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MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 14, 2010

Aravane Rezai

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

S. WILLIAMS/A. Rezai
3-6, 7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's the first time you played Serena, but you didn't seem intimidated out there.
ARAVANE REZAI: No, I think she's a player like other players. She's of course No. 1 in the world, but, you know, I tried to do my best. You know, it's always difficult to play against No. 1, especially Serena. She had a good experience and she had a good win in Grand Slams. So it's always tough.
But of course I'm not intimidated. I play my game because I want to win this match.

Q. Did you think you had it won, 5-2 in the second?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yeah. I think yes, I have chance to win. Also at 5-All, 40-Love for me, I serve and I -- she serve pretty well at 5-3 to came back to 5-4, so -- no, 5-5, I think.
At 5-5, 40-Love, I should win my serve, my game, and I lost. Probably that game can change, you know. But, you know, tennis is always up and down. I have to learn to fight more and to know how to play more. It's one more experience.

Q. Do you think that the way she came back at you from 5-2 down and then as you say from the 40-Love game, do you think that was her raising her game, or did you make errors?
ARAVANE REZAI: No, I think I start to serve -- I start to serve pretty bad at this game, just pushing the ball. I wasn't aggressive like always I did all the match.
At this time I was probably scared to win the match. But, you know, I realize I have the game and I can win, so I learn one more thing today. It's just to fight until the end of the match. (Laughter.)

Q. You do have some good results against players that have been No. 1, Sharapova, Safina, so clearly you can raise your level to play with those players.
ARAVANE REZAI: I think I have a good game to be in the top, but, you know, I have so many thing to learn. Step by step I will be better and better, but today it's one more step. I will watch again my video of my match, and I will learn. And will talk with my coach what's wrong during the match and to learn about the next time if I play against Serena probably I will not doing the same mistake.

Q. You had a great 2009, perfect finish. What are your expectations for this season?
ARAVANE REZAI: I think to try my best every day is -- I don't want to say top 10, top 15, top 20. No, I prefer to say, Okay, I try my best. I work hard, and we'll see. The tennis game is up and down. We never know.
So I try to do my every day, practice good, and to be focus on each match, each game, each point, and that's the way I can improve.

Q. Out of all the players you played against, is Serena the most difficult player to play against, do you feel?
ARAVANE REZAI: No, I don't think so. For me, she's not too much impressive. Of course she's a good player. Of course I respect her. But I could with win today. I wasn't impressed. She's No. 1, so he's a pretty good player.
I'm also a little bit happy because I know I improved from last year. I mean, I'm in a good way.

Q. Just on another subject, I understand you won some gold medals at the Muslim Woman's games in Iran a couple years ago.
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes.

Q. How does that work?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yeah, that a big event for Muslim woman, and it's only womans watching the game. It's only woman event, so I just play for Iran and I won.

Q. Did that seem very unusual for you, just playing in front of women?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yeah, but, you know, it's like that, so I respect and I play.

Q. Is that a regular event? Would you play it again, or was it just one time?
ARAVANE REZAI: It was just one event, and it's every four years. It's like Olympic Games but for Muslim woman and each sport, so I play. I'm not playing anymore because I have some bigger tournament. (Laughter.)

Q. You played today against the Australian Open champion and nearly beaten her. You must really like your chances of doing something in Melbourne next week?
ARAVANE REZAI: You know the first round here was pretty tough for me, also the second round against Agnes is Szavay. It's always difficult to play first and second round. It's most important match because it's always the tough one.
To win this kind of match it's very important. So in Melbourne, you know, I know it's gonna be very difficult, because I will play first round against someone ranking not higher than me because I'm seed player.
So it's my first time this happen and first time I'm seed player in Grand Slam. So I will try to play without pressure and, you know, try to fight, what I did here first match and second match. Probably after few match I will play better and better.

Q. You must feel some confidence. You've beaten Pennetta, No. 12, you've taken the No. 1 to three sets. You must feel like you're playing as well as anybody?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yeah, I think I have confident because I play tough match first match against Anna-Lena Groeneveld, and Agnes Szavay and it was pretty tough match that. Helped me to be more confident against Flavia. She's better be than me in ranking, and that's why I could play better also against Serena, because she's No. 1. So I have nothing to lose, and I just play my game.
So in Australian Open I have to play with...

Q. Same attitude?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes.

Q. Is Serena's mental toughness what makes her No. 1 as much as actual game itself? Just the fight she's got in every match, is that what sets her a little bit above everyone else?
ARAVANE REZAI: I don't understand your question.

Q. Her mental toughness, is that what sets her above everyone else?
ARAVANE REZAI: I think she's a fighter and her mental is very strong. I wasn't impressed, but I knew that she will fight. That's her game, that's how she plays. So I knew. I watch her game a few -- more than few times, and I know how she play.
Probably she don't know how I play. Probably it was more difficult for her to play against me. You know, her mental, I know she's a fighter. I am a fighter also. I wanted to show today I play also great.
And, you know, tennis, I said it's up and down. Today I lost. Probably next time I won. But I will try my best always.

Q. You wear very distinctive clothing on court. Talk about that.
ARAVANE REZAI: I have a designer and she's from Iran and she live in France and have double nationality like me. She's designer and make clothes for me, and try to make something different than other players.
This year we made something gold and black, and that's pretty fun.

Q. How did you link up with her?
ARAVANE REZAI: She's one of my friend, and she's -- she help me to have a new design, new clothes. I ask her to have a new clothes, and she's a pretty good designer. We try to make something together, and that's great.

Q. So the the inspiration sort of disco?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yeah, disco. Yeah. It was shiny with the sun. I like to be different, you know, to wear different clothes. It's always fun when, you know, it's a little bit fashion on court.
Many players wear the same clothes and always the same color. I don't want this. I want to be different. That's why.

End of FastScripts

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