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AEGON CLASSICJune 13, 2014Ana IvanovicBIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND A. IVANOVIC/K. Kourkalova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Good match today. Another clean win. Just feeling more and more comfortable? Just kind of settled with your game on grass now? You feel like you've got it? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely, especially in the first set. I really felt I started well and I didn't do much wrong. I was really aggressive, coming in a lot. In the second set, I think I didn't come as much and she started to play actually a lot better in the second set. But really happy with the way I'm playing at the moment. Q. In the second set, because it was obviously a lengthy timeout for her, she was getting quite agitated as well. Were you aware that she was getting quite upset with herself? ANA IVANOVIC: I noticed in the end of the first set she was getting a little bit frustrated. To be honest, I was playing really well. In the second set she really raised her level. She showed that in the first two matches. She made two comebacks and played long matches. She really gave her best in the second set and played well. I was really happy to get a break at 4‑All. Q. Did you contemplate getting a little ball boy to help you with your serve in practice while you were waiting? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, actually I wish I didn't practice. It was a terrible serve. I didn't get one in the court actually. (Laughing.) Q. I was watching thinking, Okay, this may not be the best thing to so. ANA IVANOVIC: No. I was like shall I stop? Q. You've been playing fantastic this week; three victories. Are you planning to go to Eastbourne next week? ANA IVANOVIC: No. Q. What will you do between the end Edgbaston to carry you over to the slam? ANA IVANOVIC: I'm going to actually be in London and train there and then, yeah I have some also free time to go to the city a little bit and relax. We don't get to do that much during the tournament, especially we stay in Wimbledon Village. It's a good opportunity to do it the week before and let your hair down a little bit and not think too much about the matches yet. Then looking forward Wimbledon pre‑party. Q. Speaking of the pre‑party, you have an outfit planned out already? ANA IVANOVIC: I'm going to sort that out on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a big celebration. Q. Is it sort of the biggest red carpet of the year for you?      A.Yeah, it is exciting. We don't get chance to do that much, and it's nice I think to get dressed up. I just wish there would be like more people, more celebrities coming and just make it more interesting for everyone.            It's really nice to have this kind of events. I think it's why I never played in Eastbourne good, because I always wanted to make the party. (Laughing.) Q. If you could choose celebrities to come to the pre‑party, who would it be? ANA IVANOVIC: Oh, I can't‑‑ I mean, there are so many, you know, cool people I would like to meet. Yeah, some Brits, too. Q. Give us three. ANA IVANOVIC: Three? That's a lot. Well, I know the British actor Theo James. I think he's kind of handsome. Obviously would be cool to meet Brad Pitt. Actually I would love to meet Meryl Streep, too. Q. How much more confidence do you have being a top seed at a tournament? Sort of feeling like you can go out there winning every match potentially ‑ not that it's easy ‑ but knowing that you can. ANA IVANOVIC: You know, I think it's like anything. You can look at it two ways: either make it work for you or against you. Because when you're top seeded, it feels like anything I do besides win is not good. But if I'm top seeded, it means I've been playing well. I try not to think too much about rankings or positioning and just try to play each match. Obviously makes big difference in the Grand Slams, because if you face top seeds earlier that's not good. Yeah, in the tournaments, just, you know, trying to take each match as important. Q. It's been a while since you played Zhang. Three years maybe. A few words on that? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I think it's going to be a lot different match. I think the first time we played was I think Toronto, and she was just been‑‑ probably her first year on tour. She's young player. She's one of the nicest girls actually on tour. I look forward to tomorrow's match. She played a great match today against Sloane. To win in straight sets, it shows she has some confidence. She made quarterfinals in Rome, too. But, you know, I'm going to talk to my coach because I don't know much. Like I said, I think it's going to be very different to the match we played long time ago. Just still trying to do the things I did in practice and try to mix in and try to do different things on grass, too. Q. Your first grass campaign with your new coach. Comparing this year to last year and your mindset, what are the differences and how much more comfortable do you feel now? ANA IVANOVIC: It's actually his first time on grass ever, so definitely some experience there. But I think it's good, you know, because he sees tennis and sport really well and understands what I need to do. He explains to me and I can pick it up fast. I am more aggressive this year than I think I've been in my previous years, and I have better game plan. Also coming in at the better times as well. It's also shot selection. This is why I think someone who understands the game can see that, regardless of the surface. Q. Speaking of player parties, what's the best player party you've ever been to? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think it's Wimbledon. It's always fun. To be honest, we had really fun players party in Monterrey this year. It was really funny and lots of dancing. I did not have that makeup on, but some players did. Some coaches also had fun. (Laughter.) Q. Mentally and kind of confidence‑wise, if you look at yourself a year ago and what it felt like going into new tournaments and comparing it to now what it feels like when you on land in a city and are ready to start a tournament, how is it different? Is there more belief now that, Okay, I can go and I can win the tournament as opposed to a year ago? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely I think confidence plays a big part. This year I played lots of matches, and that's something I lacked in last few years. It does help knowing you have rhythm as well. I think a lot of players are a lot about rhythm. Some people call it superstitions, but it's just the rhythm of playing, getting ready for matches. It's hard when you play two matches and then you don't play and then you play one. So now I feel like I have sort of flow, and it does help. You know, when you start a new event, it doesn't feel like, oh, my God, I'm starting from scratch. Feels like I've already done something to get there. Q. By rhythm you mean you're coming in having not lost first round of three tournaments? You've played a few matches? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, exactly. And then you obviously trained and so on. Because after events we tend to take a day off and just travel or rest or whatever. So if you play two matches then get day off and then travel, you kind of lose rhythm. It's just nice to have that work done, and then when the tournaments are over, when you have a little bit more time, then really let your hair down and rest. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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