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U.S. OPENSeptember 3, 2012Ana IvanovicNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK A. IVANOVIC/T. Pironkova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You've had a different schedule so far, on at night and then this morning you came in and played the first match, six games to none. Are you a morning person? How do you prepare for the different changes in schedule? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I'm definitely a morning person. The first week I was out here every morning practicing at 8:00, so I like to get up and get my day started. I do go to bed early at night, so the other night I was feeling a little bit sleepy. But, no, I enjoy the first matches. And also when you know exactly what time you go on it's a lot easier to prepare. Q. In Indian Wells you talked about the biggest regret in your career, which is forehand dropshot you hit against Maria in the Australian Open final. Today you hit some like amazing forehand dropshots, so does it mean finally you get rid of your nightmare? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, you know, I like to play that kind of shots; in practice I do it all the time. I thought today I did it actually in few really important moments. I was very fortunate it went my way. Sometimes it's not the best choice of shots, but, you know, still I felt like I had a good touch today. I tried to use it. Q. How does it feel to reach the quarterfinals here? ANA IVANOVIC: It's amazing. You know, I have been here in fourth round quite a few times, so to make that step and reach quarterfinal, and also the first time since '08 which I'm very thrilled about. Q. In '08 if you had known it would be four years, what would you have thought about it? ANA IVANOVIC: Take four years' holidays. Q. It looks like you'll likely play Serena. In the past you have lost three matches, but do you think you had your chances in any of those sets? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, in the last year when I played her here, I thought I had some chances in the second set from the memory. But, you know, it's always tough. She's obviously great player and she's been I think playing the best out of all the girls on tour at the moment. She's been, you know, having so many victories lately. Her serve is definitely her strength. You know, I really have to be sharp from the first moment on and stay aggressive and stay in the moment. You know, try to enjoy it as well and enjoy the challenge. It would be great opportunity for me. Q. What do you have to do different on her serve as opposed to any other? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think the goal will be just to try to make as many returns as possible and try to look for opportunities, you know, and little windows you might get. Because, yeah, that's basically the only way, you know, try to put pressure on her second serves. Q. I know there is no easy way to do this, but how would you describe the last four years of your tennis career? ANA IVANOVIC: Like a roller coaster. (Smiling.) You know, there were some good moments and some tough ones, but it's a process. I understand it better now. There are times when you realize that it's exactly what it is: it's a process. You can't have everything at the same time. You have to, you know, be consistent on practice courts and then in the matches. I felt I had that this year. I have been quite consistent at times. I put myself lots of times in opportunities for the big matches and the big wins, and I never managed to do that. You know, now I have another chance, and I really hope I can pull it together this time. Q. Has Novak been helpful to you in the roller coaster in any way? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, we did speak a lot. He obviously had a great year last year. He's a dear friend of mine. It's great to get some experience from someone like him and, you know, advices. You know, we spoke a lot now in Olympics in Wimbledon, and it made me realize how important it is also to have someone there who is going to take care of the body and recovery and all these little things, because they are the small parts that make difference. Q. He obviously is playing well here, but not certainly at the level he was last year. It's been a little more roller coaster for him. Do you have any sense of why? Why do you think it is? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think it's hard. That's why I think Roger has been so amazing. It's very hard to keep the level with outside pressures and your inside sort of challenges that you go through. I mean, he's still doing great. I mean, it's hard to call it a bad year, you know. Yeah, you have to find that hunger within you. That's, like I said, why Roger is amazing, I think. Q. Now that you've been able to reach a quarterfinal in a major, does it kind of raise the ceiling for what you think about when you look at the future or next year? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, you know, I'm not thinking about that yet. You know, I really want to focus and use my opportunities here and enjoy this week as well. I was really unfortunate with my foot injury before the tournament, so if someone would have told me I would be in this position, you know, I'd be like, Okay, that's nice. Thank you. I have been working really hard on recovery and on court, as well. It's kind of reward. You know, I want to enjoy that process. I still have lot of things to think about this year. Q. There are some photos here from a hundred years ago of the champions of that time. Both the men and the women played in neckties. The women in full‑length skirts and heels. Could you play in that stuff, or do you prefer maybe what you're wearing now? ANA IVANOVIC: I think this is a little more comfortable, I must say. (Laughter.) Well, I think that just shows how the game evolved over the years. I think we would be twisting our ankles in heels. Q. Do you think that the foot injury aside you're playing your best tennis of the year now? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I think so. You know, I sort of work really hard for this. Beginning or sort of the starting of the year in Indian Wells I felt I was also playing quite well, and then through clay court season, as well. But it was still lots of up and downs. Now I sort of know the things I'm doing well and I know I'm in the right path and I believe in it a little bit more. I think that confidence is sort of coming from that. So, putting it all together, I imagine I'm probably playing the best I have played this year. Q. Could you describe in what ways the second set was tougher today than your first set? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I mean, in the first set I didn't do much wrong. I felt like everything was going my way. In the second set she did start a little more aggressive. She was missing a little less. I did have few errors off my forehand side. I think that was probably the biggest difference. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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