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January 22, 2013
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
N. LI/A. Radwanska
7‑5, 6‑3
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. What did you do better than when you played her a week ago?
NA LI: At least this time I'm fit. Not like last time. I think last time I was a little bit tired of all the traveling. I mean, you know, the Grand Slam, you can play one day and another day have day off. I was feeling much, much better.
Also, if you have day off, you can ‑ how you say ‑ prepare for next match to do something for yourself.
Q. I think at the start of the second set you lost about eight points in a row and then the next five games you turned it around. What did you do?
NA LI: After the smash, I was feeling my legs couldn't move, you know. Was second set beginning I serve again and I was feeling totally dying. I couldn't recover I was feeling.
But, yeah, after two games getting better and better, so...
You know, she's a tough player. I was feeling today against a wall, you know. She can hit everywhere, but without a mistake. I was feeling just very tough. You have to focus on every shot. Not every point, every shot. If you hit like slow or like short one, she'll attack.
Q. Do you feel calmer on the court these days, and why do you think you're feeling more calm?
NA LI: Getting a little bit old, getting more experience. Right now I really ‑ how you say ‑ enjoy for every match.
Also I was working a lot this point in winter training, as well. Carlos always say, Calm down, calm down. All the day I was listening too much, like, Calm down.
Q. This is your third semifinal here in four years. Why do you think this is your best slam? This seems to be your best slam. Do you agree?
NA LI: Yes, I agree.
Q. Why do you think it is?
NA LI: I mean, I don't know. Every time I was come here I was feeling, I don't know, just something around with me. It's not wrong.
I don't know. I mean, maybe I like the court. Maybe.
Q. Do you think it being the beginning of the year also helps for you?
NA LI: What do you want to say?
Q. I'm saying you work hard in the off‑season.
NA LI: I working hard all the year (laughter).
Q. Knowing that you won a Grand Slam, do you feel like this could be your best chance again to maybe win and do better than you've done in the past and go all the way?
NA LI: I mean, you know, if you have to win Grand Slam, at least you have to win seven matches. Doesn't matter you lucky or unlucky, you still have to win seven matches.
This is very tough. Right now, I mean, I think this time I was change a little bit for my mind, because before I was think, Okay, if I win, what I should play, who I should against for the fourth round or fifth round.
But this time I really didn't see the draw. I really didn't think like far, just like match by match ‑ how you say ‑ to prepare for yourself.
Q. You said on court that Carlos was training pretty harshly in the off‑season.
NA LI: Yeah.
Q. What sort of stuff was he doing to you? How difficult was the pre‑season?
NA LI: I mean, you know, before I was always training in gym for the winter training because I have to see the doctor for my knee.
So last time I was stay two weeks in Germany still for to check the body. I was with Carlos for two and a half or three weeks in Beijing. Totally different program, you know.
He was not ‑ how you say ‑ like every day five, six hours, but not only for tennis. Tennis like maybe two, three hours, but fitness for two, three hours as well.
So, like, when first time I was training with him I was so exciting, but after three days I was dying. Yeah, because my husband didn't come with me in Beijing. I call him and say, Carlos is crazy. He was like, Why? I was say the program to him. He was like, Don't make the joke. I say, Hey, listen, I'm not joke. I really doing this in the morning.
He said, Okay, okay, I will come to you next day. So next day he was in Beijing. I was doing some exercise with Carlos. He was sitting in the gym. After halfway, he was like, Are you finished? I said, No, only halfway. He said, What? I said, Really, yes. I do this for three days already.
He said, I'm tired. I say, Don't say that. I'm doing exercises, you're only sitting. Don't say you're tired.
Yeah, but Carlos ‑ how you say ‑ he was very nice guy but also is tough. I have to finish all the program. He will say, Let's go, continue, with smile. I can't say anything. I have to continue until finish.
Q. Did you think about quitting at some point, stopping your work with him?
NA LI: After three days I was really tired. I was call my husband, I say, I really want to retire. I say, Now only three days; how be I can continue for three weeks or all the year?
But I think he's good because you can see until now, I mean, it's not bad, yeah.
Q. Maria Sharapova has only lost five games in her first four matches. Have you been able to see any of her? What do you think about playing somebody who is playing that well?
NA LI: At least now I'm in the semis. She has to play, so... Right?
Now I can start now to enjoy my day. She has to fight, yeah. So that's better.
The match is on Thursday, so I still have the time to recover.
Q. If you play her, who do you think Max will root for?
NA LI: I think Max just eat sugar and be somewhere else. You couldn't find him. Be just like, Oh, good shot, you know. Yeah, this is Max. He is going to change something.
Q. What happened with that serve?
NA LI: I mean, it's really tough to serve. The sun was over there. It's very tough to see, you know. It's tough after serve the first shot, because after you saw the sun coming, the eyes was total black.
Yeah, but at least I only hit one shot, so was okay for one match. Yeah.
Q. Do you think you're enjoying tennis again? It seemed after you won the French Open there was a lot of pressure; last year you had a tough match here. Are you feeling happier?
NA LI: I think, yes, yes. At least until beginning of 2013 until now I didn't waste the‑‑ if I have match point, I didn't win the match, so...
I think it's very tough, you know, because when I was playing Cirstea in Rod Laver, I was thinking about the match last year. Something you couldn't forget. Always in your mind, yeah.
Q. On court you mentioned since your husband stopped coaching you you have a better family life. Could you tell us a bit more about that.
NA LI: We always have good communication. I mean, just coach and husband is ‑ how you say ‑ tough to find a balance. He was doing very good job. But between like husband and the coach for us, both of us, is very tough, yeah.
Because sometimes, you know, if he say, We should do something, I was feeling, I'm tired. You're my husband. Why should you be training me so tired. But I forgot he's coach as well. That's why sometimes we have to fight, we have to shouting.
The funny thing is I think two years ago, China, someone say I was divorced. They was asking me. Because they thinking we always like shouting, maybe we divorced. They ask me, NA LI, we hear you are divorce. I say, Already two years, don't worry about that.
I really have to say I have the same husband for long time, so don't try to push me down. Even one day we are didn't love anymore maybe we should divorce. This is the life. We couldn't always together.
Q. You played Maria three times last year. I think she won all three matches. Where do you think you've improved and where do you think she's improved in the last few months if you do play her on Thursday?
NA LI: Because until now we didn't meeting for this year. Last year already pass.
She's more aggressive player on the court. Also she's tough. She's fighting a lot. Should be tough match. So we can see Thursday, yeah.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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