	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

MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 13, 2011

Na Li

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

N. LI/B. Jovanovski
7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Quite an easy match for you today.
NA LI: It's not easy. I mean, she's young, but, I mean, she's playing well. Beginning of the match I didn't know how she is play like because I never saw her practice, never saw her play the match.
I was like, What's going on? Because sometimes I was feeling she hit the ball like fast. Sometimes feel like maybe the ball is out, but like close to the line it come down.
It's like, What's going on, I was asking my team. Yeah, I was lucky finally I can win the match.

Q. Were you frustrated then pretty early in the match because things weren't going your way?
NA LI: (Through translation.) No, tennis is best-of-three sets. Even I lose the first set, I still have the chance second set to come back. Yeah, but I win first set, so...
Yeah, after I win the first set I was feeling like, Okay, maybe now it's change. I can be in the final. (Smiling.)

Q. This is your first premier final?
NA LI: Yeah.

Q. Have you ever started a season playing as well as you have this week?
NA LI: Yeah, I don't know why. I just come in, and then finally I was in the final. I was like surprising, you know.

Q. Have you ever played better in the first week of the season than you're playing this week?
NA LI: I think this is the first time. I mean, no, I think I play well before like in Gold Coast also, yeah. I mean, I always doing well in Australia. I don't know why. (Laughter.)

Q. Who do you expect to see in the final? Who do you expect will be your opponent?
NA LI: Right now I didn't think about the opponent because I just finish the match. So, yeah, just after who I play tomorrow. I have to plan what I do today.
Yeah, just take totally rest, and doesn't matter who's the opponent tomorrow. Yeah, because I was coming final already, so just enjoy to play the final.
Yeah.

Q. You won the Gold Coast, you're a semifinalist here and in Melbourne, and now you're in the final of Sydney. What is it about Australia?
NA LI: So I should move here. (Laughter.)

Q. Is it something simple like the same time zone?
NA LI: Yeah, I mean, I don't know why, because Australia always like the beginning of the season. So, yeah, sometimes I do well in the Gold Coast and sometimes I do well in Melbourne and sometimes I do well in Sydney. (Smiling.)
Always Australia. Maybe because I have winter training. So, yeah. (Smiling.)

Q. If it is Kim Clijsters that you play tomorrow, can you tell us your thoughts about playing her.
NA LI: Nothing to lose, yeah, because I play her also many times. She's a great player, so, I mean, just think like practicing now, you know, just show the best tennis on the court. That's all. Yeah. (Smiling.)

Q. How long does it take for your knee to get strapped each time? How long does it take you to get that ready for a match?
NA LI: I mean, I do three times operation, so, like, you know, start last year I always ask the physio come with me so he can take care of my body.
So after he was working with me I never feeling the knee has some problem or something. Yeah, so I think he do great job. Yeah. (Thumbs up.)

Q. I know you tape it.
NA LI: Yeah.

Q. How much work do you need to do on it before you play?
NA LI: Just before he do a little bit like check, like because sometimes the knee was like clock already. So he just check first, like easy massage, stretch, then I have the ready for the match.
But more important after the match he always take two hours for massage.

Q. Just the knee or the rest of the body as well?
NA LI: Of course all the body. (Laughter.) You know, play tennis you use all the body, not only the knees.

Q. Is this run here in Sydney giving you more confidence that you can perhaps go as far as the semifinals in Melbourne again this year?
NA LI: I wish. Yeah, but you never know what happen on the court. Right now I'm still in this tournament, so I'm not think about Melbourne. I just focus right now.
Maybe end of tomorrow I will think about Melbourne.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297