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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 13, 2012Na LiINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA N. LI/K. Zakopalova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Must be nice to get this far. I know you've struggled at this tournament in the past. Must be nice to get to the quarterfinals now. NA LI: I think so, yeah. Quarterfinal, yeah. I mean, I was happy what I'm doing on the court, because last time I was play against her I lost easy, like 1 and 2. So like before the match, I really didn't like the way she's hit for, so flat and so deep. Yeah, so... But I don't know what happened today. Sometimes she's balls just fly everywhere. So, yeah. Q. Why do you think you're having more success here this year than you have in past years? NA LI: I mean, I really, how do you say, for me, every first match is the most tough for me. I mean, if I pass the first round, maybe I can go as far as I can. But like 40% I always lose the first round (smiling). So, I mean, it's really tough, yeah. Q. I happened to go by your practice session yesterday, and it looked like you were hitting a lot of serves. Were you unhappy with the way you served in the first serve, or were you just looking for some more power in the next few rounds? NA LI: No, I always thinkabout ‑‑ I was strong and tough, but my serve was a little bit slowly, you know. So I try to practice a little bit to use the power, yeah. And also, coach, husband, he think I can doing even more better in the serve, so that's why he also standing behind me to push me a lot. Q. Any thoughts about your next round? NA LI: Kerber, I think? Kerber, yeah. So lefty. I saw today because I was follow her the match, so, yeah, I think she can running a lot on the court, like the movement was more pretty good. Yeah, I mean, lefty is another story for right hand, because right now I play three rounds always right hand. Maybe tomorrow I have chance; maybe I can find the one lefty to try to practice, because serve was totally different. But if not, I just hit my coach and then try to on the court. (Laughter.) I mean, nothing can change. Q. An unusual question. We know in tennis there is lots of luck: Let cord, the draw, the weather, schedule. In your life, do you consider yourself a lucky person? NA LI: Um, you want to hear the real one or fake one? (Laughter.) Okay, the real one is I never think I was a lucky person, because every time I saw the draw or for my whole life I always feel like tough. But like, how do you say, like if you over this tournament, this tournament is over, you see back, you saying, Oh, I was lucky. I was healthy. I'm still can play on the court. So sometime is like the negative way, I would I think, Ah, I'm not a lucky person. But positive thing is I was‑‑ right now I still can do the job I like doing and I still can traveling for all of the world. Maybe some people, they never out of the country. Yeah, sometimes I was think I was lucky. I can play tennis on the court, traveling all over the world, see the different people, and to meet the good friend. So, yeah, I think I was lucky. Sometimes even lose the match, but I still, I finish lucky because I still can play on the court. Q. Do you feel that you were lucky to be born in your culture, what is it, 29 years ago? NA LI: 30. (Smiling.) Q. That was the fake question. NA LI: I mean, yeah, I was happy because I have fantastic family. My father, mother, love me a lot. And also I have my‑‑ I couldn't say the best husband, but he's good for me. (Smiling.) So, yeah, I know that I have a good team around with me. I have a lot of friend to support me. So, yeah, I think I was lucky. Q. Do you do things to bring yourself good luck? Do you light off fireworks on Chinese New Year? Do you do things to bring yourself good luck? Do you light off fireworks at Chinese New Year? NA LI: (Through translation.) No, never. I never. I mean, I think Chinese New Year always like the same time for Australian Open, so I couldn't do it. And also, you know, after Australian Open I was back to home. I have to meet so many friends. If I want, I mean, the time is tight enough, so totally forget. But for me, I never try it that way. Q. It is the most relaxed competition this time? NA LI: I mean, tennis is never relax.  Doesn't matter what's the score. Q. It's very easy for you, I think. NA LI: I mean, the tennis is never easy. You can say the score is easy, but you still have to fighting on the court. Maybe only one or two point can turn around for the whole match. Q. Which match during this time do you think is most difficult for you? NA LI: I think every match for me is difficult. (Smiling.) Q. How about you and Zheng Jie the 11th, the day before yesterday? NA LI: What mean 11th? Q. Two days ago you have match with Zheng Jie, right? NA LI: Yeah. Q. How about that match? NA LI: I think I talk about two days ago already. Today was another match. I really doesn't want to talk about the match before. Q. If you could, for the fun of it, go back and play anybody in the history of the game, who would you choose to have a match with who you have not played? NA LI: I don't think I really did want to play, but if I can choice, I would choice the match in this year in Australian Open against Kim Clijsters. I really want like 6‑2 ‑‑ in the tiebreak, I really want to go back to play. I mean, just one point I can come to the quarterfinal, right? But some thing never can change. So just funny. So we forget. Q. There is a virus that's been here that people have been getting sick. Have you taken any precautions to make sure you didn't get sick like the other players? NA LI: Just I think the tournament doing good job. I was in the locker room and they have like wash a lot for your hand. So, yeah, so, I mean, every time also my friend, my physio always tell me, Wash your hand. I say, I just wash. Look. So, yeah, they always talk to me. Yeah. Q. There's a dancing competition in America called Dancing With the Stars. NA LI: Yeah. Q. Monica Seles danced there and starting Monday Martina Navratilova. NA LI: Yeah. Q. Would you ever consider going on TV and being in a dancing competition? NA LI: Me? Q. Yes. NA LI: After drink, I can. (Laughter.) But before drink, I cannot. Q. Question about the future: Do you think that the Olympics this year coming after Wimbledon, will you feel less pressure than you did in Beijing or will the surface make the Olympics as difficult as Beijing but for different reasons maybe? NA LI: I mean, of course, you know, Beijing for me is very special year because first time have Olympics in Beijing. But, I mean, of course this year also more important for me, so I was changing my schedule after Wimbledon. Between Wimbledon and the Olympics I didn't play any tournament. So I just practice in the grass court, because in China we never have grass court we can play. So, yeah, I will stay in England to prepare for Olympics. Q. There was an incident last week regarding a French tennis player saying some things to some Asian fans in the crowd. Have you heard about it? Do you have any reaction about it? NA LI: I mean, I was heard about that, but, I mean, I was not in there, so I didn't know exactly what happened. But I would like to say sorry for the fans, because the fans I think for sure is like tennis to come to the court. But if the French player say the bad thing to her, I would like to say so sorry. I mean, because, we are tennis athletes, so the fans for us was more important. So doesn't matter if you're angry or something, you couldn't say bad word to the fans. Same like you couldn't say something bad to the family. Q. On a more fun note, been covering tennis for a long time, more than 29 years. There are many funny people, Goran Ivanisevic, Marat Safin. You're so funny. Have you always had the sense of humor? Why do you have this sense of humor? Why are you so funny? NA LI: I think I should ask my mom. I mean... Yeah, I mean, I think the happiness was more important for whole life, right? Yeah, so, I mean, I would like to say before I was very negative person, but my friend always tell me like, Look, you couldn't continue like that way otherwise you're killing yourself. Because you can play good tennis. You have nice family. You have a lot of fans to support me. Why are you always like not to be good for yourself? Yeah, so after, we talk many times. I try to change. I think I will change like five years ago. Yeah, because before I was feeling more pressure for myself. But right now I was‑‑ I'm not say totally change, but I was try to change a little bit. Yeah. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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