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SONY OPEN TENNISMarch 29, 2014Na LiMIAMI, FLORIDA S. WILLIAMS/N. Li THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. I guess you had a great start. 5‑2. Everything was looking great. NA LI: Everything only looking great. Is not great. (Smiling.) Q. Where did it go wrong? NA LI: Is not wrong. I don't think I was play bad. So, yeah, maybe she just start a little bit better after 5‑2 down. I mean, really nothing to say. I don't think today I was doing like a wrong game plan or I was play totally wrong. I think it was pretty good match. Yeah. What I think. Q. Does this match give you encouragement for the next time you face her? Do you think this is a step in a right direction? NA LI: Yeah. At least I try so many things, like come to the net, return volley. So it's not bad, really. Q. You stopped the ball at 6‑5. There could have been a tiebreak and you asked for Hawk‑Eye. Did you see it clearly out? NA LI: Yeah. So that's why after the ball was even landing the line, I was like ‑‑I was look at my team. I said, This is not mark I saw. You cannot change. You only can do is follow. Q. You chose not to have Carlos come out today. NA LI: Yeah. Q. Is there any point where you were thinking, Maybe I should have signed up to have Carlos? NA LI: I think he trust me a lot, and also I trust myself. I think I'm strong enough to face to do that. So we already decide the tournament start, no coaching at all. Yeah. Q. Is she a player that you just can't ever feel like you're in control of even if you have a lead? NA LI: I don't think tennis is like can totally control, you know. It's like everyone is the same. Only one racquet. You have to see who is play better that day. So even other opponent, I don't think I can totally control there. Q. You seemed happy with your match. Is Serena the kind of player that it doesn't really matter what the other person is doing, that it's what Serena is doing? NA LI: What you mean? Q. You played phenomenally well to start, and then all of a sudden she seemed to wake up almost. Does it matter how good you play or does it matter how she plays when you play her? NA LI: I think it's‑‑ how do you say? Now I will start to understand a little bit tennis. Like before, it's not like I only care how is opponent doing, but now start these couple years I was thinking more what I should do on the court. I don't think it even ‑‑ like 5‑2 up or after 5‑All, I think I do exactly the same. So really, how do you say, is nothing to say for the match, because I already try the best what I can do for today. Q. Now that you're No. 2 in the world, do you feel like if you're playing your best and Serena is playing her best that you could still beat her? NA LI: We will see on the court. You never know. Yeah. Q. You hit some great serves wide to her on the forehand in big points, and she hit phenomenal returns for winners crosscourt. Did that surprise you when she did that, or were you expecting her to come up with those? NA LI: It's not surprise, because maybe she already know before I serve so she was ready for that shot. Yeah. Q. This was obviously your first final here in Miami. You said this week that you want to be back here many times in the final. When you were up two breaks in the first set, first time final in Miami, how did that make you feel when you saw the scoreboard and you were up two breaks? NA LI: Doesn't matter the score if I was in the front or behind. I never‑‑ how do you say? For me it's like after point, turn on another point. I don't have to see how was the score, because even the match didn't finish yet. Still everyone has a chance. Q. In that first set, particularly when you were playing very well, it wasn't just Serena making mistakes. It was you taking the match to her and hitting winners yourself. Was that a conscious thing beforehand, you were going to take the match to her and be aggressive? NA LI: I think this is tennis, because if I was play more aggressive, for sure she will going back a little bit. If she play a little bit forward, I have to going back a little bit. So this is tennis. Q. You two were laughing a lot during the trophy ceremony. What were you talking about? NA LI: We were talking about for sure before the match they say, Oh, two old women come to the final (smiling). Yeah, because a little bit laughing about our age. Yeah. Q. You don't feel so old out there when you're both up there with the trophies, do you? NA LI: A little bit heavy (smiling). No, no feeling at all. Q. Do you feel like Serena has this gift, that she can be playing so poorly, and then suddenly (snapping fingers) the light goes on and she could just turn into Super Serena again? Do you feel she's able to do that? NA LI: Maybe (smiling). Q. She served not her best today, 44% first serves, only had a couple aces. Maybe that's because of where you were positioning yourself. Do you feel you missed an opportunity a little bit? Because days when she's serving so well, it's really hard to get at her. NA LI: Like I say before, if I return well, I will put pressure for her for she serves. Even if I cannot return over the net, of course she will have huge, big serve, because she didn't have any pressure on her serve again. Q. You call yourself an old lady, but still you seem to be learning about the game. It seems like your enthusiasm is someone who is 21 or 22 years old. Is that a correct impression? NA LI: I'm a young 32 (smiling). No, I really feeling now the tennis is changed a little bit because it's not only about technique. More like mentally or physical. Right now I was more take care of myself. I know what I should do already before I come to the court. So maybe this is why these couple years I was doing well. Yeah. Q. Expectations for clay? NA LI: Yep. Q. Are you excited for clay? NA LI: A little bit (smiling). Yeah. Q. What are your goals this year? It's been a better surface for you. You played well in Rome and obviously the French Open. NA LI: Yeah, I try to do better than last year, because last year I was pretty confident coming to the clay, and only first tournament I doing well and other I lose so early. So we will see. Q. How much confidence are you going to take from this week, your first final in Miami? How much confidence will you take now pushing off to the clay season? NA LI: Well, I think I should print this confidence, how do you say, before US Open and we start hard court again. And now, because changing clay court, and it's totally different, the game plan, because in clay court you can do so many things. You have to use your legs even more. Yeah. Q. Which do you think is the most important title, Indian Wells or Miami, to the players? NA LI:  Only two choice? Q. Maybe even to you. I don't know. NA LI: I mean, if only two choice, it's very tough. It's tough choice, because both is big tournament. Yeah. If I can, of course I would like to take both (smiling). Q. I understand you were staying in a downtown hotel, and I want to know if you were bothered by the music. Did it affect how you were sleeping or preparing for the match? NA LI: Yeah, I think they start last night, right? I was thinking about, Oh, so lucky only one night. Otherwise I would leave here. Because yesterday I have day off, and already in our hotel there are like so many young kids with strange dress (smiling). I look at them, I was like, Wow, we are really old. Maybe this is the fashion but we cannot take it. Q. Did you think about joining them? NA LI: No. Come on. I was enough old. Q. Do you know what it's called? Do you know what the music festival is called? NA LI: No. Q. Ultra. NA LI: Ultra. Because I think every year they have the same time, right? Always can see the young kids like going crazy like drunk, totally (smiling). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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