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WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS - DOHA 2010

October 25, 2010

Francesca Schiavone

DOHA, QATAR

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just after all, how surprise the are you to be here?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Not surprise because I work a lot and I did a good results to arrive here. But excited, of course.

Q. Tell us about your year and what it feels like to be at the end of such an unusual year.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yeah, it has been a long year because I start very good in Australia with some good results. I was always really close to do a good step, a big step, but I never do it until I played Roland Garros.
So when I went there, it was incredible. I start first round very tough; second round I felt better; from the third round I felt like this is my tournament, this is my possibility. I want to catch it.
It was really interesting how to leave a Grand Slam, and now I know how to really to enjoy and to fight to win a big tournament like this.
And then was tough for two month. I couldn't have a good balance with energy and mentally and physically. But after I keep going to work really hard, I went home for 20 days under 40 degrees in the summer, and work from the morning until the evening.
I say, I want to come back and I want to win more tournament and do more results. That was the key for me mentally and physically to stay there and work a lot.
I arrive in US Open; I played good; I was very close to beat Venus. I felt that I had always chance, and I could keep going in the tournament.
But at the end I lost, and I played more tournament in Asia. It was good preparation to come here and be ready. That's good.

Q. I wonder, since winning Roland Garros, the perception of other people towards you, have you sensed that it's changed a little? Do people see you a little differently now?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Like players?

Q. Perhaps other players, perhaps just ordinary Italians, people in the street.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Of course people in the street. I work in Italy and they say, Hello. Are you Francesca? You look smaller than in the TV. I say, No, don't tell me like this. I work hours and hours to became big.
No, but I think the people enjoy my big win. There were like two million, if I don't mistake, people watching, two, three million. In Italy, it's a lot. It's a sport and it's fantastic.
The people, I don't know, they like me. I can say thanks also, because after so many years it's something that I feel really happy to receive good emotion from the people.
And about the tennis player, I think everybody respect me from when I start to play because I respect the other. Of course when you arrive, I think I have a little bit more experience than before, so I can make good difference.
But about the respect, I always had with my -- not my players, but my -- the people that work with me.

Q. And has it changed anything inside you about how you feel about yourself or about your game?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Maybe a little bit. I think when I play, I feel much more confidence. I have less doubt than before. I'm ready to live every kind of experience. For example, this one.

Q. You had an amazing year. How do you explain your development? How come you're such a late bloomer?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I don't think there is early or late. Everybody have a different time to explode or to do a good job. Was my time at 29 years old; maybe another one is at 20. But I don't think it's late. Maybe for you, yes, but not for me. I don't look young?
I work a lot on myself. That's, I think, the key about me and my tennis. I grow up like a person. I'm always trying to go over my limits in everything that I do. I work always with passion in tennis, with the heart. I think it's good combination to improve and to grow up like a person.

Q. But a lot of players on the WTA Tour in the top, you are in your late 20s or in the 30s compared to earlier eras. It has changed a bit. How do you explain this development?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Everybody want everything now. Nobody have time to wait. It's marketing; it is business; it's education. I think now when you are seven, eight years old you already can choose what you want to do.
Before, was you had much more possibility. You can do this. You can study. My mom say, You want to study? You want to play tennis? You want to play volleyball? It's the same. It's your choice. Don't worry. Enjoy.
Now I think for some reason, maybe business or maybe because we have much more culture about the sport, the parents push you to go in one way. So when you are 16, 17, you are already ready to compete.
It's not big answer, but I'm trying to give you in one minute what I think. (Smiling.)

Q. In your group there is Wozniacki, quarterfinalist Roland Garros; Dementieva, semifinals at Roland Garros; and Stosur, finalist at Roland Garros. Which chance do you think you have?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I think every match is 50/50, because we are the best 8 player in the world. When you arrive at this level, maybe can be a little bit difference between the one that is losing for two tournaments first round or the other one that won some more matches.
So about confidence, this is the difference between one player and the other one, I think. Because we play really high level.
About me, I want to play every round like final. This one can give me good energy, good feeling with myself. I want to be ready to do this, and we will see.
But I'm very, very curious.

Q. What is the key to beat Caroline?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: To beat Caroline? Now I have to think how to beat Caroline? There is the swimming pool outside. I don't know yet. I didn't think about this.
But for sure I will be -- could be a long match, because she's very good physically; mentally she's tough; she's the No. 1; she deserve to be there.
I think you have to do something more than regular to beat her. But I don't tell you what, otherwise you tell her, and how can I beat her?

Q. You say she deserves to be No. 1. You think the debate about being No. 1 without winning a slam is not fair?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, no, no. I don't think like this. She won five tournaments in the last seven, no? Six tournaments. This is not lucky. This is work. This is because you deserve it.
If she didn't won one Grand Slam, I think it's just for age and maybe a little bit experience. But in the next four, I think one I can bet on her. She has just to take her time, grow up a little bit more, and she's ready.

Q. At the start of this year, before all these tremendous things happened for you, were you considering what might happen after tennis, after you stopped playing? Had you begun to think, I may have to go into coaching or I may do something else?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yes, I think every day what I can live after. So I think I say a little on tennis, because tennis give me so much in my life that I have to give back now. Not now, but in the future. Maybe to the kids, maybe to the federation. For sure something about tennis.
But after I have other project, I don't want to close my life just in tennis. I am curious to know more about the world. I don't know, shoes, fashion, build a house. I don't know. For the moment, it's not my goal to understand this.
But when I see some friends working one way, I am very curious. I want to keep going to learn in my life more things.

Q. Speaking about favorites, it's hard to tell who will be the favorite. Who are you going to play the final against?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Kim.

Q. Why?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Because I like how she play.

Q. Do you think she's, next to you, the big favorite here?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No. I think the favorite for the moment is the No. 1 and No. 2. Like every situation of the life, when someone a No. 1, it's because a big feeling.
But you never know. We are ready to do everything.

Q. Obviously your win in Paris was very popular, but not so much in Australia where we had the loser. Do you think Sam Stosur will be like and win a Grand Slam later in her career? Do you think she is mentally strong enough to win one?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Absolutely. I think always before to win a Grand Slam you have to be a big person inside. A champion inside is not just tennis, forehand and backhand.
So Sam is fantastic person. She has the mentality part that she can do it. At the end of the match I say to her -- I played very good, but she has for sure the chance to win one day a Grand Slam.
Of course, she has to work harder every day, but is good way for Sam.

End of FastScripts

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