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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 14, 2010

Jie Zheng

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

J. ZHENG/M. Sharapova
6-2, 2-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A big win. What changed between the second and third set?
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, I think it's tough match, because second set I think I still have some chance, or have lot of game played deuce is long time, but bad luck.
But is good fighting for final set. I think it's 2-3 down, and I come back to 6-3. It's not easy. I'm so tired. When she called the trainer, I called my coach. I said, Oh, I have time for rest. Coach tell me, Keep fighting. Give me more confidence. Yeah.

Q. Did you try to make her move a lot? It seemed like you wanted her running as much as you could.
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, exactly. My coach tell me I need give her move -- if she stay there, I never have chance. She play so hard and so aggressive, yeah.

Q. Did you feel like you were on the court with a giant?
JIE ZHENG: She's giant? What is giant?
THE MODERATOR: A very tall person. Big person.
JIE ZHENG: Oh, it's okay. That's okay. (laughter.)
I'm so small. I feel everybody is tall for me, than me. But I think she's not feel so good for serve right now. So before the match, my coach tell me I need give her more -- push her more to her second serve. Yeah.

Q. Could you tell, did her level drop at all after the trainer came out to work on her arm in the third set?
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, she called the trainer come out, but in the final set I'm still tired. I'm so tired. Then she called the trainer, I think about, oh, good chance for give me time for rest.
So I call the coach. Also my husband coming to the court and then talk something.

Q. What did they tell you?
JIE ZHENG: They just say, Oh, you do so good. Then before the match, he tell me if I win this match tomorrow, I can go to outlet for shopping, yeah. (laughter.)

Q. How much confidence did your run to the semifinals in Australia give you?
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, I think is big confidence you can see from today, because I have play Maria lots of time before, but never win.
I think before this match we have play in Hong Kong. I also have the chance for win, beat her, but I think I need more confidence.
But after the Australian Open I can believe I can do more and more.

Q. Will you go shopping for anything special tomorrow?
JIE ZHENG: I want shoes and handbag, yeah. My husband say if I win this match, I buy everything check or credit card. (laughter.)
It's good power for today.

Q. What happens when you win the tournament? What did he say?
JIE ZHENG: Oh, yeah, it's good question. (laughter.) Yeah. After here, I need ask my husband.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your next match?
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, next match I guess is Molik. It's not easy. I lost her Dubai this year. She is very good player. She just come back, but I think she still dangerous. I need be careful.
I don't want think too much. I have one day for rest. Shopping first. Then after shopping, I have lots time for thinking how I play with her.

Q. In this match today, did you get the feeling that she was trying to stay out of rallies? She seemed to be playing sort of quick-strike kind of tennis. She was trying to win hit winners off your serve on every point.
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, I can feel she go to the match. Then she play so hard, she try play more aggressive. But I try to serve to her body more, because she have long arm. If I serve too wide, it's easy to hit winner. My serve always go to her body.

Q. At 1-1 in the second set, you had a game that lasted about 20 minutes.
JIE ZHENG: Yes.

Q. It went to deuce eight times, and you finally lost it on an overrule by the chair. I would think that would have been pretty tough to accept, to overcome.
JIE ZHENG: I think this time is very tough for both, because we always fight every ball. I think not for one game. In second set we have lot of game play long time, but I lost three games at second set 1-1 and three games it's deuce I lost.
Then I called the coach is coming. The coach just tell me, Oh, bad luck. You no lucky, but you still play good. So I think this is the where important, gave me the power. Sometime you fighting but you still lost.

Q. When Charlie Pasarell and I came to China and trained coaches in 1979, there weren't many players in China. Now are there thousands of young players in China?
JIE ZHENG: Yeah, now is more and more, I think, and also have lot of tennis club. Tennis school is coming, yeah.

Q. When you started your career, did you imagine that you have this level of today?
JIE ZHENG: I don't understand.

Q. Did you imagine that you will be so high?
THE MODERATOR: When you started to play tennis, did you think you would be this good?
JIE ZHENG: Oh, no. No, because I started tennis in China. We don't have the television for watch the Grand Slam. I just thinking about national champions very good. So right now I think the children and the kids have lot of chance for watch the big tournaments, yeah.
Also, we have the China Open in Beijing. I think is very good for Chinese tennis.

End of FastScripts

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