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AUSTRALIAN OPENJanuary 20, 2013Ana IvanovicMELBOURNE, VICTORIA A. RADWANSKA/A. Ivanovic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Do you feel okay right now? Is there something you can take away from tonight's match? ANA IVANOVIC: Obviously I'm disappointed. I really feel I was miss‑timing a lot of balls in the first set. I started playing better in the second set, but she played a good match. She's a really tough player. And, you know, rankings don't lie. She's there because she deserves it. Q. Do you feel like you're getting up to that level? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I really felt like I could challenge her, and it was really frustrating in the second set. I had so many chances. Even in the beginning of the first, I thought some of the games in the beginning could have gone either way. That's the frustrating thing. That was the frustrating thing tonight. But she's that kind player that makes you work. She doesn't give you much. I feel I'm on a high level. I just have to prove that and make that step of beating top players. Q. Did you feel like she played better than you expected her to? She didn't miss any balls out there all night. ANA IVANOVIC: I kind of expected that because we played a lot of times in the past. But I was just very surprised at the speed of the balls, especially in the beginning. It took some time for me to adjust. I always felt I was too far from the ball, and I was miss‑hitting lots of balls. Sort of in the second set I started moving forward a little more. Then she was changing rhythm, as well. So, yeah, I guess that's she is where she is. Q. When you say you're surprised by the speed, was she hitting harder than you thought or softer? ANA IVANOVIC: No, it was quite softer. I had to move a lot forward. I wasn't doing that enough in the first set and I wasn't staying low enough on my shots, especially on the forehands. I was pulling out of my shots too early and I was miss‑hitting a lot. Q. She's not known for somebody who is a really big server. She had seven aces tonight. Do you think her serve is an under‑respected part of her game? ANA IVANOVIC: I think her game overall is like that. She sort of, you know, gives you time, and then all of a sudden she goes for it. She's placing it really well. She's obviously very talented and has great hands. She was placing the serves really well, and it's hard to read it. She can do either side of ball toss, so I guess that's why she's successful at it. Q. I know you talked about wanting to develop upper body strength. How do you go about doing that? Hit the weight room? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, just basically do the gym. Yeah, just repetitions, yeah, some weights. Q. Bench pressing or... ANA IVANOVIC: Just some dumbbells, free weights, and lots of push‑ups. Q. How many push‑ups can you do now at a time? ANA IVANOVIC: About 15 maybe (smiling). I wouldn't go challenge now. Q. Is it frustrating for you? You get to the fourth round, and I suppose the highs of your career sort of four or five years ago, you are always defined by that. Is it frustrating that people keep harkening back to the French Open and runner‑up here at the Australian Open? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, it is frustrating because I feel like I create chances for myself again. I feel a few years back when I was losing in the second and third rounds of Grand Slams, that was the level then. And yet I cannot sort of make that step, that sort of breakthrough. Yeah, I guess sometimes results don't come as early as you expect them. Sometimes it takes time, you know, for a few things to fall in place. I definitely feel my game is in a higher level than it was over the last few years. Q. That keeps you going? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. That's what still drives me, to play and compete. I want to compete for big titles in big tournaments because I feel my game is still there. You know, I have strength to do so. Q. Do you think Agnieszka can challenge Serena, Sharapova, Azarenka for a Grand Slam title? Is she on the same level? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, she took Serena into third set in Wimbledon, in grass. I think she definitely can. You know, she's a player, it's no secret, who doesn't make too many winners, but she has good hands. She can really get the opponents to feel a little awkward, you know, make you go for too much. You know, that's her strength. Q. On your strength thing, your serve, is that part of it? You don't quite have the velocity you had earlier in your career. Is it all about upper body strength? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, no, it's just overall strength. It's lots of repetitions. Tennis, it's very physical, and you do hit a lot of forehands or serves, sort of high shots. You need that strength to put behind the ball so you can generate more pace and power. Serve, it's also a lot of technique. I still can serve pretty hard out there. But, you know, it's just something I really feel I need to work, and a little more explosivity also. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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