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SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERS

October 12, 2010

Yan Bai

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Y. BAI/R. Stepanek
6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You gave an unexpected performance today, right?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) It's out of my expectation, yes.

Q. Can you be more specific?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) My rival is much better than me, and he has a higher ranking. It's my first time in to top-level tournament so it's really an unexpected performance for me.

Q. What is it part you're most satisfied with in today's performance?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I think I gave a very relaxed performance. I have no restrictions on myself, so I give my rival a lot of pressure.

Q. Can you continue with such a performance?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I cannot say that, but I will do my best to keep my form.

Q. Your next rival is Mr. Murray. He talked about he will fight against Stepanek, and he never thought about you, I think. Do you have any strategy against him?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I don't think that he has any specific preparation against me. Anyway, I'll do my best job and give my best performance to the audience.
I cannot be sure to remain at the top of my performance, but I can give him some pressure.

Q. Can you give us a little bit of a history of your tennis and how you have arrived at the point where you are, please?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Well, I've been playing professional game for quite some years, but I was troubled by my injuries and I took a break for about a year and a half. I didn't have much of a chance to get in such level of tournaments. Mainly in the futures.
From July this year, I came back to the court. I had two surgeries last year. At the moment I'm feeling pretty good.

Q. The surgeries were on what exactly? What required the surgery? What was the injury?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) My belly, my tummy. I think it's an inherited problem from my parents.

Q. Can you tell us what you think of playing Andy Murray in such a big tournament in your home country?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Well, my feeling about the match, I have some pressure, of course, because it's my home country. I want to, for my country, give my best performance. I want to give him some difficult times.

Q. How many matches do you play each year?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I didn't count that.

Q. Do you think by going into these matches, these tournaments, you can be better off? How many matches have you played this year?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I think seven to eight this year.

Q. Do they help a lot in terms of improving your strategies and techniques? Do you have opportunities to compete overseas from the Chinese national team? Do they give you such opportunities to play overseas?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) My club gives me some opportunities to play overseas. They cover the cost. The national team also provides me with some support because I'm somehow different.
I do a lot of training regularly, but we need to take the matches to prove ourselves. We need to play against different players, to learn from them, to improve ourselves. So I think matches really count.

Q. You said you've been playing tennis for some years. Can you be specific about what age you started? Can you also tell us who you're heroes and idols were when you started playing the game?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I started when I was six. Many years have passed. When I was a child, I loved Agassi.
I play my own game, I think.

Q. You talk about many talented players. Can you tell us a bit about your style?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) I'm an optimistic person. That's how I look at myself since I was a child.
But, of course, there are many talented players around. Talent is important, but we also need hard training.
My style, I would say I like to be in control of the match, both attack and defense. But there's not a very specific area.

Q. I guess that was the biggest win of your career today. Could you tell us what it felt like and could you say what you think the strong parts of your game are?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Yes. Well, I would say this is my best match since I started playing tennis. Of course, the strongest player I have ever competed with. I'm very happy about it. I'm very excited. It's hard to control my excited feelings, even at this moment.

Q. We have written quite a lot about the success of women players from China, but not so much about the male players. Is there some significance to being the most successful of the Chinese male players? Is that something that you'd like to be yourself? Perhaps you are already.
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Yes, the woman players, they are much older than me. They help us a lot. We learn from them. They have been of great help.
But I don't think I'm the best player in China. I'm not the best male player in China. My seniors, like Mr. (Indiscernible). They are very experienced and they are better than me. I think we all work together for Chinese tennis.

Q. About going for the Grand Slam matches next year, have you ever thought about playing a singles Grand Slam yourself?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Well, I think about both singles and doubles. I love to play doubles because it is also an opportunity to improve your ranking and also to prepare for the Asian Games, the Grand Slams, play hard for the doubles, as well.
I just started my singles career. So I think still have a lot of opportunities to improve my performance, my ranking. Maybe in a few years' time I can play for the qualifiers of the Grand Slams.

Q. Before you came to the Masters, you played in the futures. You won the wild card. Do you think this is your best form at the moment? How do you think about the matches in qualifying?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Well, I haven't played many games yet.

Q. You played two matches. Do you think now you're in your best form?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Yes, I'm at a very stable stage and things have been improved compared with the period before my injury. My ranking and my performance both have improved.
I'm in good shape. I hope I can give a better performance in my next match.

Q. Have you ever watched Andy Murray playing any matches on television? Did you watch him at the US Open or Wimbledon? What are your thoughts on him as a player?
YAN BAI: (Through translation.) Well, we have been watching him since he came out. He has been our model. We watched his games, his matches in Grand Slams, the Masters. We watched his games and matches overnight.
He's a talented player - much better than me, I think. I hope to learn from him in our match, and I think it will be a good learning opportunity for me.

End of FastScripts

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