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U.S. OPEN

September 13, 2009

Caroline Wozniacki

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

K. CLIJSTERS/C. Wozniacki
7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're young. It's a Grand Slam. You didn't look nervous out there, or was that deceptive? Were you?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, actually I wasn't too nervous. I mean, you're always excited when you're going out to a match. But, you know, I just thought, I'm playing a Grand Slam final. I have nothing to lose. I just need to go out there and try to do my best, and that's what I did.
You know, Kim just played a great match. She really showed that she's playing great tennis, and I'm happy to have her back. But of course I'd like to have taken the next step and have won this match. I mean, she played better to me today, and that's why she won.

Q. It's been a great year for you. You've been in seven finals at 19 years old. It's been a great journey for you here, your first Grand Slam final. You couldn't script a better theater to be involved in that out there with Kim. While it's a bitter pill to swallow to lose, do you feel pretty good right now, I mean, about the way the tournament went?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I mean, obviously I don't like losing. I'm a competitor and I love winning. But I think I've had some great weeks here. I mean, I was in the finals of a Grand Slam. I'm only 19 years old, like you were saying.
I mean, my ranking will go up again, and I'm just happy the way I'm playing and the way I've been progressing so far. I feel like, yeah, I'm playing good tennis.

Q. How can you explain your nerves at your age? Because, I mean, it's very impressive. And besides the fact, was it easier on your nerves because you played Kim and you know her a little bit and obviously everybody likes her?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Um, I don't know. You know, when you think about it, it's a Grand Slam final, and of course you're going to be a little bit nervous because this is what you've been dreaming about, winning a Grand Slam.
But actually I was surprised myself that I wasn't more nervous. And I just think that the thing that I was just thinking about one point at a time, one ball at a time, and I was really focused on what I really wanted to do out there. I think that really helped me. I think that helped me through the whole tournament.

Q. Once the match was over and Kim came over and you were speaking - and then obviously you obviously had wonderful things to say about each other during the awards ceremony - standing up there and maybe now your game face is off a little bit during the awards ceremony, what was going through your mind at that point?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I mean, there was nothing I could do anymore. I lost the last point and I lost the match.
She just played better than me. I really did my best. I tried my hardest, and I had a great two weeks. I think it's just about enjoying the moment, enjoy -- I mean, not that you lost, but enjoy that you were in the finals and just be happy about that.
Because, I mean, if I started saying, Oh, I should have won, I should have done this and that, I think that would be kind of a sin, you know, (laughter.)
Because I've really done great, and I think I should be proud what I've achieved.

Q. Can you imagine what it would be like to not play for two and a half years and then only play three tournaments back, someone who is has been training straight for as long as you have, can you imagine how hard it would be to take that much time off and to come back quickly like this?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: You know, I'm very impressed by the way that Kim came back. I thought it was going to take her a few tournaments to really get into the rhythm. I mean, it's different to practice and to play matches, and I was really, really impressed by the way she was playing.
I saw it already in Cincinnati that she was in really great shape. I think that she's just going out there and she's enjoying it. She doesn't have any pressure, because she already achieved what she wanted to. She has the family. She has everything.
So she's playing because she thinks it's fun and because she likes it. So I think that maybe even she's a better player now than she was before. It's tough for me to say, because I didn't play her before. But, you know, I can imagine that she -- I mean, she just won a Grand Slam. It's her third tournament back. What more can I say?

Q. In the first set you were very close to get the set, and so is there any point which you think, oh, maybe I can win this match?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Actually, I didn't think too much about the score. I was just focused a lot about just playing one point at a time.
But, you know, the thing was I couldn't keep my serve in the end of the first set, and that just caused me trouble. She was right there. She started serving well, and, yeah, that's why I lost the first set.

Q. So it's not about your nerves?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, it wasn't about my nerves. I just, you know, I wanted to put it just a little bit better and put a little bit more in the corners and that just, yeah, didn't go in.

Q. The beginning of the first set, was it a feeling-out process for you, at least for the first two games that you dropped to her and then you won four straight games? Was it feeling her out to figure out what her game is?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Um, yeah, the first couple of games I wanted to get into the match. I wanted to just know what I'm up against, and I fast found out that I'm up against a really strong player that doesn't give away any free points.
I really had to fight for it. I mean, she played -- she played really well. She played aggressive. I mean, yeah, she's playing really well.

Q. If you could kind of turn the volume up on any one aspect or two aspects of your game, you know, that you think could make a big difference for you on the court, what would they be?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Um, like in general or today?

Q. No, in general. Is it the service? Serve? Is it coming to net? You know, your feel with the volley or what?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Um, I don't know. Actually, I feel like I've been serving really well the whole tournament, and also today I had parts where I was serving well.
I think just -- you know, I need some more experience. And, I mean, of course, when I came to the net I was doing the right thing. Sometimes I just missed, and that's tennis. You can't hit everything straight.
But of course all the volleys I wished I could have, you know, finished them up.

Q. What kind of tactics did you prepare before the match? Scale of 1 to 10, how good do you think you played?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Um, my tactics...
Actually, my tactic was just to go in there, enjoy it, go in and play aggressive, not let her dictate too much, try to make her run. Yeah, stay there, stay in there from the first ball. Don't give her, you know, any free points.
I think I did pretty well. I think so.

Q. When you go back to the hotel tonight, lights go out, you're going to think about this. Is any part of you going to say, I could have won this last night? I wasn't dominated. I played well. I was up for a while. Any part of you thinking that way?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I could think like that, but I think what I just need to do is just to think not about the score but what I can do to improve my game and to go out there as a stronger player next time.
I think it's important not to look back too much and say, If I would have won this point, maybe it would be different. I think it's important just to say, Okay, Kim was better than me in this and this, and I need to improve this to be better for next time. Hopefully I can hold up that trophy one day.

Q. At the end of the short speech at the court, you said few words in Polish to the Polish friends. Why was it so important for you to say the words in Polish?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think it's important to thank all my fans in Poland, as well, because I know that there are a lot of fans out there that are rooting for me. I think it's important just to give something back.

End of FastScripts

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