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June 19, 2010
LONDON, ENGLAND
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Are you feeling confident coming into this year's Wimbledon?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yeah, I feel good because, you know, to win something important is a fantastic feeling.
But now is different surface, is different weather. I think I have to really stay concentrate and focus because nothing is for free. But it's good.
Q. How do you find grass?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Tough (laughter). I found fast, sometimes slow. You have to really play every point 100%. It's fantastic surface, but you have to find a good feeling.
Q. You reached the quarterfinals here last year. Does that give you confidence and hope?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yeah, of course. That's good for me to know that I have a chance. Here in this surface, you have to take the opportunity when you build the points.
So I look forward to see what's going happen.
Q. Is it easy to stay focused after all what happened since your win in Roland Garros?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Nothing is easy. I mean, is first time. For sure I'm learning many things, new things. But in the same times, I can say that if I don't play tennis, I can't win.
So I have to come back and play at the best.
Q. You say you learned something. What did you learn exactly?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Exactly? There are many things to organize, many things to do. For example, this one is a new job for me to give you my interview, to stay in front of TV and explain who I am and what I do. So is a new step.
And then on the court, for sure I keep going to work on my quality. Is good.
Q. Who are the most dangerous opponents on grass?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Who? In eight years, the Williams won everything, so I think them. But every players are tough because in the woman, they like to play low and at this level. In the other surface, you can change a lot. Here you can go from here to down.
Everyone are good.
Q. What makes the Williams sisters so strong on grass?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Oh, you have to ask to them how they feel when they play here.
I think big power, big confidence after all the years that they win. They are great anyway in every surface. But they prefer grass. Everybody have a surface, preferred surface.
Q. Was it easy to be back on court and train after the celebration? How did you find it difficult to come back on a training court?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yeah, to training is not mean to think about celebration. When you practice and you training, you have to stay focused. If you win one Grand Slam, 10 Grand Slam, or if you are 100 in the world, is the same history: you have to practice and be in the court, give the best.
I think now the most important thing is to find a good balance, good feeling with the grass. That's all. Everybody play tennis good, so it's important to find the way to give the best that you have.
Q. Are you watching the World Cup these days? What did you think about the first game of Italy?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: We start always like this. We like it. We have a good character. We have a mixed team between old players and young players. Tomorrow I think, yeah, Sunday?
Q. 3 p.m.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: We have a good chance, a good opportunity. We just have to catch it. You can see everybody have a good level. Everybody are two points and not four or more points. It mean that there is a big competition between one and the other one.
I hope we win.
Q. Do you still think a lot about what happened in Paris? Is it still bright in your mind?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: You remember all the time this. I try to say, I am here and I play Wimbledon. But everybody are curious. So I have to keep going with the minds to go two weeks ago.
Q. Do you like the extra attention that it has brought you? Do you appreciate it?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I like the people that come close to me and say, Oh, you give me a big emotion, of course. I play tennis for this. But when I have to come here, no (laughter). I like less.
Q. Do you find that your fellow professionals treat you or look at you in a slightly different way now that you're a Grand Slam winner?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No. The people that know me, no, because was like this before and I am exactly the same. When I arrived to the airport in Italy, they said, Now you are important. What do you think about?
And I say, No, I always been important. It's just that now I won something.
I don't have a different feeling with the people that I know. But, of course, the people around that they don't know me, they come to see, they touch me. But I say, I am human. Sometimes is nice. Sometimes is nice and sometimes you want to be alone, but is good.
Q. How did you feel to meet Mr. Berlusconi?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Oh, he's great. Out of politics. When you say Silvio Berlusconi, I say, Sorry. They answer, Is too late.
I think he's a great person, big energy. He's very fast mentally, and he can jump from to speak about food to speak about woman to speak about tennis. He is fantastic. I repeat out of politics, I don't care, and I didn't speak about this.
He can be really something from nothing. It's very interesting to speak with him.
Q. Were you proud to make the cover of the sport daily instead of football? It's very rare in Italy.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Si. Yes. Was funny, was interesting, was big emotion because I didn't know then. Soccer in Italy is absolutely the first sport. And to have four or five in Gazzetta dello Sport or Corriere dello Sport is mean we touch really high level.
End of FastScripts
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