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WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2010

Vera Zvonareva

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is fitness okay after your doubles?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, felt pretty good on the court. I think we actually played really well with my partner; didn't spend many hours on the court.
It was great, and I'm very excited about, you know, our win today.

Q. How will you spend the rest of the day? Serena said she's going to be watching Desperate Housewives.
VERA ZVONAREVA: No, I ran out of those (smiling). I'm just joking.
You know, just relaxing, getting some treatment. Yeah, maybe watching a little bit of some semifinal, men's semifinals. That's about it.

Q. Can you draw much on your previous matches with her, or they've been so long ago there's not much relevance?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, there is always something you can remember about those matches and use it for the future. But I know that it's going to be a new day. I never played her on the grass. It's going to be a very tough challenge.
You know, Serena is one of the greatest players and also greatest champions. So it's not going to be easy. But, you know, I'm going to go out there and try my best.

Q. Do you remember the first time you dreamt of this moment, making the final?
VERA ZVONAREVA: You mean like in general?

Q. Yes.
VERA ZVONAREVA: You know, I think every single kid who is watching TV and watching Wimbledon on TV wants to be in the final, wants to take part at Wimbledon and then eventually be champion of it.
So I think, uhm, everyone who eventually became a professional tennis player has this dream since they're very young.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about your studies in diplomacy. Are you actively studying?
VERA ZVONAREVA: At the moment, no. I had to take one year off. It's a three-year course. I had take one year off due to the surgery and all these things, and I was not able to keep up.
I still had to do couple exams this year to finish from the previous one. But starting September, it's gonna be my last year. So I will have to, you know, start taking some classes and showing up.

Q. What are some of the classes you envision taking?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Uhm, well, my favorite one was in the international economic relations. That's the class.
Also world diplomacy. International affairs. That was very interesting one. And a little bit of statistics and world trade organization. Those are my favorite ones.

Q. I don't mean to be rude, but could you talk a little bit about your emotions. You had a great display in Charleston and some other places.
VERA ZVONAREVA: Tennis is an emotional sport. If you don't have any emotions, you will never be able to win. You know, you go out there to give your best. And, you know, sometimes you just -- I think, you know, it doesn't matter how emotional, what you show; it's more important what you have in there. If you believe in yourself or you don't, or you know what to tell yourself or you don't know what to tell yourself.
It doesn't mean if I break the racquet I'm going to stop playing or something. No. I think with an experience and maturity, I learn a lot about myself, and I know where I have to pump myself up and where I have to calm myself down. That's the most important thing.
But emotions, I think they're good. They should be there. It's sport. It shows that you care, that you trying your best out there.

Q. Novak just double-faulted at a key point and smashed his racquet and then got a warning. Do you think in any way that the rules might be a little bit too tight?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, I think if you look back at those times when John McEnroe used to play, he used to do whatever he wanted and he never got fined or penalized. I think sometimes they're strict.
You know, there are some times you can just bounce the racquet back and it breaks. In the rule, it's automatic fine or whatever. You know, it's something -- it's part of the game. Emotions are part of the game.
Of course, you cannot just throw the racquets all the time and say things. But sometimes a little show of emotions I think is good. It should be there. Otherwise we also become like robots, you know. It's difficult.
On the court you don't see the differences between players because they're not allowed to express themselves sometimes.

Q. Do you think your emotions have gotten in the way of your success, or is that a misperception?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Uhm, I don't know. I don't care what everyone says, whatever everyone thinks.

Q. Has it been something you've had to learn how to deal with?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, of course. But I think it's not only emotions, you know, it's something that comes with experience. It's how you go out there and how you able to bring the best out of yourself on the court.
It's what you learn along the way. You know, you can get sometimes emotional and play your best tennis; and then you see the most calmest person in the world, tennis player who never says anything, who is never upsets about anything and could never win a match.
What's better? You know, you never know. It's whatever helps yourself to perform the best way.

Q. Have you had much opportunity to watch Serena this Wimbledon? If so, what do you make of her serve? It seems rather powerful at the moment.
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I got the chance to play her in doubles, so I got the feeling of how she plays. But Serena is very talented player. She can serve hard, but she can also serve with a precision. She doesn't need to use the full power. You know, she can really put the balls on the lines, and that's what makes it difficult against her.
But, you know, I got the feeling in the doubles, you know, she serves well, but there are many good players that serve well, as well. She's not the only one.
So, you know, we will see tomorrow what's gonna happen.

Q. How about the rest of her game?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, she's No. 1 in the world, you know. She's a very good player. But, you know, it's hard to say. She has an all-over-the-court game that is very good. But she lost a few matches in the past. It's always possible to beat her.
I think I will just have to find my way tomorrow. I will just have to try to play the game that's bothering her the most.

Q. I think the general feeling is that you're not going to have any more of those outward emotional outbursts. Listening to what you're saying, I'm not sure you would feel that way. Do you think you still might break a racquet?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, of course. Yeah, of course. It happens. You know, sometimes you need to do it. You cannot keep everything inside. If you're not happy about yourself, sometimes you need to break the racquet and move on.
If there is something inside of you that's stopping you from bringing the best out of the yourself, you need to scream at yourself, pump yourself up, break that racquet, I will do it if I know it will help me to perform better. Why not?

Q. You talked about international economic relations. If you win tomorrow, there will be quite an international economic happening. Will you be pleased with the money you earned? Secondly, can you imagine lifting the plate at the end?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, you know, first of all, I'm thinking about my match tomorrow. I really don't care about anything else. I think in my head right now it's about how I'm gonna go out there and how I'm gonna try to do my best.
Everything else around, I don't think about it.

Q. Why is it happening for you right now?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Uhm, I don't know. You know, I think sometimes it's hard work, sometimes it's experience, sometimes it's maturity, everything together. Maybe if you put all these things together, that will bring the results.
You know, it's very difficult to say why now and why not two years ago, why not if five years. I don't know what's gonna happen in the future. But I'm just trying to live in the moment. I'm trying to enjoy this moment and trying to do my best.

End of FastScripts

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