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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 15, 2011

Jelena Jankovic

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

A. IVANOVIC/J. Jankovic
6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just couldn't seem to get control of the match there, eh?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, it was a tough match. Ana played really well. She was really on her game today. And, you know, I had a lot of, you know, opportunities, a lot of break points. Especially that first set, every game on her serve I almost had a lot of break points, and I managed to convert only one, which was in the second.
So, you know, I felt like my game was not really there. I wasn't really, you know, doing the right things out there, and she was really on her game. So she was the better player.

Q. Were you surprised by how well she served in the clutch when it was important?
JELENA JANKOVIC: She served well, but, you know, I felt like, you know, I always had to be alert, because she could -- you know, she would serve some double faults and then she would come out with some really good serves. And then, you know, sometimes she would toss it way, you know, out of -- and then she would hit it, and you don't know where it's gonna go. So it was kind of tough.
But she did real well, you know. She served, you know, more good serves than she did bad ones. So, you know I had a lot of opportunities, you know, to return and break, and I just didn't do it. I don't even know how many break points I had, and just converted one.
So I let the opportunity slip away.

Q. It's hard sometimes when she's playing that well to keep the ball away from her forehand, huh, when she gets into the good forehand rhythm?
JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, like I said, I had a lot of chances, and I felt really flat. Like my feet, you know, were not moving. A lot of times I felt like stuck on my shots and I didn't really move up, you know, to the balls as well as I was doing in the previous matches.
So, you know, I didn't do those right, and she was really on top of her game. So that was the difference, you know. She really, you know, was hitting the ball cleanly and was really solid out there, so she was a better player today.

Q. Is it distracting when she's catching her toss as much as she does?
JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, it's not really distracting, you know. Just sometimes she hits it, you know, when she toss it bad, and sometimes she, you know, catches it and serves again. So you always have to be ready, because you don't know, you know.
But, you know, it's the way she does it. You know, there's nothing I can do about that. It's her thing.

Q. Is this the best you've seen her play in a long time?
JELENA JANKOVIC: To be honest, I haven't really watched her play much. But, you know, from what she played today, you know, she played such a great match today.
So she was really, you know, on her game, and she really didn't make a lot of unforced errors. She really, you know, hit the ball pretty clean, pretty solid. So probably. You know, I cannot really say. You can ask her that better, but she played really well.

Q. You had a bandage on the back of your leg. Was that any kind of a problem?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, you know, it's for prevention. But I have been having like some ankle things, and, you know, in my knee since -- because I fell down in Doha, so sometimes I have pains here and there. But it wasn't bothering me today.
Just, you know, that had nothing to do with my play. I just didn't move really -- you know, I felt kind of stuck on my feet and didn't really play my tennis, didn't really do what I was supposed to do.
Probably, you know, one of the worst, you know, tennis, you know, matches I've played since this -- you know, since I started playing, you know, these couple of tournaments, which I have made pretty good results.

Q. Do you think it was just one of those days where things happen where it just started off wrong and snowballed for you?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. It's tough to say, you know. But things didn't really go my way. You know, like I said, I had a lot of break points; didn't convert, you know, many.
She took her chances. She really played well, so she was really on her game. I didn't really do what I was supposed to do. I wasn't solid with my game. I made some sloppy shots. Especially in that, you know, first set, I wasn't, you know, setting up to hit my shots. I wasn't moving my feet. I felt really flat, and she took advantage of all that.
So she came on top of me and she was the better one.

Q. What did your coach say to you the two times he came out?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Um, you know, he told me that I really have to move my feet, because I would, you know, would serve, and then she would return a ball and I kind of wouldn't move back. I would kind of get stuck to, you know, to return her shot.
So like I said, he told me to move the feet, and he told me I was a little bit flat. Emotionally, I didn't really show a lot of energy.
You know, I guess that's what happened. That's why, like, the most important thing is to move your feet, to be on the ball, to really hit the ball clean so you can really dictate your points.
I felt like, you know, I was either too close to the ball or too far or like always never in the right timing. So I framed a lot of those and I missed. Especially like in the important times I didn't do well.
You know, like I said, she was the better player. She really, you know, went after her shots, was really hitting the ball pretty clean. I guess for her standard, I don't know, maybe it's one of the better matches she's played in a while. Credit to her.

Q. She shows a lot of outward emotion and seemed very into the match. But as you were saying about yourself, she was pumping herself up all the time, and I don't think you fist pumped or celebrated once during the entire match, not one time.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, that's her style, I guess. She pumps herself up all the time. You know, she does that. That's not, you know, a bad thing. That's a good thing.
If you feel it, you know, if it comes really from the inside, if it comes, you know, spontaneously, you know, it doesn't get better.
I didn't feel like I did something right that I could say, Well done, you know, good job. (Smiling.)
I just didn't have it.

Q. There was one game where she threw it up once, threw it up twice at 30-All. She threw it up twice, served, you missed it. She goes to the other side, she throws it up once and then she serves and you missed a return.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Like I said, you never know. She can throw it really back there and she can hit it, and then all of a sudden she can toss a couple of times. Then you don't know when she's gonna hit, so you're always like ready. You have to, you know, do your best. I mean, what can I do, you know? So that's the way it is.

Q. Did you get down on yourself early in the match, or did you not get down on yourself at all emotionally?
JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, I was, you know, a little bit down in that first set because, you know, I had every game. I had -- like the first game when we started, I was serving, I had a couple advantages; lost the game. Second game, couple break points, lost the game. Then I held my serve.
Then again -- like the whole time, I could have been 4-1, 4-Love for me, and I'm down 4-1. So it could have been like exact opposite if I really took my chances, but I just let those games slip away. She took advantage of that, and, you know, the momentum was going in her favor.

Q. Given that you were playing really well coming into the tournament, probably your best tournament since, I don't know, last spring, you had a couple good matches here and you're playing a player you know well, another former No. 1, important player. Any reason emotionally why you were flat?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. I have no idea. You know, it's tough to explain.
You know, I have been playing a lot, you know, the last month or so, a lot of matches, played finals in Monterrey, so I didn't really come so fresh into this tournament like I did last year.
Last year, you know, I lost in the first round in Monterrey, so I had almost two weeks to get ready for this tournament and really start fresh.
Here I arrived on Monday evening, and on, you know, Tuesday -- on Wednesday I was playing already the doubles, and I've been playing doubles, singles; I'm still playing doubles this afternoon. So I have been playing quite a lot.
You know, I don't know. It's tough to say. You know, each day is different. Each -- you know, every time you wake up in the morning -- some days you feel good; some days you just feel tired.
You know, your body, you know, works in a certain way. Today I just didn't -- you know, it wasn't my day. You know, she was -- you know, she did her things, you know. It was her day. She really hit the ball well. She really hit the ball clean.
I just didn't feel like, you know, myself out there. That's what happened.

Q. What did mama say to you afterwards?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Not really. Not yet.

Q. That's one of your brothers who was there?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, it's my hitting partner.

Q. What's his name again?
JELENA JANKOVIC: His name is Ivan.

Q. Say again.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Ivan.

Q. Last name is what? Ivan what?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Djurdjevic. It's hard.

Q. Serbian name? Can you spell it?
JELENA JANKOVIC: D-j-u-r-d-j-e-v-i-c.

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