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SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 26, 2009

Elena Dementieva

DOHA, QATAR

ANDREW KRASNY: Elena has competed in nine of the last 10 Sony Ericsson Championships. She won her first 15 matches this year en route to singles titles at Auckland and Sydney, as well as a semifinal finish at the Australian Open. She clinched the US Open Series title with a solid performance on the U.S. hard court's by winning Toronto, the 14th title in her career. She's here from Russia, our No. 5 seed, Elena Dementieva.
Questions, please.

Q. How highly do you rate your chances of success in this tournament?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think our group is very tough. It's going to be very tough challenge for all of us, but I think also it's going to be very interesting to play.
I mean, it's hard to say right now. But I'm looking forward to this challenge.

Q. You're a former Dubai winner. It would be great to get the Middle East doubles, so to speak.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, it would be nice anyway to get to the semis, especially playing against best players in the world. So it's going to be a great experience anyway.
Yeah, just looking forward to that.

Q. I think you qualified for this event more than any other player. How is it that you last the long season so well? Something about your training or preparation or physical strength that enables you to do that?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think both, you know. I was able to stay fit and healthy and be able to play during the whole season, you know, competing in all the events that I was playing in the beginning.
You know, I had some good results and some first-round losing, but overall it looks like it's been, you know, some good seasons.

Q. How do you view the round-robin format with the group stage? Does that affect the strategy at all when you go into a match?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, it doesn't affect the strategy, but it gives you more chances, you know. Especially for this event, I like it much more 'cause you have a chance, even losing first match, to get to the semifinal. You know, coming here and getting ready, it's important to have another chance because you know from the first match you're going to face someone from top five, top eight players in the world, so it's gonna be tough one to start with.
Yeah, I think this round robin system is much, much better.

Q. The atmosphere is very different because you are only eight. Does it change your relationship with the others? Do you speak more?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think it's a different atmosphere because it's the last event of the year and everyone is, you know, about going to vacation. So it's a lot of talking in the locker room, Where are you going after this one? Where are you gonna be for the next two weeks?
Yeah, it's different. But I think everyone takes this tournament very seriously. It's one of the biggest events of the year. You know, I think it's very special for all of us.

Q. Your match at Wimbledon this year against Serena was probably one of the best women's matches of the whole year. Does that convince you that you can still compete at the very top of this game and win more major honors in the future?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I agree that was probably one of the best matches in my career. Even losing this very close match against Serena, I think it was a great experience.
You know, hopefully it's gonna help me, you know, playing her here 'cause, yeah, for sure she's one of the best. That's the only way to improve my game: to play against these kind of players.

Q. There's been quite a lot of criticism of the WTA Tour this year, people saying that if Kim Clijsters can come back and win the US Open, the standard is not as high as it used to be. Do you think that's a fair criticism or not?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think Kim Clijsters is an extraordinary player. She's not someone who is coming from nowhere, you know, and winning a Grand Slam; she's someone who have been No. 1, who won a Grand Slam before. Yeah, she had two years' break. But I think, you know, for me, I mean, I was not surprised to see her playing at this level because I know she's a great athlete and she was capable of doing this.
So I think she was really getting ready for this US Open Series. The way she was playing, it was very impressive.

Q. Do you think the general standard is just as high?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah. Actually, I think especially this year, the competition is very high. The level of the game is also very high because we don't have someone who can hold the No. 1 position for a long time. The competition for the No. 1 place is, you know, very intense.
So I think it's very interesting to see this competition. It gives all of us an extra motivation and makes it very interesting for the crowd.

Q. Will the return of Justine Henin have a similar effect on the quality overall of the women's game?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think it's great to see Justine coming back. Well, for me it's not a big surprise because I think with Kim and Justine, they were pretty young when they decided to retire. I think Justine is someone who had a big passion for the game. I'm sure she was missing the game. So I don't know what was the reason for her to stop for that moment, but I'm sure she's desperate to come back and win a Wimbledon title.

Q. This tournament obviously brings together the eight best players of the year. In your opinion so far, who has been the Player of the Year on the women's tour?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Oh, don't ask me this (laughter).
Well, I think, you know, we should really think about Dinara because I think holding the No. 1 position for such a long time, even without winning a Grand Slam, but with all the great result she got this year, I think she deserve it.

Q. What are your views on the issues of being No. 1 without a Grand Slam title to your name?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, look, I mean, she's not the first one who's in the No. 1 position without winning a Grand Slam. But I think she's the one who won a lot of, you know, big events this season, and she was in the final a couple of times.
I think, really, she worked very, very hard all these years to get to the No. 1 position, and we have to respect this. So I think she's actually very close, you know, for winning a Grand Slam title.

Q. Do you deal better with your emotions now, this year?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: We'll see (smiling).

Q. This year it was more easy for you to deal with your emotion?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: The whole season?

Q. From January to now, this season, compared with the last seasons?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, you know, I love to compete. I love to play tennis. So every season is very emotional. Every season I have some good matches, some bad matches. But it's always very emotional, very interesting for me. So that's why I'm playing.
So I cannot tell you if it was less or more, you know. Every year, every season is a new one. Every season gives me some new emotion, some big matches. So, yeah, just another good season.

Q. Skipping the Kremlin Cup must have been a bit disappointing for you.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes, it was actually disappointing not to play the Kremlin Cup because I was home, you know, I was in Moscow getting ready for Doha. It was kind of strange not to play this tournament because I used to play there for 12 years in a row. You know, that's the only tournament we have in Moscow. That's the only chance to play in front of my crowd.
Yeah, it was disappointing. But, yeah, I was really focusing on playing here and getting ready for this event.

Q. There's a lot of talk in the locker rooms about what people are going to be doing over vacation?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It's secret, private talking (laughter).
Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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