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BARCLAYS DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS WOMEN

February 18, 2010

Na Li

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

S. PEER/N. Li
7-5, 3-0 (retired)

Q. Tell us about it? What is it?
NA LI: End of the first set, I was hit a high backhand, and then I heard like crack, and I was feeling like, Oh, my God. And after the first set I called official, and she checked. And then I went and tried two more games. But, after, I was feeling like worse, so I was, yeah, pulled out.

Q. Do you know exactly what it is?
NA LI: No, because later I will see the doctor, yeah.

Q. Have you ever had back problems before?
NA LI: No, no, first time, yeah.

Q. What did it feel like? You can't move?
NA LI: No, feeling just like the pain like needles. Yeah, so if you like bend forward or back, it was just feeling like tight. And then not so safe, yeah.

Q. What did you think about your performance?
NA LI: What you mean?

Q. Did you play well? You looked to play well at certain times?
NA LI: No, actually I have a chance to win first set at set point. But, I mean, she was fighting a lot on the court. I was miss a lot today.

Q. You were going for a lot. You were taking a few risks, positive?
NA LI: I was doing well today. I don't know -- I don't know.

Q. Do you have any regrets? You must have come with some sort of a goal coming to Dubai? After the semifinal in Australia, you come, you want to do well. Do you have any regrets?
NA LI: I mean, if you do well in the Melbourne semifinal, you couldn't play every tournament in the semifinal. I mean, this is tennis. Only one tournament you can do well. You could play best in second tournament and third tournament. I mean, the players are always up and down.

Q. Have you been back to China since Melbourne?
NA LI: Yeah, I have.

Q. What was the atmosphere like after what the two of you did?
NA LI: Oh, only to Beijing 36 hours, and Wednesday, in Beijing they have an office. So they have a media, meeting me and Zheng Jie because both players come to the semifinal, yeah. And then I would leaving same night to Munich.

Q. Did you feel more famous?
NA LI: Of course (laughing).

Q. Has your life changed after that?
NA LI: Not really. I still can walk on the street. I still can do anything I want. Yeah, just more people ask to take the photo, signature, that stuff.

Q. Do you mind that? Do you enjoy that or does it become a little bit intrusive sometimes?
NA LI: No, I enjoy that because many people know you, why not?

Q. I mean, I can only speak from experience of Shanghai in the men's event, but there are people waiting outside the hotel all day and all night just to have their pictures taken with Rafa or Djokovic or Murray or somebody?
NA LI: Oh, really?

Q. So, clearly, tennis players are very famous in China?
NA LI: I don't live in Shanghai, so I didn't know that.

Q. No, I know, but is Shanghai that different to Beijing then?
NA LI: I'm not in Beijing also.

Q. Oh.
NA LI: Yeah, so I didn't know. I mean, I received the fans is different, so you never know.

Q. Did you find it strange playing on that court with the security, a long way away from the Centre Court?
NA LI: Maybe a little bit, but not too much.

Q. Not too much?
NA LI: Yeah. I know they want to make safe. I understand. Yeah, so, yeah, not so change. Not so special.

Q. Didn't affect the way you played at all?
NA LI: No, I mean, I just played my tennis. I don't think about bodyguard, something, yeah. I just play my tennis.
I mean, this is normal court. So nothing special.

Q. Do you have any feeling about she has dealt with all of that? Shahar Peer is going through all of that.
NA LI: Maybe, if I have a chance, we should change life and then maybe I know how's her feeling.

Q. How good a player is she?
NA LI: How good?

Q. Uh-huh.
NA LI: I would like to say --

Q. You're Top 10 now. Could she become Top 10?
NA LI: It's really hard to answer. I mean, everyone has a chance to come to Top 10. It's like what do you play a tournament, how do you do in a tournament? How do you do in a Grand Slam? Yeah, hopefully, she will.

Q. Having reached the Top 10, what can you do now? What's the next goal you could aim for?
NA LI: Hopefully, I can play Champions this year, like end of the year, end of the season. Yeah, also this year we have Asia Games, so hopefully I can do well also in Asia Games.

Q. And other Grand Slams?
NA LI: Of course, yeah.

Q. How special will be the Asian Games since it's going to be in China?
NA LI: How special? Still have one year. Not one year, ten months. So I have many things I can do. How special? If you've been going, you'll know how special it is.

Q. We don't know how big the Asian Games is, you know. We know how big the Olympic Games is, but where does it stand in priorities for you, say, in Grand Slams or that sort of thing?
NA LI: Well, I mean, Asia Games were after -- I think after the season finishes right? So, yeah, I mean, it's not same time. So we can focus Grand Slam first, and then focus Asia Games. Yeah.

End of FastScripts

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