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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2011

Francesca Schiavone

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

F. SCHIAVONE/M. Niculescu
6-0, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Are you ready for the next round against Justine or Svetlana?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yes. I'm very curious to see what we'll do, yeah.

Q. What can you tell us about Justine?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: About Justine? I don't know if she's winning.

Q. No, she's not.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I think both of them are good player. I have to play in high level to beat them. I know that.
So I'm working to be ready Sunday.

Q. Can you tell us a few words about Kim Clijsters.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yeah, but why Kim?

Q. Just in general, what can you tell us about her comeback?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: You know who is Kim. I think I don't have to tell you who is.
But she's stronger and stronger physically. Mentally she's better because I think she's much more relaxed. But she has some goal that she want to take it. Is one of the best, I think, player.

Q. Did things change in Italy after winning the French Open? Did you receive more invitations for TV shows, for example?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: You didn't read the newspaper?

Q. Yeah, I did.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I think they ask me 100 time. Okay.
Of course status has to change. Of course the people look at you maybe in the different way because you won a big trophy. That's fantastic not just for me, but also for all the Italian people. It's like Valentino Rossi win, I am happy. Federica Pellegrini win something, a challenge, everybody are happy.
I think is arrive in every Italian house this big champion.

Q. What is the craziest invitation you received?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I'm not so interesting about this. I prefer take glass of wine and go to my friend's. So it's okay like this.

Q. You have been to Belgium twice last year.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yes.

Q. To play exhibition games.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yes.

Q. What were your impressions of Belgium? What did you do?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, I think the people really love Justine and Kim. Everybody, they enjoy for them. They like to see them play. So is good because there is a culture about tennis.
And when you arrive in Belgium, you can feel the people want a good tennis. That's good for me and for all the player that go there.

Q. The first time you didn't play. You were just standing, I think. The second time you played. Was it a bit of a compensation for the first one?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Yeah, I want to play that time in front of 30,000 people. Was a big emotion to see to over there. You can imagine to play.
I am happy to have every time the opportunity to play in this kind of competition and exhibition because I enjoy. That's the most important part for me.

Q. Did you advise Serena not to play there?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: It's not my job.

Q. But you spoke to her in Brussels?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Si, si, si. Everyone decide for themselves. Was not a great decision. But if she said, Yes, I can play, she could play.

Q. Have you ever had such an exhibition in Italy since you're famous now?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, we don't have this kind of things. But we did some exhibition years ago. Was okay. But never like 30,000 people. Never. We don't have a big culture in Italy about tennis.
If you do an exhibition for soccer, yeah, you can have 50,000 or 60,000 persons. Step by step we can reach these numbers.

End of FastScripts

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