AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2014

Casey Dellacqua

C. DELLACQUA/V. Zvonareva
6‑2, 6‑2

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Well done.  How nice is it to be back in the second round again?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, feels good.  Obviously I've been working really hard, and I have had a lot of matches over the last few months.  I was ready for today and ready as I could be, and, yeah, I'm really happy that I was able to win that and have an opportunity to, you know, play another match on Wednesday.

Q.  What was your game plan?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Just to, you know, obviously‑‑ yeah, like I have been playing a lot of matches, so I just wanted to, you know, make a lot of balls.  I know Vera hasn't played a lot of matches over the last few or 18 months probably.
So I knew that I was match fit and ready to go, so pretty much to focus on my game and do the things that I do well, and, yeah, I was able to do that today.

Q.  Is that part of the game plan, just to move her around the court?  You said she hadn't had as much match fitness as you had over the last few months.
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, I wanted to make her work for every point.  I know I have been out injured with a couple of surgeries and stuff, and that first big match or first big tournament coming back, I know how it feels.  I have been there and done that.  I wanted to make her play as many balls as I could to make her feel like she was under a lot of pressure and create a few errors from her side.
She's obviously not at the level that she probably was when she was No. 2 in the world.  She's a quality opponent still.  Yeah, part of my game plan was just to serve well, do the things that I do really well, and take all the confidence that I have had over the last few months into that match.  I think that really helped me today.

Q.  Is this as fit as you have ever been?  And if so, how important is it in conditions like we are having here this week?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, I 100% feel physically as best as I ever have.  Since I had my foot surgery a few years ago I have worked really hard every day.  It's not been like something that's happened in a few weeks.
I have worked really, really hard every day to get in the best possible shape I can get in.  The hotter, the better for me.  I know it's going to be really hot all week.
Yeah, I'm prepared, and I'm ready for whatever conditions come.  But, yeah, I think obviously when you've been training in this type of heat it's definitely an advantage, and, yeah, if it's 40 on the day that I play, I'll be happy.

Q.  You think a Perth girl is used to this kind of heat, gives you a little bit of an edge?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, I mean, I just grew up in conditions, hot conditions, and obviously being Australian, so it's going to be the same for everyone.  I know everyone is talking about the weather and the conditions and stuff, but, yeah, at the end of the day, we're all athletes and everyone is probably physically ready to go after having a big preseason.  So I think the fact that I'm from Perth might help me a little bit, but I don't know.

Q.  The cricket test match when it was 40 degrees every single day in Perth, were you training pretty hard during that period?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah.  In Perth.  When was that?  Which test was that?

Q.  Three weeks ago.
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, I'm based in Sydney so I was probably not in Perth at that time.  But, yeah, after the US Open I played a couple of tournaments in Asia, and then I played a couple of matches in Bendigo, but I trained right through the Australian Open playoff, was doing all my physical work every day.  Even in Bendigo I was still training.  I had a period of a few months where I just wanted to work as hard as I could.
Physically, yeah, I was in the gym.  I'd play a match, and I'd go and train and do all my off‑court stuff.  I was pretty buggered, and especially after the playoff, I was pretty exhausted, but it certainly put me in good stead for the last month of tennis and for the rest of the year and for the rest of my career, you know, however long I play for.

Q.  It's a good start.  Obviously a lot of matches.  You have a new coach and you're injury‑free.  Anything I'm forgetting?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  No, no, that's pretty much spot‑on.  Yeah, I started with Stinger just before the French Open last year, and since then I think my game is pretty clear and I know where I want to be.
I know what I want to gain from the game.  I know when I walk out on the court how I want to play.  He's been fantastic getting me to this point.  I had a lot of matches.  Physically great, no injuries.  So now it's just about going out on the court competing hard and seeing what I've got, and I will be doing that again on Wednesday.

Q.  Making that first‑round victory, Grand Slam of all the tournaments, does it lift the confidence even more than just a regular tournament?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  It's always good at the beginning of the year to get as many matches as you can.  Obviously I had a win in Brisbane and same in Hobart last week, and now I had a win here.  Points‑wise I don't really think about all that stuff too much, but it all comes hand in hand when you're doing the right things.  But, yeah, it's obviously great for me to have this win here today.  That will help my ranking again.
Gives me a lot of confidence, you know, going into the rest of the year, as well.  Yeah, it's all good.

Q.  Can you talk specifically about Flipkens, your history with her, and what you're expecting?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  I actually don't think I have any history with her.  That's pretty much my history with Flipkens.  I do know obviously a lot about her.  She made the semifinals in Wimbledon last year, and she's a very tough opponent.
And I do know that my fellow lefty West Australian Storm played her last week in Hobart and lost 7‑6 in the third.  I know I can gain a lot from her and take that into the match.
I have seen a lot of her play.  So taking that one into consideration, you know, it will be a tough match.  She's a seeded player here.  But I also believe that if I do all the right things and I compete hard and I can execute well, I certainly have a good shot.
Yeah, I will just recover well today and have a nice day tomorrow.  Yeah, get ready for Wednesday.

Q.  The match today, marathon third game in the second set, couple of break points, you were very successful in your line‑call challenges.  Was that the turning point?  Do you think you broke her spirit then?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, that was a really tough game.  I really wanted to win that, you know.  I wanted to, after winning the first set, just knuckle down and, yeah, just give it to her a bit, I guess.
So, yeah, that was a really good ‑‑I'm glad I challenged and stayed in that game.  I think that was a big turning point in terms of the second set, and, yeah, I was quite nervous there in the end serving it out.  Match point is a bit of a blur, but at the end of the day I got the win and that was kind of all that mattered.

Q.  You won the match point, by the way.
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah.

Q.  Do you have shoulder problem?  Were you out with a shoulder problem for a period of time?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, I had shoulder surgery in February 2009, and then I had foot surgery in, I don't know, July 2010.

Q.  What was the shoulder problem?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  I had a full reconstruction, so I had ‑‑ labrum was torn off the bone and a couple other bits and pieces.  It was a full, pretty much, cleanup.  In February '09 I had that.

Q.  41 degrees tomorrow.  It's your day off.  How do you spend it?  Just relaxing or a little bit of court work?
CASEY DELLACQUA:  Yeah, I will probably come in early and get a hit in early and get out of here before matches start and gets chaotic, which it always is during the Grand Slam period.  I will come in early, and, yeah, it's pretty good.
I feel like the schedule has worked in my favor to be able to get in on a Monday, get my match done.  Now I can go back and sit in the air con and have a massage and watch everyone else sweat it out.
Yeah, tomorrow for me will be just about having a little bit of a hit, freshen up, and probably stay out of the heat, I would imagine.

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