J. DOKIC/N. Dechy
7-5, 6-2

MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Do you think you need to be slightly more ruthless out there?
JELENA DOKIC: It's a difficult match. She's not easy to play against. She played well in the first set to come back. You know, every time I had a set point, she got a let cord. I couldn't do much there.
You know, she played well to come back. After 5-All, I lifted my game up a little bit more. I was a lot happier today than the other day.

Q. Is it a matter of mental toughness when you're down nine set points and you can't put her away?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, it was difficult, because I knew I had chances. But on some of them she got let cords and she played some good points. When you get to 5-All, I was a little bit down, which is normal, because I had 5-2.
You know, it was important to win my serve there and then I broke her. You know, I was back on top again.
You know, I was actually happy because I kept on playing. Even though I knew I should have won that first set easier, sometimes that can get you down and can you lose that set. But I was happy with the way I handled it.

Q. Your gradual improvement in the three games, where do you think you're at after three matches?
JELENA DOKIC: It's not bad. I'm not playing bad. I'm happy. I've gotten better with every match. Today was a tougher one for me, so to win it in straight sets is great. You know, hopefully I can keep on going.

Q. You must be happy that you've got two of the most attractive girls on the circuit coming up in the next match, yourself and DanielaHantuchova. How do you see that as the glamour match of the tournament?
JELENA DOKIC: Well, I mean, we're out there to play tennis. Everything else, you know, is a bonus. You know, if someone thinks you look good, that's great. But I think the main thing is, you know, we're not out there -- we're both going to go out there and compete and try to beat each other, so...
All the rest, if you can be attractive and look good and people think that, that's great.

Q. Were you happy to be on Centre Court after being stuck on the outside courts and having a few problems? You said the other day the court was a bit slippery.
JELENA DOKIC: I've had good courts. Court 2 or Court 3 I played on the first match, Court 18. They're all show courts. I was actually surprised that I was on Centre Court. You know, but I've done well here, so it was good to be back on Centre. It's a great court.

Q. How did it play?
JELENA DOKIC: It was great.

Q. Are you representing yourself now without a management group? How is that going for you?
JELENA DOKIC: My dad is doing all that. I am in a legal situation right now with Octagon in court. But my dad is handling everything.

Q. What were your reasons for leaving Octagon?
JELENA DOKIC: You would have to talk to my dad about that. There were a lot of problems I had with a lot of people, so it's just to do it the legal way.

Q. With your dad not at tournaments now, who is, shall we say, coaching you? Is it important to have a strategy going into matches? Who is doing that with you now?
JELENA DOKIC: I worked a lot with my dad. So even when he's not here, you know, I talk to him during the day a lot. I know what I have to do. I've gotten used to that. But I know a lot of the players, and so does he. So we talk about matches and what I have to do. It's been good the way it is right now.

Q. Are there any particular players that you like to practice with or talk to?
JELENA DOKIC: Not really. I practice with a lot of players. You know, you have to get used to that. A lot of practice sessions, so you practice with everyone.

Q. Going back on coaches, in your formative years, your seven years in Australia, you had some of the best down there, Barry, Tony and Wally. How much do you think you owe to them to where you are now as the No. 7 player in the world?
JELENA DOKIC: You know, I've had a lot of coaches.

Q. Those were three of the best.
JELENA DOKIC: I'm going to judge that, not you. You know, I had a lot of help from them. I'm not saying I didn't. It was great while it lasted. You know, it helped me. I'm not saying it didn't. I got a lot of help from them. I learned a lot, especially the last coach that I had, Tony.
You know, I made a lot of improvement there.

Q. Would you give yourself the edge over Hantuchova on grass?
JELENA DOKIC: You know she hits hard. She has a good serve. But I think if I'm fit, if I play well, I give myself a good chance. Just depending, you know, she can be hot and cold. She can be up and down. You just have to take advantage of that.
I just have to keep the ball in play and see what happens.

Q. How important is it for you at this tournament now to step up to another level, maybe push onto the semis or beat one of the Top 5 players or even get to the final?
JELENA DOKIC: Next match is important for me to get through, and I'll be very happy if I get through it and get to the quarters, and then I'll look forward.
But I think the next one, you know, is very important for me. I think if I play well, I have a good chance to win. I really want to win the next match, so I'm just focusing on that.

