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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 15, 2010

Jelena Jankovic

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

J. JANKOVIC/S. Errani
2-6, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was quite an adventure. The second set you served for it and you have all the set points, and then she gets even with the dropshot, you come all the way back. How did you stay mentally positive?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, but overall, you know, I thought it was a tough match, you know, mentally, more than, you know, physically. But physically also, but mentally, you know, I thought it was really tough because, you know, she played really well.
But I made a lot of errors. I couldn't really stay in the -- play consistently the whole time, you know. I would play a couple points well, and then I was just give away, you know, a lot of points.
Then I would just give, in a way, a lot of gifts. I just couldn't keep, you know, my concentration, you know, throughout the whole time. So I had a lot of ups and downs. I was down a set at 4-2 and managed to, again, you know, win that set in the tiebreaker.
And then again in the third I was down 4-2, Love-40 to go down 5-2, almost two breaks, I think. It was really a battle out there, and I just tried to stay positive as much as I could. I just tried to fight for every point and kept going and kept going, you know, and I was able to win at the end. I'm really -- I happy to get through this match.

Q. When you say you lose it mentally, where do you go? Where does your mind go?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, it's difficult, because you really get angry at yourself because you're making errors and you shouldn't be making those errors.
I mean, so you're getting -- for sure, you're getting frustrated, and those are the times where you have to just be a little bit easier on yourself and just regroup and just play the next point and keep playing. You know, things are gonna come.
That's what I believed, you know. I said, you know, I can still win this match even though I'm not playing, you know, my best tennis or good tennis. But, you know, I'm still out there, I still have a chance and I'm going, and that's what I did.

Q. You said it was more mental than physical, but that was a long match and some long rallies. Did you feel it at all on your legs and your lungs?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, I was getting tired, for sure. You know, I think the center court is a little bit slower than some other courts, so there was some long rallies. You know, my opponent was getting a lot of balls back. You know, she wasn't making mistakes, either, you know. She just kept putting the balls back. So I had to work really hard. You know, it was not easy, to be honest. It was really hard.
At the end, you know, I was able to win. So that is something that it's, you know, the most important thing, and I get to play tomorrow.

Q. Seemed like you played very well from one 1-4 down in the third, and you were taking charge of the rallies.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, you know, like I said, I had a lot of ups and downs. I would play badly had I couple of games, and when I would play well, I started playing well, I thought I was dominating. She couldn't play. She couldn't keep up with me.
Then I would drop done the level again and I would start making the errors and I wouldn't move my feet and I wouldn't make a lot of first serves. You know, then it becomes really tough.
But, you know, those are the times I said to myself, I got to keep going. I have to do the best that I can, you know, in those situations, and, you know, fight for every point.
You know, I was able to come back, you know, and especially in the third. It was almost 5-2, but then I won.

Q. What was the worst thought you had during the match?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know what was the worst. I never thought I would lose the match. I just, you know -- I just, you know, one point at a time. I knew I can still win it, I'm was still there, and I just fought very well. That's what I did, and that's what got me through the match.
Sometimes you don't play well. There are days when you don't -- when you don't feel your balls, your opponent plays really, really well, and those are the times you have to stay really strong mentally and get through these kind of matches. It was really hard for me, but I managed to do it.

Q. How does a match like that affect you for the rest of the tournament? Does it help you, or is it exhausting?
JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, tomorrow I have a match, so I just, you know, I hope that I will recover very well. I just had a massage. You know, I play fifth match after 11:00, so I have some time to recover, and we'll see how things will go.
But for sure, you know, every win gives you more and more confidence. The more you're winning, the better you feel, even though you don't play sometimes your best tennis. But when you win not playing, you know, the way you hope you going to play, that's what matters.

Q. Did you play aggressively enough for your own liking?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah. You know, there was times where I played aggressively, and then I would, you know, win a couple of games and then I just started making all these errors and then I would somehow like go back up a little bit, because I just started making a lot of errors. I would give a lot of free points to my opponent.
Then I said, you know, I cannot be doing that. My opponent was put a lot of balls back. She wouldn't miss a ball, and I was doing, you know, everything. I would miss, and then when I was on a roll, when I would hit, you know, I don't know, couple of winners and would win a couple of games, but then I would just lose a lot of games with playing really -- I have no idea what I would be doing out there on the court. (laughter.)
But, you know, I think, you know, I need these kind of matches, you know, just to be in these kind of situations. It's been a while since I played, you know, a lot of matches, and I think winning these kind of matches gives me a lot of confidence.
You know, the more I play, I think the better I will get. So I'm happy that I was able to get through this match and get another chance tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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