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J. DOKIC/K. Hrdlickova
6-0, 4-6, 8-6
MODERATOR: Jelena for you.
Q. At the start of that match, it didn't look as though
you were going to be struggling the way you did. How do you explain the way
the match fluctuated so much?
JELENA DOKIC: I had a good first set, but I made a few
mistakes in the first game of the second on my serve and I lost my serve. I
think that's where things turned around. And she kept on getting better and
better, and I was getting too defensive. I was too tight and too nervous.
You know, when you lose the second set, no matter how good you played in the
first, you know, you're even. You know, it was difficult, and the court
wasn't great. She's not easy to play. She hits the ball very flat. You know,
when you get in a third set, you know, it's not easy to play her. And I lost
to her before. So, you know, I had to try to find a way to get back. You
have to try to win when you're not playing well.
Q. At one point you were two points away from defeat. Did
you think you may lose at that stage?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, definitely. When I got broken at
5-All, I was really mentally down because I had so many chances in the third
set to get up 3-Love. But she played three, four very bad points there, so I
was lucky there. You know, after that I was on top again.
Q. Do you know why you were so nervous, so tight?
JELENA DOKIC: No. I mean, I played a good first set. It
was quick. So I thought maybe I would win a little bit easier. But she got
better. She isn't easy to play against. I don't know. When you get into a
situation when it's a third set in a Grand Slam, you know you're supposed to
win, you know, it's not so easy.
Q. It's been quite a dramatic day in terms of big players
going out. Is this sort of a warning to not only yourself but other female
players?
JELENA DOKIC: I think it's always a warning the last few
years in the Grand Slams, in the tournaments. I think the matches are
getting so much tougher. You know, you always have to be awake. There's no
easy matches. There's no 6-Love, 6-Love or 6-1, 6-1. You know, it doesn't
exist anymore. So you have to be ready early on. There's so many good
players. You know, I think for me, I mean, being two points away from
losing, and coming back, I'm just glad that I won the match. You know, I
actually thought I lost already pretty much. So, I mean, it's not a good
thing to say, but, you know, it's not easy.
Q. You've been on the other side when you've just been
up-and-coming, no one had ever heard of you, you managed to pull off some
good wins. How does it feel when you're someone who came so close but has
failed?
JELENA DOKIC: You know, it's tough when you're supposed
to win because the pressure's on you. And when you have some players that
just go out and, you know, hit, you know, don't worry about anything, then
it's not so easy. But then sometimes you feel like you have the edge over
them because you're supposed to win. So there's both sides. You know, I've
been in situations where I wasn't supposed to win, and I've been in
situations where I'm supposed to win. So I've had both. It's just very
mental. Tennis is very mental. So you have to get over that and try to go
out there and play.
Q. What was it about the court that you didn't think was
very good?
JELENA DOKIC: It was very slippery. I haven't played on a
grass court like that at Wimbledon. I've played a few matches here, but it
was very slippery. The grass, it wasn't so good. Maybe from the men's match
before, I don't know. But I've never seen it that way before.
Q. How highly do you rate your prospects here, bearing in
mind you have Jennifer and Serena in your section of the draw? Do you think
you can do any damage here?
JELENA DOKIC: I'm not worried about that. I'm just going
a match at a time. You know, the next one's important for me. I've done well
here, so, you know, as a seed, you know, I'm supposed to be in the quarters
at least. So it's a long way to go still. I'm just going a match at a time.
You know, see how well I can do.
Q. Since you moved from Australia to Saddle Brook and
possibly Belgrade, do you feel more comfortable with your lifestyle? Is that
one of the reasons why you've reached the No. 7 in the world now?
JELENA DOKIC: Definitely. I think I'm a different person.
I mean, my life has turned around and changed a lot since then. You know,
I'm glad I did what I did. I don't regret anything. And I'm a much better
person. I'm a lot happier. The last year and a half, you know, have been
amazing, and I've done well, and I'm happy.
Q. Will we see you back in Australia for the Australian
Open?
JELENA DOKIC: I don't think so.
Q. Any reason for that? It is a Grand Slam.
JELENA DOKIC: It is. I've stated my reasons already for
that. Right now, you know, I don't feel like I'm going to go back. I don't
want to go back at this stage. You know, I doubt things would change, but
you never know.
Q. The tennis is all quite consuming. It's fairly full on
once it starts here. How do you relax the times when you're not practicing?
JELENA DOKIC: Well, Grand Slams, you know, you play a
lot, especially when you're in all of the events. I've tried to cut back and
not play doubles or mixed or anything. I think the schedule's very full
right now. Whether it's a Grand Slam or any other tournaments, there's a lot
of tennis to be played. I think mentally and physically, you burn out
quickly. I've tried to just play singles. You know, on my days off, just try
and, you know, see tennis as less as possible, just go and do other things.
Otherwise, you know, I'll be out of here in two, three years. So I don't
want that.
Q. Do you watch TV, go out?
JELENA DOKIC: I mean, you go to movies. You just try and
go and do other things, try not to be at the tennis courts all the time.
Q. Dad hasn't been on the tour very much this year. Do
you still call him your coach? Is he the biggest influence in your life both
on and off the court?
JELENA DOKIC: He has always been an influence to me, you
know, a huge one on and off the court. You know, I wouldn't have got here
without him, and I have everything to thank him for. You know, I love him
the way he is. You know, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I am. So,
you know, he hasn't been traveling that much in the last year or so. He has
other things that he's doing. But, you know, he's still my dad and my coach
and everything. He always has been and he always will be.
Q. Are you going to stay at Saddle Brook permanently and
use Belgrade as a European base?
JELENA DOKIC: No, we've moved to Yugoslavia completely.
Q. You're out of Saddle Brook now?
JELENA DOKIC: Yes.
Q. You're obviously very happy about that?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, definitely. You know, we thought
about that a lot, and I've always wanted to go back. That's where I'm from.
I'm happy with that decision. You know, I love being over there. Like I
said, you know, I wouldn't have -- you know, we wouldn't have moved and made
the decision if, you know, we weren't a hundred percent sure. So I love
being over there. I love everything about it. You know, I think it's showed
in my tennis, too.
Q. Is your father here this week?
JELENA DOKIC: No.
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