Q. There's been reports linking you to the Formula 1 racing driver Enrique Benoldi. Any truth in those?
JELENA DOKIC: If I wasn't a tennis player, you wouldn't be talking to me right now. So why don't you think of a question that is your business, and you can ask me that.

Q. Who is over here with you, Savo?
JELENA DOKIC: No. He's home with my dad.

Q. Your mom?
JELENA DOKIC: And my fitness trainer.

Q. What's his name?
JELENA DOKIC: Mike.

Q. Is that sort of the price of fame, those kind of questions?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. I mean, you have to get used to that. You know, as a tennis player, you do a lot of media, a lot of questions get thrown at you, but that's normal and you have to deal with that. I've dealt with a lot of that already. You know, it's normal, especially if you get to be in the Top 10 or Top 5, that's what happens. You know, you have to get used to answering those questions.

Q. With the respect and the love that you have for your father, are we likely to see him back on tour sooner rather than later?
JELENA DOKIC: I think so, yeah. He has some other things that he's doing right now, so I think, you know, it would be up to him. I'm sure he will travel again, no doubt about that. You know, I'm sure you'll see him back.

Q. John McEnroe said in his book that you have to be a little bit selfish in order to be a champion, in order to survive on the tour. How do you feel about that?
JELENA DOKIC: That's true. I think tennis is very competitive right now. We're competing for a lot out there. You know, it's a lot more than selfish that you have to be. You know, it's tough to survive. Everyone wants to beat everyone. So, I mean, I would agree with that.

Q. Do you feel like you have to be that way both in your job and off the court? Does it transfer over?
JELENA DOKIC: No. I think when you're on the court, that's different. Off the court -- I'm a different person from on the court and off the court. You know, you just have to change your mind, the way you think - on the court, be aggressive, you know, or serious, whatever.
But, you know, I don't think -- you know, some people are like that off the court, as well. But I don't think I'm like that. As long as you can do it on the court...

Q. Compared to the more physically stronger players to yourself, Capriati and Williams, what do you think is the key to beating these types of players?
JELENA DOKIC: I think Martina is a perfect example. You know, she didn't have the power. But you have to try -- you know, players that don't have power have something else. They've dominated the tennis the last couple years, and tennis really has gotten a lot stronger and quicker.
I think a lot of players have gotten physically stronger, too. You know, it's hard to play against them, but you just have to go out there and, you know, chase every ball, you know, hope that you have a good day. You know, we've seen players upset them. You know, there's not much you can do. You just have to hang in there.

Q. Do you think that parents tend to be underrated as coaches? If you look at yourself, Venus, Serena, Jennifer, Martina, you all have parents as coaches. Do you think people tend to think a formal coach has to be brought in?
JELENA DOKIC: No, I'm definitely a person that agrees, you know, parents are definitely underestimated. You know, you have -- out of the Top 10, you have so many players that are coached by their parents. You have so many top players that would be following their daughters and sons not even in tennis. So I think that has nothing to do with that.
I think we've seen a lot of examples where parents have been coaches. I think Venus and Serena are a perfect example. They're No. 1 and 2 in the world. No one can complain.

Q. Do you think tennis academies are overrated? Do you think that's not necessary to get ahead?
JELENA DOKIC: Sometimes it is. But I think maybe, you know, just depends on the individual. But I think last, you know, five years or so, we've seen a lot of parents come into the picture. So I wouldn't say that coaches and academies are exactly the perfect thing to be a top player.

Q. Was there any specific reason of going the full circle from where you are now in Belgrade to Sydney to Wesley Chapel and then back again? It's a checkerboard move.
JELENA DOKIC: Well, you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. So I had some decisions to make. You know, I didn't have an easy situation. So I think, you know, I had to go a day at a time. That's what I did.
You know, going to Australia and then to America and then back home, I had to do that, and I had no other choice at the time. And I'm happy, you know, with the way everything worked out.
You know, I couldn't change that. You know, those are the decisions I had to make. You know, I don't regret them. But, you know, it's not like I planned it 10 years ahead. I just went a day at a time.