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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2011

Na Li

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

N. LI/Z. Strycova
6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A semifinalist last year. Are you playing better now than this time last year?
NA LI: I don't think so, because right now I only win three round. If I play semifinal, I have to win another two round. This cannot compare the same.
This year I have new team. You know, everything is change. So nothing the same.

Q. What was good about your match today?
NA LI: I mean, right now?

Q. What did you like about your match today?
NA LI: Easy match. I can have long time for rest (smiling).

Q. What were the conditions like?
NA LI: A little bit hot. I mean, yesterday I asked for the ice towel, not like before two rounds. I can play late in afternoon, no sunshine. So today was a little bit - how you say - the weather was a little bit hot. Doesn't matter. I was feeling the string was a little bit soft, yeah.

Q. What has changed on your team?
NA LI: The coach is left, so now my husband is my coach.

Q. That's it?
NA LI: That's it, yeah. Everything's the same. Same physio, same fitness coach, yeah.

Q. What is that like, having your husband as your coach? How is that different?
NA LI: Yeah, it's interesting because you always fight. Because, I mean, it's not about the media people. Also the players ask how you can take care of on the court and off the court.
I mean, on the court, I always have listen what he say. But we always find a bonus to like job and life. This is totally different.
I think until now we are going well.

Q. Was that decision entirely yours and his or was the Federation having a say in that?
NA LI: No, no, I mean, right now I can decide everything I want, yeah.

Q. You say he's the boss on the court. Are you the boss off the court?
NA LI: I wish, you know (laughter). Sometimes I couldn't do what I want. I think he was totally control, yeah.

Q. What do you think it would mean for tennis in China if you were to win a Grand Slam like here?
NA LI: I think the media have to do another thing for the young player. I mean, right now for China, only women's player can play like high level.
For the men, they still play the challenger because they didn't have a high ranking. They have to do like step by step. You couldn't think about, okay, only one day the males come like women also. They need time to improve for everything.

Q. If you won this tournament, what would happen to the game in China? Do you think it would become much bigger?
NA LI: Maybe for one month. After one month, everyones forget. Because right now I not stay China a long time. Tennis have me travel all over the world.
I'm not sure. If one Chinese player can win the Grand Slam in China, maybe China turn around. I don't know.

Q. What if China had a Grand Slam event?
NA LI: I wish, you know, but this is tough. We have to more hard working. We have to have more practicing on the court. We have to - how you say - trust self a lot. We have to do many thing to win. Have to change to win - not for sure like hundred percent to win.

Q. Getting back to today's match, your opponent, did she have problems with the hot weather, did you notice?
NA LI: No, I didn't ask her.

Q. Did you notice?
NA LI: No. I mean, I never play her before. I mean, today I think the weather is the same for both player. I couldn't say anything because we couldn't change the weather. We have to play on this hot weather, yeah.

Q. This surface suits you, though?
NA LI: I think it's okay. I think I'm going well. I think it was pretty good for me.

Q. Was beating Kim Clijsters in Sydney important?
NA LI: Yeah, of course. After I win the tournament, of course you have more confidence. So I hope I can with this confidence play on this tournament also.

Q. You played Azarenka before. You're likely to play her in the next round.
NA LI: So she win?

Q. She's just about to, I think.
NA LI: Yeah, okay. Yeah, I mean, another challenge for myself, so we'll see.

Q. Have you played her before?
NA LI: Yeah. I think we played three times, something like that.

Q. Have you beaten her?
NA LI: Yeah. Always beat, loss, beat, loss, beat. You know, this is tennis.

Q. Can you explain why Chinese women have done well but the Chinese men have done not so well? What is the reason for that?
NA LI: Usually no woman working so hard like me (laughter).
I don't know. Maybe the men, they didn't trust themselves a lot. They didn't have - how you say - high the goal? They didn't know what they can do. They always play the challenger. It's a small tournament, low level. They never, like, going up to see how is the big tournament, how is the tour.
So I think also they didn't have the good experience for the big tournament.

Q. Is the Shanghai event making much of a difference in China to making the game bigger?
NA LI: I never been there. Sorry. I mean, that was only for the men, so I didn't have a chance to go over there.

Q. We'll have to make you an Australian because you play so well out here all the time. Why is it you play well in Australia? Is it the conditions?
NA LI: Actually, I don't like these conditions. It's so hot. For us, just after wintertime, come to Australia, always tough for the whole player.
I think I always have the good winter training. So I was take care of my body. I mean, the whole team was take care of the tennis. Also, how I was working with the fitness. That's why each year, the beginning of the years, I have a lot of energy to play.

Q. You obviously won in Sydney last week, Gold Coast a couple years ago, Melbourne the semifinals, so you obviously enjoy playing.
NA LI: Yeah, I always enjoy, yeah.

End of FastScripts

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