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BARCLAYS DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS WOMEN

February 15, 2010

Selima Sfar

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

V. RAZZANO/S. Sfar
6-2,6-2

Q. Final year? Playing for one last season?
SELIMA SFAR: Yeah, it's true. That's probably true.

Q. Probably true?
SELIMA SFAR: I'm thinking about it very seriously. It's a good 80% true. I have a lot of stuff like this to decide. All this stuff that's been my life. And it's just I have little problems.
I love the game, but I start really having enough with competing, you know. The competition side, the stress, the pressure, the winning, the fighting, the one beats the other one, this side is really tiring me a lot.
But I love practicing. Yeah, I play. I'm disappointed because I know I play much better in practice time, but I really cannot handle the pressure and the stress on the competition side, I guess.

Q. Why? Is it just the pressure or is it also the motivation?
SELIMA SFAR: Well, you know what? I'm trying to figure it out. Lately it's been a year-and-a-half where I'm struggling quite a lot. I mean, two years ago I was close to 100. Got in, got out. Had some good weeks.
But since two years, year-and-a-half, I've had some difficulties with my personal life at the same time the tennis. So I think too much tension at the same time got me to the point of I don't want the tension anymore.
But really it would be easier for me to decide if I didn't like tennis anymore, but I like tennis still. I've been practicing since four months like crazy without any match. I love it. If I could make my job just practicing, not competing, I would go for it for sure (smiling). I would be Top 10 in the world (smiling).

Q. How emotional was it here for you because you have supporters here and fans?
SELIMA SFAR: You know, it was, I think, for me I love play here. That's where I do my best results. I have to thank again Mr. Salah Tahlak for having faith in me, supporting me, giving me again the wildcard. But at the end, it's more disappointing for me to be there and not being able to be at the level I want to be at.
So it's more sad than frustrating at the end. So, that's why for me it's like I go round like this. I probably have to stop. I don't know. Playing doubles is much easier. At least I have a partner I can laugh with, and have fun and forget about the competition. But I will decide that at the end of the year. But there is a really good chance.

Q. In the past, you've spoken about you wanting to have some other peers from the region also playing this way, going on the tour and traveling in tournaments. How disappointed or how will you feel about that?
SELIMA SFAR: You know, after just 16 years of career, I got used to it. You know, I'm still having hope for some players to come out. I know it's tough. I know how tough it is, so I'm not in a position to be criticizing anybody because I know how tough it is and how much it takes. So I really hope for them to, I don't know --

Q. Do you see any who are coming up?
SELIMA SFAR: At the top player? There is this girl (indiscernible), she had a good week first round, so its encouraging. But still -- I mean, she's got to keep going. Everybody's got to support her.
But for the moment, yeah, it's still far away. You know, there are 35 tournaments we play, and every week is so tough, and everyone wants to win, and the competition's getting so tough. So, no, it's not easy.

Q. If you won today, you're going to play Tathiana Garbin?
SELIMA SFAR: You know what? Actually, I'm not saying this in any bad way at all. But since during matches, I'm finding it hard to find the motivation, the fight, this anger inside. And I wanted to win so much. I was hoping in a way to get a draw like this. Because without any bad meaning, I know it would be something that would motivate me and I would want to do really well.
And it's something that -- I don't know. I didn't personally like what happened last year. I have nothing personal against her, absolutely nothing. But I think the way it happened last year it wasn't very fair on the tournament. So, yeah, it would have probably given me something more, but she's a great player.

Q. You're still young. And today we saw --
SELIMA SFAR: Oh, you're the first one who tell me that. I love it. I love it.

Q. You still have players that are more than 30 years today, and they are still playing?
SELIMA SFAR: For sure, you know what, I love what you say. I tell you something --

Q. How old?
SELIMA SFAR: Since two years -- I'm 32. Since two years, I never heard that, I always heard, You're 32. When are you quitting? You're 32. When are you quitting? And it's very tough. It's just tough to get it all like this. And it's nice to hear this (smiling).

Q. Maybe because this whole thing of experience and how much you have assimilated and how much it can possibly help you later.
SELIMA SFAR: You know what? That's why I'm giving myself the chance this year. I'm not supposed to say that now, but this 2010 year, I'm going to go and play as much tournaments as I can even though I'm struggling competing, because I want to give myself a chance to see. To see where it gets me by the end of the year.
I didn't do it for two years, because I had two really tough years for me personally-wise. So I'm giving myself 2010 to go 100%. Play all over the world. Do small tournaments again. By the end of the year, we'll see what happens.

End of FastScripts

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