J. DOKIC/E. Likhovtseva 6-2, 6-3


Q. Yesterday Kim Clijsters got waxed real bad, 6-4, 6-0. I wonder whether the other top players in the draw take that as kind of a wake-up call, that you better bring your A game to the court if you're playing the next day.

JELENA DOKIC: I think with Justine losing so early, I think it was a wake-up call. You know, it's a Grand Slam. Anything's possible. You know, she was beaten yesterday. You know, I could have lost two days ago. I was two points away from it. But that's the way it happens. Especially when you get into like the fourth rounds, the quarters, I think it's anyone's match. I think in women's tennis right now, you have the top players, but they're very beatable. There aren't too many top players where you can really rely on them. I think it's normal.

Q. How well did you play today compared to your last match? Seems like you stepped it up a little bit.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, I did step it up a little bit - I had to. It was a different match. Conchita played a different game. She was tough to play against on clay. She played really well that day, and I didn't. But, you know, I was lucky to get out of that one. You know, I think when you have a match like that, you really focus on the next one to try and get better. I played well today when I needed to. I was in control from the beginning.

Q. Can you talk about walking the fine line between maintaining aggressiveness on clay and not being overaggressive, like with a game like yours?

JELENA DOKIC: I did that against Conchita. I started missing too much. It's not so easy to do that on clay. You know, it's important to be aggressive, but sometimes, you know, you can overdo it. I think I overdid that against Conchita. But she also makes you do that. You've got to find the fine line. It's tough to do that on clay. I think with matches you get better.

Q. Saw you at Sarasota. It was early after you came back. Here we are a couple months later. How much better is your speed and how much better is your fitness right now than it was when you were playing on the clay at Sarasota?

JELENA DOKIC: I've had a really unlucky year this year with injuries. You know, nothing major. But it's just been every tournament and every week. I think I'm a lot better since then physically. I can still improve. I don't feel like I'm at the best level I can be, but I'm a lot better. I feel a lot better physically. I feel like I'm getting there. You know, it's just important to maintain that and not get injured.

Q. Do you feel like now that most players have to deal with small injuries every single year? It seems even a lot of players left in the draw here have had a month here, a couple weeks there. Getting a hundred percent healthy year after year is tough?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. I think there are so many players right now that are injured, a lot of top players also. It wasn't like that two or three years ago. It's really changed. I know I've had that. I think it's the small injuries that are the worst ones because you never know what can happen. The matches are so much tougher. It's very hard to maintain, you know, fitness. You just have to hope you're injury-free.

Q. So last year, you looked at your draw, saw it was clear. This year have you not looked at it at all beyond your first match?

JELENA DOKIC: No, I didn't. I made a really big mistake last year. You know, I was really down after I lost last year. It shouldn't have happened. I had an open draw. You know, you can lose against anyone, but it's just that I played a really poor match. You know, it shouldn't have happened at a Grand Slam. But I've just -- this year I've just been going match by match, just not looking too far ahead. I think, you know, each one is really important. You know, when you're two points away from defeat, two days ago, I really have no intentions to look ahead, you know, just on the next one.

Q. I'm sure you're aware that Jennifer is on your side. Do you feel like every match, your next match, you're going to have to step it up, then getting to her, another one?

JELENA DOKIC: I will. When you're in the ending stages of a Grand Slam, you have to keep on getting better. I feel like with each match here, I've gotten better, which is good. I feel a lot better than I did at the beginning of the tournament. I'm just looking at the next match right now, not who I'm playing in the quarters or semis, so on. I'm just looking towards the next one, and hoping that I can, you know, maintain my level of play and play better and better.

Q. Can you give us your scouting report on Srebotnik or Loit?

JELENA DOKIC: I've played Srebotnik, but not the other girl. Whoever gets through, I think they play very different games. I'm just going to have to wait and see who gets through. I think the important thing is just to go out there and play my game. I'm not going to change too much. Just, like I said, try and get better with each match and stay aggressive.