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AUSTRALIAN OPENJanuary 19, 2014Flavia PennettaMELBOURNE, VICTORIA F. PENNETTA/A. Kerber THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. I just wanted to ask how it feels to be in your first quarterfinal here? FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's amazing. I mean, it's always nice to be in the quarterfinal in Grand Slam. It's the first time for me, and I really enjoy to play here. I think today was a really good match. Q. You mentioned on court that you feel, as you're an older player now, you don't feel as much pressure now as when you were younger. Is that helping you play better? Why now? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, I think when you're old, you're starting to have different goal and try to enjoy a little bit more the life, no? Also, when I was young, for me it was really easy to stay few months out of my house, don't see my parents. Now everything is starting to be difficult. I love to come back. I love to spend time with them most of the time. And so I'm here, and try to play my best tennis, try to enjoy every moment and my best. Q. How nervous were you coming out of Hopman Cup? After Hopman Cup when you hurt the wrist again, how did you deal with that just coming into here? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, it was a really difficult moment, because I didn't know what I had. I had the MRI five days after, but the MRI was pretty good, because my ligament and my tendon was fine. It was more ‑‑(Asking in Italian.) Q. Strain? FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. When the bones chalk, it's like burn. Q. Bristle? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yeah, so it was just inflammation. Q. So just talk about today's match. You played great in the first set. She played a little better in the second, although you seemed to be getting upset. Then problems closing it out at 5‑3, but then mentally you got back in and won. FLAVIA PENNETTA: I think the first set was perfect. I was really aggressive. Everything was working pretty good. My serve, my return, everything was perfect. In the second set, I just starting to wait a little bit more. She starting to play much better. Of course it's normal. I had few chances in the second set and I didn't make it. But in the third it was a little bit up and down for both of us. 5‑3, of course I was serving for the match and I play really bad (smiling), I have to say. But I just try to keep going and try to be aggressive, and in the end was working pretty good. Q. For you, in order to put your nerves aside and be able to play the way you want to at the end, what do you tell yourself? FLAVIA PENNETTA: To push, to try to push hard the ball, and try to be aggressive. Was the only way to win today. Q. Your next opponent, Li Na, same age, 31. FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes, so we are old both (smiling). Q. Almost the same day. FLAVIA PENNETTA: Almost the same day? Q. Yeah, she's one day younger. FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. Q. Older. FLAVIA PENNETTA: Oh, I feel better (smiling). Q. What's your opinion? There has been a lot of talk about why women are playing better in their 30s now. What's your opinion about this? FLAVIA PENNETTA: I mean, I really don't know. For me, I was playing better also when I was a little bit younger, so you just ‑‑I just continue to work, to improve my game, and here I am. Q. Your win today, that should see you boost into the top 20 come the end of the tournament. FLAVIA PENNETTA: Oh, yeah? I didn't know that. Good to know. Q. Does that give you confidence going forward? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, of course it's important for me. Is important to have a goal. I would like to be back in the top 20. Of course my dream is to be back in the top 10, but is gonna be tough. The season is so long. It just start. For the moment, it's so good, so I hope to just keep going. Q. You have a good track record against Li Na in the past, but you haven't actually... FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yeah, but we didn't played in the last two or three years, so it's going to be, I think, completely different match. Q. How do you feel she has improved in those last few years? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, she is so good. Like she's one of the best player. Backhand, unbelievable; forehand, really good; physically she's strong. So it's going to be really a good fight on the court. Q. When you started your comeback last February, it's been almost a year now. Did you think you would get to this point? FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. Q. Because why? FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, because the feeling I had was completely not good. I mean, I was keeping working in the good way with my team and with everyone, but in the beginning the result was not good at all. I mean, I did five or six first rounds in a row. But everything just change, because I think I was there and tried to play all the time and working really hard. Q. Is it like a second career now? FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, it's always the same (smiling). Q. How does the US Open semifinal prepare you for another match like this in the late stage of a Grand Slam? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Of course the US Open was really important for me, but today was different, completely different. And, I mean, I'm ready to play. I'm ready to play every match now. Of course I have pressure and I want to win all the time, but every match is different. Every time I go on the court I feel the same like the first one, so I have the same feeling. Q. What are your thoughts on post‑game interviews? A few days ago, Seppi was asked why he wasn't losing his composure, as Italians do. Today you were asked what's your favorite restaurant. Then you been told you can go and have your carbonara. Do you think there is stereotyping for Italian tennis players? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Non capito. (Through translation.) I think because in Italy there is like good food, so everyone talk about food and pasta and pizza and all the time the same thing. Q. Nothing wrong? FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. Why? (Laughter.) Q. You know, you had to continue being aggressive with Angelique, but how hard it is like to go for your shots? And at the same time, maybe did you feel afraid that you're going to miss or you have to tell yourself, go for your shots, be aggressive? FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, it was tough because she's a really good fighter and you have to make three or four times the winner. But I think was the only way to win today, to be aggressive and try to go for a winner, for a good shot. But also don't be‑‑ don't rush too much. Every point was really was long and I was try to be near the line, the baseline, try to don't lose court. It was the only way to win today. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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