chance to watch her. But I play her before.
But I think, you know, the way she was playing today it was a little bit different. She was trying to be more aggressive, going for the winners. Usually she likes to play long rallies, waiting for you to make a mistake. Today she was playing a different way.
I was -- you know, I was struggling with my game a little bit.

Q. Do you have a preference for playing in the morning or afternoon? Were you a little bit surprised that you and Serena, the top two seeds left, were both playing in the afternoon today?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I like to play the morning. The thing is, staying downtown, it's a long way to drive. I mean, to get ready for 11:00, you have to wake up 6:00. Well, what can I say? (laughter.)

Q. I wanted to ask you about, there has been a lot of talk about players and the noise they make when they're hitting the ball. Some players obviously make a lot more noise than others do. Has there been talk about how much noise you make and if anybody has approached you or other players about keeping the noise level down?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: You don't like it?

Q. Oh, I'm fine.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: What's the question about? (laughter.)

Q. Basically...
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I just think -- actually, when I watch my matches on TV, I'm just surprised how loud I can be, because I feel like I'm very quiet on the court when I play, but yeah, sometimes we can get very loud, yeah. But I don't think I'm the worst.

Q. What are your thoughts on Kim Clijsters' comeback?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I was very impressed with the way she was playing in Cincinnati and also here this week.
I just -- I don't know if it was a break or not for her, because she was physically so ready to play, and she's playing -- she had such a tough draw in Cincinnati and also here, and she was able to play all these tough matches, you know, three sets, lots of fight, beating some very good players. So it's really impressive.

Q. What do you think she can bring to the tour?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, just very nice to see her back, you know. I think she was one of the most popular players on the tour, and I'm sure all the fans are very happy to see her back.
She's still pretty young. I'm sure she has a couple of years to play.

Q. After Toronto, what will you do to get ready for the Open? When will you go to New York and what kind of physical and mental preparation will you take?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think it's going to be too late for any preparation. It's already done. So all we need is just, you know, take it easy, you know, just get your focus and go to New York. Go to play.

Q. At the end of the third set you held off four game points at 4-All, and then it was five match points until you converted to win the match. Can you tell us what was going -- that was a long period of time. Can you tell us what was going through your head?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Ah, well, you know, losing to Jankovic in Cincinnati, four match points, it's not enough for me. I really need to have like five or more to finish the match.
So I was, you know -- well, from now on, every time I have match point, I finish the game, I feel lucky. (laughter.)

Q. Obviously you've got to get through tomorrow, but if you end up meeting Serena, is she a player that at her best can be beaten, or does she have a weakness you can exploit, or do you sometimes sort of wait for her to beat herself? What's the key there?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I just want to focus on my next opponent. I'm sure it's going to be tough match.
But talking about Serena, I think she looks pretty good this week. It feels like she's ready to play, and very easy win for her today and also yesterday.

Q. Way off topic here, but what do you think about the transportation around the grounds here at the Rogers Cup?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It's great. Why are you asking?

Q. We're doing a story on the transportation.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Actually, I think this tournament is one of the best organized, and I mean, they have done such great work for the players. We just feel overwhelmed when we're here.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297