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ROGERS CUP

August 21, 2009

Elena Dementieva

TORONTO, ONTARIO

E. DEMENTIEVA/S. Stosur
6-7, 6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was going through your head when you lost that first set in a heartbreaking fashion?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, it was little disappointing, because I was able to break a couple times but I couldn't win my own serve. I feel like I had a lot of opportunity, but I didn't play as well as I needed at that moment.
I was trying to forget it as quick as possible, you know, this tiebreak, and just, you know, focus on the second set and try to play more aggressively and, you know, not think what she doesn't like to do but more focus on my shots.

Q. Talk a bit about the trouble you guys faced out there with the wind and how maybe you made the adjustments that Samantha couldn't as the match went on.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, it was quite windy out there. It was not easy to play, but in this kind of day, you just try to be, you know, very aggressive with your footwork, trying to get very close to the balls and just to get good control on the racquet head; you know, just, you know, go for the shots, because if you're going to wait, the wind is going come with the ball and it's going to be very difficult to control it.

Q. The first set featured eight service breaks, including six to force a tiebreak. Seems pretty unusual. Have you been in a match like that before where it seemed like neither of you could really hold serve?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I mean, it was really unusual. I mean, especially for her, because she's -- she has one of the biggest serves on the tour, and you know, it's not easy to break her.
I was able to do this, but you know, like my own serve was not aggressive enough. It was very slow and I couldn't really put the first serve in. So yeah, I felt like, you know, I just need to focus on my service game and then I'm going to break her. So that was the plan.

Q. You seemed to be looking toward your coach a lot. Could you tell us what that was all about?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Just looking for support.

Q. Did you feel like you needed support?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think everyone does, yeah.

Q. It's early, but can you talk about the potential in your next match, please.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I'm sure it's going to be tough, you know, to face Serena one more time. Looks like she's in good shape. You know, she was, you know, playing very powerful all the matches this week, so it's going to be tough challenge.

Q. The match against Serena at Wimbledon is obviously a classic. I'm wondering how long did it take for you to maybe get that out of your head? Are you still thinking about it maybe going into tomorrow's match, just how tough it was of a match, and how you came close to maybe getting into the final of a Grand Slam and the disappointment that came with that.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I feel it was one of the best matches of my career, you know, even that I lost this match. You know, I just feel like tomorrow is going to be a completely different challenge because we are playing on hardcourt, and so I just -- I think it's going to be completely different game.
So there are a lot of things that I was trying to take from this match, you know, some positive things, some negative things, but you know, overall it was a great experience.

Q. You haven't been playing so good this year, though. Is that one that really kind of stuck with you as a loss? Because it seemed like had you made it to the finals, who knows what would have happened?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I mean, it's -- it was really disappointing to be that close, to get to the final of Wimbledon, but I think, you know, I did -- I did my best on the court, you know.
I had some opportunity. I couldn't, you know, finish the match even with match point, but the way I was playing, I mean, it was a good game.

Q. You've got two Olympic medals and you're Russia's probably best Federation Cup player, but you pick up magazines and most of the time you see pictures of Maria and that kind of thing. Is there a rivalry there between the two of you?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, first of all, I don't read magazines. There is nothing between us.

Q. Do you feel underrated at all?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No. I don't feel this way, no.

Q. You said you expected tomorrow's match to be very different from the Wimbledon one. What do you think will be different, given the different surface and the situation?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, playing on grass, it's a completely different game. You really need to make an adjustment, and it's never long rallies. Everything, you know, happens very quick. So it's all about, you know, one powerful shot.
Tomorrow, you know, playing on hard, it's going to be -- I hope it's going to be, you know, long rallies and this is what I'm looking for, especially against Serena, because I know how powerful she is on her serve and returning the second serve.
So she likes to put a lot of pressure on you with the first two shots. You know, the idea for tomorrow is going to be handle all this pressure at the beginning of the point and make her move.

Q. Can you please tell me how the court is playing, if it's fast, slow, what the court surface is like?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I feel the center court is a little bit slow comparing to the other tournaments, and you really need to make some adjustment for the footwork when you're playing there, but it's a good stadium.

Q. Do feel there is a rivalry building between you and Serena?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think there is a lot of competition between all of us, not only between me and Serena, but I think, you know, between all the top 10 players, because we have to face each other very often, every single week, and it's not about one particular player. You just want to be the best one.

Q. You have a dealt with some criticism early in your career before you won a title on the tour. It took you a little while. Is there some unfinished business until you can win a Grand Slam, do you think, to make your career complete? Is that something where you think, until you retire or until you get that, that the career might still have that little bit of hole in it?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, look, I've got two Olympic medals, you know. That was the biggest goal in my career.
So I just feel very satisfied with the way, you know, I was playing all these years on the tour. I still have some motivation. I still have some goals in my mind, but you know, if it's happen, it's happen. I'm trying to work very hard for that, but I just feel, you know, I was -- I was working hard, and I was lucky enough to make it.

Q. There's a potential for three Russian ladies to be in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup. Why do you think that Russian women have had so much success on the tour so far this season?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, not only this season. I think that Russians pretty powerful all these years. You know, it's hard to say why there are so many Russians. I guess there is a competition between all of us, and there is an extra motivation for us to work hard and to be the best one.
I think it's quite difficult to be the only one, like Caroline Wozniacki. She's the only one player, you know, to handle all this pressure, all this expectation for her. For us it's not a problem because there are so many of us. It's great. I think it keeps you really working hard.

Q. After you won your match, dropped to your knees, you seemed very excited to win. Yet it's just a quarterfinal; you are the fourth seed.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I know.

Q. Why so much relief, I guess, just to get to where you're supposed to get?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I just like to play. For me, it's not about Tier III, Tier I, or a Grand Slam. When I come to the court, I'm just trying to play my best. If I don't play my best I try to fight.
And today it was a good fight, you know. It was a very tough match against her, so I was very happy to win, and I just -- you know, I like competition.

Q. Can you tell me a little bit about players training in Russia? I read recently that most of the players that come from Russia are not training there. They're going to Europe or to the United States to train, and there doesn't seem to be the infrastructure available for up-and-coming players.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, not only because of that, but I think also it's all about the weather conditions. You know, the summertime is very short. Practicing indoors and coming to Australia, you know, and all the US tournaments, it's quite difficult. It's a big adjustment to make.
So I think that most of the Russian players prefer to practice in the States or in Europe and Spain because of the weather condition and because of the better facility, I guess.

End of FastScripts

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