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U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2011

Francesca Schiavone

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

F. SCHIAVONE/C. Scheepers
6-7, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the problem with each of the injury timeouts?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Was here in inside here because I keep going to go down (Pointing to diaphragm/stomach).

Q. Was it cramping?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, no, the things was really short and they say I really need to open, to breathe much more, and I ask to open this part.

Q. Other than a scalpel, how did they do it? Pulling your shoulders back? Massaging?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, no, no, they put their hands inside and the muscle, I think they relax a little bit and you start to again to breathe.

Q. How much joy or pleasure do you get out of playing these matches, long, three-set comeback matches?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: It's great to come back after fight like this. In the meantime, it's bad to arrive there. Because she was good, she was consistent, but I really didn't do my best to arrive in that moment.
Then in the third set I think I played much better. With serve, with forehand, I start to push like I had to.
But to arrive there is not so good. Particularly when it is my mistake, not just for her.

Q. What is the best and worst advice that you have ever received from your parents both in tennis and out of tennis?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: My parents?

Q. The best advice, the most important things that they have told you.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Of course, when they say to me, I love you, I know that everybody receive this kind of things, but they don't tell me often, so the first time was fantastic.
My dad say I'm really happy that you call me today. I really need it. I think that one was fantastico.

Q. Do you remember when that one was?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I think not more than six, seven month.

Q. The Italians have had such tremendous success in Fed Cup, in Roland Garros, a very good tournament here for the Italians. If you had to talk about Italian tennis and talk just in a few sentences, how would you describe it? What is the nature? What is the quality of Italian tennis?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I think we have talent. We have talent, but we don't work so good when we are young. That's our problem.
But there is a lot of good material first.
Second, we play because we like to play, me, Flavia, Potito. It's the key, because doesn't exist that you go there, you turn, you say, Yes, I am the best. I want to play tennis. You go there, I serve there, and you serve there. No.

Q. When you're young, you don't work just because you want to enjoy life?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, no, no, because we are improving now the school, the education to become champion, to work on tennis. I think 10 years ago was not so good like now, that we are giving much more support from the young players.
So pay attention. In 10 years we will have much more Italian. Not like China, of course, because they are too many.

Q. There has been 14 players that have retired during this tournament, which is a record for this tournament. I was wondering...
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: 14?

Q. That retired during the match. Do you see any reason why there would be that many this year?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, I don't know.

Q. Is it difficult to keep your body in shape at this point in the season?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: This is for sure tough because it's long season. You arrive in US Open and is incredible. You have to be fresh. When you play Grand Slam you have to be fresh, ready mentally, physically.
I don't know what's happen in these 14 retired. But is long, is tough, and you have to work every day, every day. You wake up, you go. You go to sleep, you wake up again and you go.
There is no stopping at this point. If you want to stop you take one week in half of the year and then you have to come back.

Q. Talk some more about pain. Is it just something you have to really address mentally? Is it a drain for you, pain, physical pain?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: My physical pain?

Q. Yeah. As a tennis player, not so young anymore and up against bigger players, your movement is so important. Pain, is that something that you just have to work on from a mental point of view?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: When it's pain, that means it is not mental. It's pain. I think you run very fast, you didn't control, and maybe the muscle was not ready. It's pain, but I think not coming I think from head.
Maybe you are not ready and you start too late so you arrive and you stretch, but I don't know what you mean about pain.

Q. On the match point she hit a very good backhand. Looked like it would be good. As you looked at that stroke going, did you think, It's all over?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: She played really good backhand today. That shot, I say, Wow, that's good, but next shot is mine, you know. I had always the chance to move her and to let her play bad, because with forehand I could play high over there and much more straight to the backhand.
I had just to adjust and to find the breathe.

Q. You challenged the serve, and you did so after talking to the chair umpire. Then when it showed out and you lost the next point, you were pretty unhappy. Why was that?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Of course. If the ball is out like this, you should call. I say, You should call. That's your job. If the ball you don't know, you say, I don't know. I'm sorry. That's okay.
But if you say that the ball could be, and it's out like this? What are you doing there?
We have to believe to the umpire. The umpire has to work and to give us the, Yes, it's out. To be sure, or, mmm. So is your decision, because I don't say every time to look the chair umpire, but when I ask, it's important.

Q. A lot of older players are kind of peaking in their careers right now. What do you think that is, you know, compared to the younger players? Do you feel like physically you guys are working to get fitter or you have more experience or there's more mental control? Why is it that Mardy Fish, you, and several players are playing so well?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Serena, Venus. You can say sometimes. You are girls, yes?
I think everything that you say is true. Mentally, we have more experience and we can use I think much more our arms, talent, shot, and tactic. I think we put now all together.
Physically you have -- I say like before you have to work every day if you want to be fit. Mentally I think when you grow up you decide much more what you really want and how to go through. Someone can help you, but you know where you want to go.
I think this is the difference between young and old.

Q. You mentioned Venus. What was your reaction upon hearing her having to withdraw and her illness?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: I don't know. If she pull out, she has for sure a reason, because this is I think her preferred tournament. So the reason has to be big.

Q. You seem to specialize in playing long matches.
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, you say that, not me.

Q. Then about four or five years ago you played that match with Ai Sugiyama that took four or five days, didn't it?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Four days.

Q. What is your secret to doing all that?
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Is no secret, but I think sometimes I could play a little bit less. But sometimes I have to say that I am like this. I hope to take the chance when I can to finish before, try to finish when it's time to finish, two sets, then go too long.
But, for example, the match in Australian Open we went two, three sets, so long, but we played amazing, both of us. So sometimes you have to say, Okay, that's long match. And I don't play like Serena, boom, boom. I'm not like this. So I have to work harder.

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