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U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2009

Dinara Safina

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

D. SAFINA/K. Barrois
6-7, 6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You survive another day.
DINARA SAFINA: Well, yeah, another tough day in the office. Another day off tomorrow and another match on Saturday.

Q. I mean, obviously your serve was a little bit of a problem today. What was going on with the serve?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, actually today I think I was serving in some stages better than the first round. It's at least already positive. At least I made some aces.
Previous round I didn't make any ace and made only double faults. It's better. Still not perfect, but I know what's the problem. There is no problem in the technique or nothing. Just in my head, so I know just to change the chip here.

Q. You played a better match today than you did in the previous round, correct?
DINARA SAFINA: I think I did. A little bit different player. She serves good, she comes to the net. She's different player, but I think I played better match today than in previous round.

Q. Common sense tells you that you want to have quick, easy matches in the beginning because you save your body and so forth. Can you also look at positives from being able to get through two-, three-setters in the beginning, so that as you progress down in the tournament you know you can come back and win that third set if you need to?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, I mean, it's not, let's say like WTA tournament when you have to play next day. Of course, then you have to try not to play three sets -- not try. I don't want to play three sets, obviously. But I still have one more day to recover, so that's not a problem.
I mean, guys they play five sets, and sometimes they play until the end of the tournament only five sets. So, you know, there is always next day. Now I have enough time to recover and get read for my next round.

Q. You played two and a half hours two days ago, two hours fifteen minutes today. Aggressive tennis. Physically do you feel fine?
DINARA SAFINA: Actually, I do feel fine. Not really that I played a lot in this summer. I played only final in Cincinnati, so I had enough room to recover. So I better use some energy now.

Q. When you have a day off, do you feel 100% almost? If you played next day you wouldn't be 100%, but if you play two days later you're almost 100%?
DINARA SAFINA: Yeah. I mean, no reason not to be. And tomorrow -- I think tomorrow morning I can already be 100% practicing. During the off-season, it was much tougher. You know, I would finish the day at 9:00 in the evening, and next morning at 9:00 in the morning I have already to be on the court and giving my 100% and I had even less time to recover.
That's why we have a base that we build everything to be ready for any situation during the tournament.

Q. Do you feel all the talk about nonsense - I won't even say what it is - but does the crowd or people here give you a lot of support? People say things to you to sort of encourage you?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, of course. Actually, they support me a lot, you know. I really like to play here. And of course I think it helps that my brother won here. They love, I guess, our family. So I want them to cheer for me.
You know when you are playing on the court and you're fighting, maybe in some stages you're not playing your best, but you still here the crowd supporting you and just gives you another edge. You want to play for them and win for them. They come the next day and support you.

Q. Your brother and many others have talked about the difficulties of living up to expectations when you are the top player in the world, man or woman. You're No. 1 by way of being, in large part, I think nine finals that you have' been in this year. Now, do you feel that that just having those -- the fact that you've made it to nine finals on different surfaces, does that give you tremendous confidence in your ability to progress here over the course of a two-week tournament?
DINARA SAFINA: Of course. You know, let's say last year I started only from the half year. But this year I proved that I can play on all surfaces. I made semifinal Wimbledon when I never pass the second week.
So it just shows me that I can play on all surfaces. This gives me a lot of confidence when I step on the court and I know that I'm -- you know, beat me. I'm ready for you.

Q. As he mentioned though with all the controversy that has gone on, what was going through your mind at the end of that first set when you found yourself down a set?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, I've been down a set also in the first round. There are still two sets more to play.

Q. I'm sure you love to win 6-2, 6-1, whatever. Is there a part of you that just has to say, Okay, I'm going to have this drama. It's going to be three sets. It's gonna be crazy. It's going to be double faults, but I'll get through it. Is there a part of you that has to sort of embrace it and say, Let's go?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, it's basically because today was exactly the same situation as first round. Again 5-3 up, against serve, 6-5 against set points. I don't want to play three sets. Don't think that I want to lose the first set and then, you know, being again break down in the third set and I fight through.
Well, it just -- I have to be more disciplined. Here is okay, 5-3, and there is no more talking. I have to close the set. So, you know, I will work on it, and we'll make sure it's going to be two sets.

Q. Kim Clijsters said yesterday that about the No. 1 issue she said, I hope Dinara is not letting it bother her or not thinking about it. I was in the same situation and I was No. 1 and hadn't won a Grand Slam. Is it something that enters your mind at all?
DINARA SAFINA: As I said before, when she -- she was in the same situation as I am, you know. But nobody will take it away from me. There are so many players who won a Grand Slam and where they are now? Nowhere. Some of the players you don't even know that they won a Grand Slam. You look and say like, Oh, my gosh, she won.
But No. 1 will always stay there. The people will remember you by No. 1, not by winning a Grand Slam.

Q. Marat came in here and basically lectured us and said, Okay, come on, guys. I got to protect my sister. Ranking is ranking. Leave her alone. Make her happy, come on. What does it mean to you that he's doing that? He's looking out for you?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, he's my big brother. You know, he can talk here. He can sit and talk to you guys, like leave me alone. I'm No. 1 in the world.

Q. As No. 1, playing on Louis Armstrong, does that bother you? Do you believe you belong playing on Arthur Ashe?
DINARA SAFINA: Me personally I like more Armstrong because it's less wind than Arthur Ashe. Doesn't matter if outside is gonna be no wind, on Ashe it's always like turning around.
Me, I like Armstrong better. Of course the crowd is much bigger on Ashe and you cannot compare night session on Ashe.
But like this, first match on, I don't mind. Even I sometimes prefer Armstrong.

Q. Who is more popular in Russia now, you or your brother?
DINARA SAFINA: My brother. By the girls so far. I mean, how many girls there are in Russia? (laughter.)

End of FastScripts

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