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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS WOMENFebruary 24, 2012Agnieszka RadwanskaDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES A. RADWANSKA/J. Jankovic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How did you get through that third set sprinting through it? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, you know, actually she just start to play much better in the second set. I was really in trouble. She was really hitting the ball very well. Um, but in the third set, you know, I was just trying to be focused on my game and just, you know, fight until the end. But I think also the second game of this third set was the key in this match, I think. Because, you know, I think I really get more confident after that and I think she get a bit angry. I think it was the key, yeah. Q. Is this the best first two months of the season of your career? If so, why did it happen this year? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, you know, I really had good results last year in the end of the season, so I am just very happy that I can play the same good tennis and just continue my, you know, just great performance. We have February and, you know, I'm just very happy that, you know, that I could in that semi and final of big events. So, yeah, for sure. Q. Does it seem a long time ago that you won those two Asian events? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, yeah. Actually seems already long time ago, especially that every week it's a different tournament, you're in different place. So everything is getting just so fast. Like also like sometimes, you know, um, I can see those young players coming up, you know, like 17, 18, and I'm like, I'm 23 so I thought I'm still young. Unfortunately not anymore. So, yeah. Q. With the way last season finished when you won in Beijing and Tokyo, wasn't it? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes. Q. Did you feel you sort of didn't want 2011 to end? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I think in this season just somehow from the US Series I was just playing good tennis. I was really feeling confidence on court and playing a lot of good matches against top players. For the first time I finish also like No. 8. And like I said I was just, you know, I was just working hard in the off‑season but pretty much doing everything the same. Didn't change anything. So, you know, it's been just great that, you know, I can play the same good tennis. Q. What changed for you in the middle of last year? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, you know, like not pretty much. I mean, I'm just working with two other coaches and not traveling with my dad anymore. Just practicing with him at home in Krakow, so that was change. But in my practice or in my tennis, pretty much everything the same. Q. So is your father not coming to any tournaments now? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. A little break. (Smiling.) Q. Do you think that because Azarenka is not here, I mean, does this make the tournament easy, more easy and give you more confidence? Not you, I mean most of the players, that there is hope to get the title. AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, you know, to be honest, not really, you know, because of course we don't have two first seededs, but many others are playing great tennis. I think top 20 players, you know, are playing great tennis as well. So because one of two players not coming, doesn't mean it's going to be easier. So unfortunately, no. Q. How does it feel to be in the final? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I'm just, you know, so happy, you know, especially that, you know, I know that Jelena is playing great tennis here actually every year and having great results here in Dubai all the time. So I knew it was going to be very tough, but also happy that, you know, I played much better than the other days. I just hope, you know, I can play the same tennis tomorrow. Q. Was your fitness perhaps a factor in today's match and generally in the matches you play, inasmuch as Jelena seemed to be a bit surprised that you tracked down some of the balls she hit at you? She seemed a bit taken aback at times. AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, you know, I think everyone else know I'm running a lot on court. But, you know, you really have to ask her if she's surprised or not. I was just, you know, really playing good, and also like trying to keep my serve you know. Just especially, you know, trying to be consistent, you know, each set, because the player that also pretty much, you know, playing on the same level whole match. Q. Just back on your coaching situation, a lot of women are coached by their fathers. Your father coached you all the way through. Was that a difficult decision for him to make not to carry on traveling with you? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, of course. You know, I mean, I'm practicing my dad already 17 years, which is really long time. But, you know, we had some, you know, arguments off the court. On the court we always had, you know, good relationship, and, you know, he's a great coach and he really teach me everything since today. So, um, you know, for sure without him I wouldn't be here on the court. But, um, you know, sometimes, you know, it's getting too much and you mixing up private life with tennis. You know, professional tennis is always like a lot of stress and, you know, emotions and everything. So we just decide, you know, to just practicing at home, and, you know, just traveling with someone else. That, you know, change a little bit something. I think, you know, it's been good, you know. I don't think ‑‑ we going to stay like this and we're not going to change anything. Q. Is he traveling with your sister? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No. We are actually having two coaches. One is the Polish one that I was traveling last year as well, Tomasz Wiktoroski, Fed Cup coach, and Borna Bikic is here. So we actually working with those two guys kind of like working whole four together. Q. Have they made any particular changes to your game? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. Actually, I know Tomasz from I think ten years. Also, he was actually traveling sometimes with my dad as well, so he really know how I'm practicing, what I'm doing, what I'm not doing. So we know each other for long time, so it's pretty easy, you know, relationship like, you know, that Ireally ‑‑ he knows really, you know, what I like to do, how I like to practice. And Borna is the new coach, but, you know, just he was really watching a lot practice at home, you know, how we were doing and everything. So, you know, it seems to work. Like I said, we just are working with my sister, you know, with those two coaches. Q. Looking ahead to the final, you either play caro or Julia. They have contrasting styles. How would you adjust your game? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, you know, I played actually against both of them this year. So, you know, of course they are different opponents definitely, like you said. But both playing good tennis, so I'm just going to watch a little bit today's match and I'll pretty much‑‑ it doesn't matter. For sure, you know, I will just really have to play good tennis to win tomorrow. Doesn't matter it's going to be Julia or Caro. Q. Do you think that being independent of your father now has made you more confident, you've had to play with more aggression on court and be more independent? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. You know, I don't really feel differences.  Like I said, we had arguments off the court. We're still in touch and talking every day. You know, also, you know, he's watching the matches. It's just he's just not here, you know. So, you know, it seems good like that, you know. Q. Has it changed your mindset at all? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, not really. We had good contact and really working actually together since I remember, all my life. So, you know, family is always the most important thing, you know. But like I said, in professional sports it's always tough. Q. Tennis players compete for prize money and ranking points ever day. Talk about how hard is it to make close friends with other players. Is true friendship possible to exist in women's tennis? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I think so. First of all, it's good to have like two‑‑ I mean, like for example, we know Caro from the beginning, so we kind of have like‑‑ we try to separate the private life and the tennis as well. Because, you know, sooner or later we going to play against each other, right? Actually we are very good friends. We know each other, like I said, for like ten years or even more. Actually 13 years already. So I think it's just relationship, you know, and we can talk about everything. Of course when we are on court we are both professional, so we are just fighting like against everyone else. It's just the match is finish and then we still friends. It doesn't matter who is the winner, because like I said, sooner or later we going to play against each other because we are playing pretty much the same tournaments. So, yeah. Q. Considering what you just said, since you and Caroline are very good friends, is there no small part of you that you prefer to play her opponent instead of her? AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. I mean, you know, this is actually our job so what we doing we know. You go on court to win the match. Pretty much it doesn't matter who is on other side of the court. It's just good to separate those two kind of lives, right, like a tennis player, like a normal girl off the court. So if somebody is really putting all together and also like, you know, have competition off the court, then it's not good. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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