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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2010

Ana Ivanovic

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

A. SEVASTOVA/A. Ivanovic
6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just talk about your feelings about your level and the match, what you think happened.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, you know, it's tough, because I really felt a lot more confident, you know, over last few weeks practicing with Heinz. We worked on a lot of things, and it was going really, really well.
Today was, you know, completely different kind of match. I never saw her play before, so it was -- I didn't know little bit what to expect. It was really slow. She played really slow. I felt like I had to generate all the pace kind of thing.
I was actually -- I felt like I was tracking the ball well, but it was very, very slow. I just felt -- I mishit a lot of the balls. I also thought she couldn't really hurt me with anything, but I also couldn't finish the point. So it was kind of frustrating. It was, you know, a fight out there.
Yeah, just disappointed I didn't find the answers. Had a lot of opportunities, I think. Obviously the beginning of the match was a little bit difficult. If I would have won that first game I think it might have been a little bit different story, as well.

Q. Do you think you lost your confidence because you're not winning, or is it a combination of you're just not playing as well as you would like to?
ANA IVANOVIC: I think at first it came because I just didn't have enough practice, and I sort of felt like it was lots of little bits and piece was injuries. It was kind of Catch-22, so I didn't feel confident enough to play and still -- or like ready enough to play.
And then I would play and then I lost, and so then obviously confidence goes. So it kind of was on a roll.

Q. What particularly are you and Heinz working on, and what are you trying to implement in your matches going forward?
ANA IVANOVIC: We are actually working a lot on hitting lots of balls and getting -- obviously now with the loss of confidence that I had, I got very stiff. I was like pulling up out of a lot of shots and just not committing enough, and I wasn't striking the ball through and as well as I did in the past.
So we tried to work a lot on that. So hitting through the balls and just moving forward and hitting actually lots of balls. Obviously working on my serve as well. Just adding few bits and pieces here and there.
But, you know, there is still so many things to work. And, you know, I spoke to Heinz. You know, he had said as well it's not going to happen overnight. You know, I kind of felt really good over past few weeks, and in New York I played really well. So I was very excited about that.
Yeah, so it's kind of hard.

Q. Practice is a lot different than matches, eh?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it is a lot different, obviously. I also played a lot of practice matches. I played more than 15, 20 practice matches, because that's exactly what I need, a practice match.
But, again, it's different when you are sort of in a tournament and when you play against girls. So yeah, it's a lot different.
I guess I just have to sort of go through that and try to work hard off the court. And, you know, with the workloads that we did over past few weeks, it's been a lot different than what I've done in the past or last year and a half.
So it's kind of work that will give me confidence again. It's a lot more intense and a lot more balls have been hit. And also, I try to also integrate fitness into that, some sort of explosive movements and stuff. I can see benefits already, but, yeah, sometimes I guess it takes longer than you want to.

Q. So it's hard to maintain your patience because you're not used to the process of losing? You were used to the process of winning, eh?
ANA IVANOVIC: Oh, yeah, I think it's the hardest part. And also out there during the match, I feel good and I feel confident, so, you know, I want to hit the ball like I hit before, and then mistake comes. You're like, Oh, shall I really go for that or shall I maybe pull back? I just have to keep hitting it in the same way, you know, because that's the way the ball should be hit.
You know, so I just have to keep that mindset when I also play my matches. Today after a long, long time, I actually felt a lot freer out there, and I felt like I created all the chances for myself. Just, you know, here a few important points went on her side, I think.
And there was so many close games and I had so many break chances that I didn't use. She actually served quite well in most of them.

Q. I like to use the word "fun" when it comes to professional athletes. If you're having fun, you tend to do better. When you're not winning, it's not so much fun.
ANA IVANOVIC: It's not fun.

Q. So, I mean, is there a way to say, I'm going to try and make it fun so your confidence does come back and you forget about some of the other stuff?
ANA IVANOVIC: That's the thing. Today actually I kind of enjoyed being out there, even though, you know, I was losing and it was hard.
But I actually tried to have fun after long, long time. It feels a lot better, because obviously, you know, you breathe through and you feel freer, and that's what I did out there today.
But it also comes with a little bit of confidence. Because in the past, you know, I didn't feel confident stepping on the court, so you kind of go into yourself and you become so tense and preoccupied with everything else, and it doesn't become anymore about the match. It's just so much about yourself.
So I really felt completely different today. So that was one of the good things. But, yeah, unfortunately it's a process.

Q. Do you consider playing doubles just to get a few more matches, make it a little more fun, take the pressure off?
ANA IVANOVIC: I might. I might. I really haven't talked at all about it with Heinz. Obviously I chose not to play because of all -- because of my shoulder, as well.
But, yeah, maybe. Maybe it will be a good thing just to get a lot more matches, because still you have to perform under kind of match situation and pressure.

Q. She was very steady tonight. You have to give her credit for that.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Were you hoping she might just dip a little bit at some time?
ANA IVANOVIC: To be honest, I was hoping for one or two more unforced errors. But she's definitely a player who won't beat herself. You just have to work really hard out there. I was prepared to stay out there until midnight and try to work out a way to win.
But she just -- I felt like she just got to every ball. I felt conditions were quite slow tonight. It obviously suits her game, because it's quite slow. I think the only time she generated some pace was actually when I did.

Q. Do you get a lot of people trying to give you advice?
ANA IVANOVIC: More than you can imagine. (laughter.)
More than you can imagine. I know it's a lot of people, you know, just want to have best interest in how I play, but sometimes it can be too much.

Q. Is there any weird advice you've heard, or what's the strangest...
ANA IVANOVIC: I try to block them out because it's really hard. I like to sort of take everything deep and analyzing, thinking, you know, maybe there is something right in that. But it all became too much.

End of FastScripts

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