MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL


January 13, 2010


Dinara Safina

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES


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


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Both days, very slow start. Down Love-5 in each match. What was causing that, do you think?
DINARA SAFINA: Today was let's say I didn't change what I did wrong yesterday. Let's say yesterday I understand like you have a slow start because it's first match of the year. But today I start against, I mean, very good player like this slow, I mean, that's strange that I didn't change.
But also it's kind of I have one breakpoint to go 1-0, and I went 2-0 down and I didn't hold my serve. So I guess it would be 1-All it would be different.
But still, like that slow start cannot happen. Now I'll try to change to from next time I play the match that I'm not allowed to do this.

Q. Speaking to your coach after the match, what did he have to say to you?
DINARA SAFINA: Basically he said the same thing to me: You cannot start against a top player Love-5 down and then you start to play your tennis.
But we know what I did wrong, what I did right, and just to move on. I don't think it was a bad match, especially the second set. It was very close. The score was 3-2 for her, and it could also be 4-1 for me. Some things didn't went my way.
But, I mean, I didn't play for a long time against top players. From Cincinnati I didn't played against anybody. So for me, this tension of top players, it just missed. Because I was doing the right shot, but just was missing them by a little bit.
I think more I play I'll get my rhythm and I'll go and use my shots.

Q. Even though you lost the match, I imagine it's very good preparation because you did play some high-quality tennis in the second set.
DINARA SAFINA: Definitely the second set was a good match. If I take away the first set, the second set was quite good.
If I would start like this the beginning, the match would be different story. But I can just improve my first set and take a positive thing from the second set and move into Australia.
I mean, the season is just starting. I'm pain-free and healthy. Just to keep on going, this is the game nothing else. Just going and going.

Q. When it started to rain to the second set, you seemed a bit concerned about the courts.
DINARA SAFINA: Well even it's drizzling a little bit, the lines get slippery. I understand our umpire and supervisor, they want to get rid of our match.
But for us players, we're responsible for our safety. We would tell them of course it's slippery. So I understand their part, and they should understand us players, because we are more concerned about ourself than them.
They say like if it will get dangerous, then we will cancel. Yeah, but why we even have to get to this point that it's dangerous? Why not wait until it dries completely?

Q. Do you feel they should have carried the game over to tomorrow?
DINARA SAFINA: No, no. Definitely no. But just it was still raining, but it was fine. Just maybe it was -- when did I call for my -- at 4-3, so it started to rain. Then we play few points and then it starts to rain again.
Why just don't to wait until it stops completely and we continue to play the game? We have to stop again in the middle of the game and we break or rhythm. So just to wait a little bit.

Q. D you feel look I played enough good tennis today to give you some confidence to take into next week?
DINARA SAFINA: Well, you know, I still have a few days, so I still can -- you know, I can say I beat a top 10 player and I lost to another one of the top players. The game is there.
Just you know I still have a few days to practice and get better my shots. That's basically what you look for in good tennis. So now to work a little bit on the things that were missing, and I'm going to Melbourne. Hopefully I can do better each match.


 

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