	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

CHINA OPEN

October 3, 2010

Alisa Kleybanova

BEIJING, CHINA

A. KLEYBANOVA/J. Lu
6-1, 6-0

THE INTERPRETER: Questions, please.

Q. How do you feel about the condition of the court? How do you feel about your performance today?
ALISA KLEYBANOVA: Well, it was a good match. I played well today and was very, you know, consistent. I played my game aggressive during the whole match, so I think this was very helpful for me, and that's how I was able to win pretty easy.
But it's pretty difficult to play now because it's a bit of wind, and, you know, I think for everybody is a little bit struggling. But it's not too strong, so it doesn't affect the game that much. So just a little bit, you know, some stress things from the weather.
But in general, it's my second time that I am playing here, and I like a lot the tournament and the courts are very nice. I really enjoy it during the matches, so there is nothing more I can say. It's very good.

Q. (Through translation.) Today you played a good match. This year your performance is very consistent. You have even beat the Clijsters in big matches. Do you think in a few years' time you and Pavlyuchenkova and Wozniacki will be able to replace the status of the Williams sisters in the WTA Tour?
ALISA KLEYBANOVA: Well, Wozniacki is already in the top 2 and pretty close to be No. 1, so I would say that she is -- she's a little bit in front of me and Anastasia, but I think that we have very good chances, because we are playing already good tennis and we've beaten some of the top players.
We always, you know, trying to step up and I think it's just a matter of a little bit of time and also, you know, confidence and playing more and more tournaments. I'm pretty sure that we can do that. And, you know, Russian tennis is very strong at the moment, so I think young players, at the end, they will -- it's gonna come one day that they're gonna replace some players that are at the top for the moment.
It's always -- you know, it's always gonna be like this. It's just a matter of time. I'm really looking forward to that it's gonna happen sooner.

Q. Please say something about today's opponent because she is a promising player in China.
ALISA KLEYBANOVA: Okay. Well, I mean, there are many young players from China obviously that I have seen during past two years, especially this year, that they're coming on tour and they have made some surprise win against top player -- wins against top players already, so, I mean, for me it's always -- when I have to play against somebody from China, even if I don't know the player, I always have to be ready for, you know, for a fight, and that it's gonna be -- it's never not gonna be an easy match.
Also, today the scores shows 6-1, 6-0, but it wasn't that easy. I was playing very well, and I didn't make any mistakes, so that's why I was able to win the important points and to go forward and to not give many chances to the opponent.
But she plays very aggressive tennis, and I would say that she passed quallies, she's beat some very good players. I know I have played against them. It's not easy. I think she has a good road to go forward with the game that she has, because now woman's tennis is very powerful, and the game she plays, it's aggressive and it's definitely not easy to play against.
It's just the question maybe more experience, and, you know, she needs to play more to have some wins and to get confidence.
But it's definitely not an easy opponent to win against, and I think that she can really do well in the future.

Q. (Through translation.) Your next round you will be very likely to meet the Chinese top player, Li Na. How would you assess the performance of Li Na?
ALISA KLEYBANOVA: I have never played against Li Na, and she's a great player. She's very good, in the top, and she has been playing very well also this year, did some good results in the Grand Slams and is a very tough player to play against, especially here that she will have all the support from the crowd. But first of all, she has to win against another Russian player today, so you never can say for sure who I'm gonna play in the next round until it's finished.
But anyways, it will be interesting for me to play against her. I'm really looking forward to it, because it's gonna be our first meeting, and I think it will be a good challenge for me.

Q. As we know, maybe today is an easy win for you but a little frustrating for your opponent. To win some important games in big tournaments, it's very important for young players to gain confidence. How do you think the Chinese player, how can they improve their game, especially for young girls as your own experience?
ALISA KLEYBANOVA: Well, I have been seeing many good Chinese players so far. I mean, it's also Na Li, Shuai Peng, Jie Zheng, you know, they are very good level of tennis, and I think that Chinese tennis is really growing now and they know what they are doing, because they have been bringing, for last couple of years, very good players.
So I think that it's not something that they don't know. I think that they are doing all the right things. They are supporting a lot the young players, young kids, and they help them a lot for, you know, for improving and traveling and playing big tournaments, trying to get confidence to win some big matches.
Of course sometimes you have frustrating losses, but it's never, you know -- you have to learn it's not -- you never win everything. You never lose all the time. Today you're playing so well; next day maybe something is not going well and you lose.
But it's important that you get the right things out of the match, and this really helps you to improve.
But I think that, you know, all the players that I've seen from China that they have like big coaching team, and I think that they are working very well, a lot of fitness trainers. I have seen a big support around them. So I think that everything, what they are doing is right and the results really show, because for a couple -- the last couple of years, Chinese tennis has grown a lot.

Q. You just mentioned that the Russian tennis is very strong right now, but compared to 2006 and 2007 there were five top 10 players who are from Russia in the top 10. Right now there are only two, I believe, Vera and also Elena. So how do you think that was the comparison between -- to go back to 2004, Russian Grand Slam champions, also five top players in 2006 and right now? There was just Kim and Serena still dominant at big tournaments, but the other players are very -- you know, they still got very little chance to win. So how do you think about that?
ALISA KLEYBANOVA: Well, yeah, that's right. A couple years ago there were more Russian players on top, but it's very difficult now to keep up the level, because as I see -- I'm not so long on the tour, but for the past three years, tennis has been improved a lot, and for -- by every year it's more and more difficult to play.
It became much more competitive straightaway for the whole draw, you know. All the first rounds are very tough, and it's not anymore such a big difference between the top players and the rest of the players.
So the level of the -- I would say like the 20 and lower ranked players have been growing a lot. So it's much more difficult now for the top players to always go forward, you know, to have big results every week, because it's physically very tough, and mentally as well.
It's not easy, and I think this is one of the reasons. Plus with the come back of Justine and Clijsters, it became even more difficult. I mean, it's more tough now to be so dominant all the time staying there, and, you know, not lose many matches.
So far I would say just Serena and Kim are able to do that, playing a little -- not many tournaments but showing off great tennis and winning the most important tournaments, the Grand Slams. But for the rest of the players it's very difficult, and it's very difficult to go every tournament playing semifinals, finals, so consistent, and as they could do before.
So I think this is one of the reasons why we don't see so many same faces in the top 10. It keeps changing, and some young players that are powerful, and, you know, hungry to win, they're coming up and of course everybody will want to replace the top 10 players. It's just now -- it's more strong and more tough.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297