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AUSTRALIAN OPENJanuary 23, 2012Ekaterina MakarovaMELBOURNE, VICTORIA E. MAKAROVA/S. Williams THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Russian tennis is destroying American tennis. Are you surprised and how much? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah, I'm surprised because she's a great player and it's really tough to play against her. But, I don't know, I just feeling so good and so focus. So I played my game, and that's it. I won against Serena. That's amazing. Q. Can you talk about hard courts.  I think they're your favorite surface. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I like the hard courts. I really like the surface here. It's so comfortable. I like to play here. The atmosphere and everything, I like it. Q. Watching you play, it sounds strange that you're only No.56 in the world. Can you explain if it's a mistake. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I wish that it's mistake. Like in the middle of the second year, I was 29. But then I didn't play that good the second part of the year. In the end of the year, I lost six tournaments first round. So, yeah, maybe my ranking a little bit lose. But, I don't know, I just happy that I was in the fourth round last year here, so it was tough. I get more points. I wish I will get more up in the ranking. Q. Looking at other Russian girls, there were some more than the others that inspired you or you would like to imitate, or there's none? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I can say that my idol was Anastasia Myskina. I really love her game. I didn't want to look like her, but just wanted maybe to play because I really love her game. I don't know. She's working with the Federation Cup now. I'm so happy sometimes when I'm also on the team and she's happy like to talk to me. That's amazing feeling. Q. You mentioned the last six tournaments last year you went out in the first round. How can you explain that to what's happened this week? Such a change. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: That was last year. That was the end. This is the new year, new feeling, new game. It's like different. I had a good holidays. Didn't think about tennis. And then the good preparation. Practiced so hard with my coach and physical coach. So, yeah, I think that the results show that I worked hard. Q. How did you feel going into the match?  Were you nervous to play Serena or were you feeling quite comfortable out on the court from the first point? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I played her in Beijing and I really afraid her because she's a great player and it's really tough to play against her. But this time, I don't know, yeah, I felt so comfortable. I really like thought that I could beat her. So, yeah, maybe in my head that helped me. Q. Was there some change mentally? People say tennis happens in the head very much. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah, that's true. But, I don't know, it's just different maybe feeling. But we also worked with my coach for the mentally. I think it helps. Q. Does your last name mean anything? Sounds a little bit like macaroni in Italian. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I know, but I don't like it. When sometimes you are playing, the crowd, they start, Macarena or Macaroni, I don't like it really, so... Q. You don't like the macaroni or... EKATERINA MAKAROVA: No, the Italian food, I really like it (smiling). I don't like how they call sometimes. Because in Russia, it's really popular family name. The international people, they didn't understand. That's okay. I'm used to it. Q. Can you talk a little bit about closing out that first set. You had a few set points. Were you a little nervous at that point? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: No, I don't think so, that I was nervous. Maybe I was nervous like when it was 40‑30. But when it was 40‑Love, I didn't nervous. But she played also good. We had a long point.  I missed. But that's the game. Of course I'm thinking that I could win the set, but I didn't nervous that much. Q. What about those three match points, when you lost those? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: She was serving, so it was really tough to win from the first one. She has a great serve, so I tried maybe to knew where she would serve. From the third one I won. Q. You look a little bit like Gwyneth Paltrow. Do you know her? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I know her, but I don't think that we look similar. You like strange questions (laughter). Q. Can you talk about your next round, either Lisicki or Sharapova. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: I will watch the game tonight. I played couple times against Sharapova, and like long time ago against Lisicki. They are great players. Today I don't want to think about next match. Just want to enjoy this moment. We'll see who gonna win. We'll see what happen. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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