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CHINA OPEN

October 9, 2010

Vera Zvonareva

BEIJING, CHINA

V. ZVONAREVA/N. Li
6-3, 6-3

THE INTERPRETER: Questions, please.

Q. What was your strategy coming into today's game? You knew the crowd would probably be behind Li Na, so how did you cope with that?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I think it's fair enough that the crowd was supporting Li Na. She's a great player and she's playing at home. I was just trying to do my best on the court and not pay attention to anything else.
I knew we had tough matches in the past. I was expecting very tough one, and she started off really well. She was trying to be very aggressive, and she took a lot of risk. I think she was going for lot of risky shots, so she was having few unforced errors, and I knew I just had to hang in there and try to sort of, you know, counter-punch her if I get the chance, yeah, just get every single ball and fight for every point. I think I did that well.

Q. Li Na said that the only difference she saw in your game was you are showing a lot more confidence on the court because you are now a top player, first time in top 3 next week. So how do you comment on that?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I don't know. I just -- I always believe in myself. I always believe that if I show my best tennis I can beat anyone on the other side of the net.
I know it's not going to be easy; it's going to be very tough. There are a lot of great players, and they also work on their game for the past 20 years. It is very difficult to do, but I don't know; I always have a strong belief in myself.
Also, yeah, I think, you know, rankings don't matter to me. I don't think about it much. I know that if I play well, I play my best every match, I will win matches and the ranking will come. But if I go on the court and think about everything else but my game, I wouldn't be able to win any match and my ranking wouldn't be there.
So, you know, I just think about what I have to do on the court to win that match, and that's about it.

Q. Does this win maybe bring you a little bit of memory of the bronze medal match in Olympic game two years ago on the same court?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I think we were playing on a different court for the bronze medal. It was another court.
But, you know, Olympics is something special. It will always be a great memory for me. It's something that, you know, I did not realize at that moment what I was able to achieve, but now I think I'm realizing it much better that, you know, the bronze medal at the Olympic Games is a dream of, you know, any athlete just to get that medal, and it's a great memory.
But, you know, I always try to look forward. I think Na Li is more experienced player, and right now she's different player. I'm different player, as well. Every single match I'm going to play against her, it's going to be new match, different match.
Olympics is just the past. It's great memory, but I don't think I was thinking about that match when I was on the court at all.

Q. You are now in a very good position to compete for final for first time in China Open. Other than your last-year win Indian Wells, another chance to win top events in WTA Tour. So how do you think your chances in the final are? Also, the Russian players have a very good record in China, in Beijing, as well. So how do you think on that?
VERA ZVONAREVA: You know, I always think that there are 50/50 chances. You can win or you can lose. You never know what's going to happen.
But, you know, I think that like I said before, it's just going to be another match for me, and I will have to try to show my best, because I know if I'm not able to show my best in the final, then it's going to be very difficult to win the match, because I will have a very tough opponent on the other side of net.
So, you know, I'm trying not to think about it. I'm enjoying my time in China, for sure. I'm enjoying my game. I'm enjoying a lot of matches here. I played a lot of great matches here and won them, so it's always pleasure for me to be coming back here.
Tomorrow is going to be another day. I will try my best, and I will see where it's going to take me.

Q. If you are going to play Caroline in the final tomorrow, do you think you can repeat the level you beat her in the semi of US Open just two months ago? Also, second question is you are now one of the contenders to compete for the year-end No. 1 ranking. There are still Caroline; also Serena has the chance. How do you think your chances in Doha, as well?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, you know all the statistics. I have no idea about that. So, you know, the first one, well, we have to see what's happening with that match, but if Caroline wins, then it's going to be tough one, but I will be excited about that match. It's always tough to play against Caroline, but it's a great challenge and I like the challenge.
You know, we will see. We have had some tough matches against each other. Tomorrow is going to be new day. US Open, like you say, was two months ago. It's in the past. Tomorrow is going to be new day, and we will see what will happen there.
Regarding Doha, you know, I have to concentrate on my match tomorrow. I'm not really thinking -- I'm excited to be in Doha. I'm excited to play there for like the third straight year and compete against such tough opponents. You know, it's a great challenge, and I will enjoy it for sure. But first of all, I will just, you know, concentrate on my match tomorrow and the rest don't matter.

Q. Two years ago when the new Roadmap was revealed, you say it was the first step but something should be improved again, especially communication between players and WTA. After two years, is it better or you still think that something more should be done?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, I think there is something else should be done, but I think we are doing the right things. We have a little bit more meetings and we have better communications, and I think players can express what they think with WTA a bit more, and, you know, trying to do our best.
It's a little bit difficult because of the difficult schedule for us. We have to, at the tournaments, we have to play and think about our matches and concentrate on it. So it is difficult, but the same time, I think it is improving, and I think overall, we communicating well.
I think we trying to -- there are some issues that people had with calendar or whatever, there is a lot of, and I think overall it's improving.

Q. Li Na just said she made a lot of mistakes on the court. She said it's because you gave her a lot of pressure. Is that your tactic on the court?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I think, yeah, you know, I tried to put a little bit of pressure on the court. Of course, if she's -- you know, she's too good of a player if you let her play her game and dominate and stay aggressive. You want to have a lot of chances, so of course I was trying to put a little bit more pressure, stay aggressive where I get the chance, and she was sometimes going for a lot of risky shots, and I think that's why she was having those mistakes.

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