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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2011

Kim Clijsters

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

K. CLIJSTERS/C. Suarez Navarro
6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Another impressive win.
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah. You know, obviously I went out there the with intention to stay very aggressive and to, you know, not let my opponent kind of play her game, and that is try to really mix it up, you know, play with a lot of spin.
She can only do that when she has a lot of time. I think it was really up to me to try to limit that from her, really be aggressive when I was out there, and I did.
Obviously, a couple times I felt that my footwork really wasn't in the right position, made some errors. But I reacted well afterwards and I stayed aggressive. That was good today.

Q. So there's some improvement left in your game?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah (smiling).

Q. I think you've won 18 of your last 20 matches from the beginning of the US Open to here. Talk about how you feel about your game, what you feel you've been doing correctly, all that.
KIM CLIJSTERS: What I've been doing really well, I think I've been inside of the court, like playing inside of the court really well. Whenever I feel that I can step in forward from there, do that as well. You know, a lot of girls, or like even the guys, they like to, you know, just get into the rally and kind of just wait until they really are certain.
But I think there's a lot of opportunities in the beginning of the rallies already where you can really step forward and kind of dictate and put your opponent under pressure.
I think that's something I've been doing pretty well I think over these last few months. I've been moving well. At times I've been serving pretty good as well. Not all the time, but better.
So, yeah, I think I really feel comfortable with the game that I'm playing now.

Q. That's a pretty big change from the start of your career when you were working the points more rather than just trying to jump on your opponents.
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah. That part I think also maybe was because I'm not as fit as I am now, I felt I needed to retrieve a little bit on the court. I felt comfortable out there. You know, I'm strong enough to still be aggressive from even a little bit further behind.
But now I think if I can use that power, you know, being a meter closer to the baseline, I think it has a bigger impact on the way, you know, the shots are being -- the way they go to my opponents. I think it has a bigger impact on their side of the court.

Q. Dreaded third round next up. Do you think of that match against Nadia on Hisense last year?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Actually, no, I don't. To me that was a match I don't think I've ever played a match like that. So it was very easy in a way to also forget about it, as well. If that would be something that would occur more often, it would be in my mind. I would feel like I had to do something about it.
But, no, I don't.

Q. Talk us through the Evonne Goolagong Cawley thing. You said it's a replica of what she wore at Wimbledon.
KIM CLIJSTERS: I think it was at Wimbledon when she won. She wore it in green, so I don't think it's Wimbledon (laughter).
No, I mean, I think last year we were talking about this year doing something. Yeah, we were just meeting with the Fila designers and we were talking about, What can we do? I don't like to come out and be, Wow, here I am with my clothes.
But this, I felt the connection there, too. We obviously spoke to Evonne about it. She was happy to see the connection there as a mother. To me as well, it's an honor to be wearing it.
I like the color, so that's a bonus.

Q. Was that one of the more bizarre on-court interviews you've gone through in your career?
KIM CLIJSTERS: One of the funnest ones, for sure (laughter).

Q. How did you find out about the text?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I'm obviously very close with Rennae Stubbs. Yesterday after one of my practices, we were sitting around, talking, laughing away. We were talking about like babies, having a second one.
All of a sudden she goes, Yeah, Todd last week in Sydney wrote me a message during your match saying that he already thought you were pregnant. I was like, Oh, really? And then she showed me.
So I walk out there, it's like, Okay, I'm going to get him back now (laughter).

Q. Any texts from Rennae since then?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I saw her in the locker room. She said, I can't believe you told them on center court.

Q. I guess you don't want to have a second comeback with a second baby?
KIM CLIJSTERS: No, no. When number two is coming, that's it.

End of FastScripts

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