Jelena Jankovic

US Open

August 29, 2008



Q. Only 11 deuces. That's not bad?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, I wanted to go to 20. I just couldn't make.

No, I'm just kidding. Especially that last game was so tough. So many advantages, you know, from her side and I also had I don't know how many match points.

I had a really bad percentage of first serves. I was struggling with that stroke. But I managed to win at the end, so it was, you know, the most important thing.


Q. What are you trying to do to your dear mother, for heaven's sake?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I know. She told me she's under so much stress. It's so hard, you know, for her to be the box. It's tough for her to watch this. I wish I could finish 2 and 2 but it didn't work today. I hope the next match. I will try my best to make it easier for her.


Q. You can tell that you're under some stress, too.

JELENA JANKOVIC: Of course. I want to win. I'm out there to compete and really do my best. Of course, you're not there, you know, in a picnic. You're really in a battle and you're fighting out there.

So it's a tough time. You're under pressure and you want to perform at your best and you want to get out of that as a winner. So that's the most important.


Q. Of course you want to win every point, but when you're late in the second set like that, do you stop to think, what if we go to a third set, what would that be like?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I went to a third set the other match in my second round, so I didn't want to do that. I was a little bit frustrated with myself, because I ‑‑ in the first set I was serving well and holding my serves and doing quite well.

Then in the second set, I don't know what happened. I just lost my rhythm. Throughout the whole match I had a really bad percentage of first serves and mainly playing with second serves, which obviously doesn't help.

That game I really wanted to win so bad because I didn't want to go into a tiebreaker and I didn't want to, you know, let ‑‑ give a chance to my opponent to get into the third set. Then anything can happen, because we are both tired and who's going to last longer? So I'm happy that I managed to get the win in two sets.


Q. What did she do, if anything, that surprised you?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Well, she's a very solid player and moves well on the court. You know, she doesn't give you many free points, so she's really out there until the end.

So really, if you want to beat her, you really have to beat her until the end. She's not going to give up any time.


Q. Are you feeling well‑rested? Are you playing in better condition than the other night?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I'm feeling pretty good today. I was sore a little bit yesterday because I cramped in my left leg, and that was only, you know, a little bit of soreness in there. But today I felt fine. I'm a little bit, of course, tired after the match, but it's not that bad. It's normal.


Q. You going to play mixed doubles?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, I haven't played since I won Wimbledon, and to be honest, I don't know how that will work, you know, what I will do. But I think it's great for me to practice on my serves and my returns and try to, you know, also transform that ‑‑ transfer that to the singles matches. I hope that it can help my singles game as well.


Q. Some players seem to like a little drama in their matches. Are you one of those?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Not really. I wish I didn't have any drama in my matches. I wish I would win nice and in a simple way, you know, nothing there, just cruise through the match and that's it.

But sometimes, you know, it's more exciting for the fans and a little more stressful for the people in my box. But as long as you win, that's what matters.


Q. But in a way you like it a little bit?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. Who likes drama? Do you know anybody that likes to get involved into tight matches where you're maybe going to go into a third set or whatever?

I don't think anybody likes to be in this kind of situations. Everybody likes to win 2 and 2, easy, no pressure.


Q. Subconsciously some people might like that.

JELENA JANKOVIC: That's just part of the sport, you know, dealing with pressure and being in tight situations is what this sport is all about. You have to try to do your best when this happens, and then you form this drama or whatever you call it.


Q. What do you think about Ana's elimination?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I have no idea. I only saw it in the news last night. It's, you know, surprising. I have no idea how she played, what the other girl did. I have no idea. I only heard it in the news.


Q. What about the effect on the draw?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I'm in the lower ‑‑ bottom side of the draw, so I really don't have anything to do with the top side. For me that doesn't make a difference until ‑‑ if I go to the final and if we were supposed to meet in the final, then okay. But we are completely two different sides, so I follow my side of the draw.

It for sure will open up for somebody who's up there. I don't know who, because I haven't checked the draw.


Q. In your last two rounds you've been on the court for I think just a few minutes under six hours. Does that take a toll on you, that you're out there too long?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. I'm trying to also improve any fitness level and my condition. I feel a little bit I'm coming back. I'm feeling my strokes a little bit better and getting my timing back. Playing the matches, I think, helps a lot.

When you're practicing, it's not the same. But when you're dealing with pressure and matches and you're hitting the balls, when you're supposed to hit them well, and just feeling little by little you're gaining your confidence back, and that's what I want and that's what I'm looking for at the moment.

So, you know, I don't play tomorrow. I have a day of rest. I'm going to finish the press conference and then I'll play my mixed doubles in a couple hours, and I will take that as a practice, you know, try to work on my returns, serves, volleys, and have some fun out there. There's no pressure out there.

And then tomorrow, just a light hit, and then I hope that I will be ready for the next one.


Q. This is the second straight match where you kind of struggled to hold your serve. How concerned are you about that as you go forward in the draw?

JELENA JANKOVIC: It's okay. I served pretty well in the first set, but then somehow I lost the timing in the second set, because maybe I got a little bit tired. And then when you don't use your legs you don't accelerate as much with your arms, and the stroke falls apart and you don't do as well.

But I will work on that, and I hope that I will do better in my next match.


Q. Do you get tired of the media conferences after the matches? Sometimes when you're playing a match, are you thinking about what you're going to say afterwards?

JELENA JANKOVIC: You think when I'm playing a match I'm thinking about what I'm going to say to you guys (laughter)?

I'm thinking, what are they going to tell me? Because I had like five match points and I haven't made them. What are they going to tell me? Of course not.


Q. You don't think of a good answer?

JELENA JANKOVIC: The media is a way of sharing your information with the fans, with the people that follow you, and that's the only way to express yourself and tell how you feel, how the match was and whatever happened out there. I think it's a great way as long as you don't turn my story in another context.


Q. How hard is it when you lose?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Of course it's tough. Nobody likes to lose, and it's hard to even be up here and talk, especially in the beginning when it's all fresh. But I think we all have to go through that.


Q. There was one point you did the splits twice.

JELENA JANKOVIC: As long as I'm doing the splits, that means I'm healthy. I'm doing good. When I'm not doing the splits, you know there's something wrong. I'm not too sure about my body. If I go into a split, who knows if I'll come back up, you know?

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