MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL


January 13, 2010


Elena Dementieva

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES


E. DEMENTIEVA/D. Safina
6-2, 6-3


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've now won I think your last four meetings with Dinara. Why do you think your game matches up so well to hers?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I mean, it's always good to have the statistic, but I think every match is very different, especially against Dinara. You never know what to expect. She's such a fighter.
Even today she had a slow start in the beginning of the match, but I was ready for the game and ready for the fight. She never gives up, and that's what happened today. She was pretty tough in the second set, you know, after losing such an easy first set. I was ready for the fight.

Q. Did the rain play a part at all?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It was difficult. I mean, it's tough for your concentration just to stay focused and stay positive on the court, because you never know when you're gonna go on the court, when you're gonna stop, when you're gonna finish.
So, I mean, it was tough for both of us.

Q. You think the game wouldn't go ahead? Were you worried you'd be held over to tomorrow?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I mean, I was on the court. I didn't think about, you know, playing today or tomorrow. I just wanted to play no matter when.

Q. Dinara got off to a slow start, but after she sort of get into the match it was a pretty high-quality match, wasn't?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Oh, yeah. She hits its ball very, very hard and with lots of power and quality shots. She's a big girl, so she's a big hitter. You have to be ready for her to be very aggressive on the court. Sometimes you have to play defensive.
So, you know, yeah it was a good game.

Q. Very good preparation, I imagine, for next week.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Oh, yeah. I mean, that's what we all are looking here, to play against top players and get this match confidence. That's what I was looking for.

Q. Does it give you confidence?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes, for sure. It was a great experience to play against No. 2 in the world and just give me another match to play tomorrow. So it's good.

Q. Thoughts on Azarenka tomorrow?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I didn't see her playing today, but I know she's a good hitter. She likes to play very aggressively, hit the ball pretty flat. Always hitting back the balls.
So I'm looking, yeah, for another - hopefully - another good match.

Q. You must feel at the moment you can beat anyone the way you're playing.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Everyone is different, so the way I was playing today, maybe I need to change something for tomorrow. So you never know.

Q. Serve has improved this week, do you feel?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, it was a bit easier for me to serve, you know, playing a night session without sun and wind and without all the distractions. So I was playing very comfortable like I'm playing indoors.
But I have to work on my rhythm and make sure that playing tomorrow during the day I will keep the same rhythm.

 

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