MELBOURNE _ Due semifinali maschili inesistenti, un torneo femminile inesistente concluso da una finale inesistente dominata da Serena Williams su una irriconoscibile Sharapova… e ci manca solo un Federer-Gonzalez che potrebbe essere una bella partita ma anche un disastro e un nuovo match inesistente!
Troppe volte sono state migliori le conferenze stampa post-partita che le partite, in questo torneo. L’avevo detto, forse anche un po’ troppo apertamente l’altro giorno a Roddick dopo la batosta patita con Federer, l’ho ridetto con il maggior tatto possibile e prendendola alla larga con Maria Sharapova _ ma non senza suscitare la sorridente risposta di Maria che ha provocato l’ilarità generale in sala stampa (stessa cosa era successa con Roddick, le interviste le potrete leggere qui sotto in originale inglese, quella di Roddick in un precedente blog)_ e così Stefano Semeraro, sempre acuto, mi ha appena suggerito di fare su questo blog… la classifica delle interviste più divertenti. Potrebbe essere un’idea. Ma il tempo tiranno me lo consentirà?
Prima un commento sulla finale che non c’è stata. Tanto che Serena era n.81, che aveva vinto 7 Slam, che è stata a due punti dal perdere sia dalla Petrova sia dalla Peer, lo sapete tutti. Che sia una gran bella storia, anche, non importa nemmeno sottolinearlo. La sua rentree darà fiducia anche a Venus, immagino. Mi domando solo che cosa starà pensando in questo momento Sibylle Bammer…(e non chiedetemi chi è o perchè: vi squalifico!)
Una Serena così non se l’aspettava nessuno _ però se andate a vedere quel mio commento di un paio di blog fa sulle donne incinte…e quei tornei che appaiono segnati fin dall’inizio da influssi soprannaturali _ ma nemmeno una Maria così. La prima sorpresa è stata, in mattinata, vedere Yuri Sharapov palleggiare con sua figlia. Non l’avevo mai visto giocare, confesso, e pensavo che non fosse proprio capace. Invece non è malissimo. Ha il rovescio a due mani e si impegna come se la finale dovesse giocarla lui. Però…mi viene il sospetto,a posteriori, che abbia messo fuori palla sua figlia. Mai vista così scentrata, e anche confusa. Sull’1 a 0 per Serena è salita 40-15, ha commesso due doppi falli (inframmezzati da due grandi botte di Serena…ho appuntato erre sul mio bloc-notes ma non ricordo se erano due risposte o due rovesci), sbagliato un rovescio (non poteva essere una risposta, batteva lei…), e beccato un dritto violento e il break.
Avrebbe perso, da quel secondo doppio fallo, qualcosa come dodici punti consecutivi. Era già k.d. ai punti, insomma e quando sul 4-0 per Serena ha cacciato malamente (ma molto malamente) fuori la risposta sulla pallabreak che avrebbe potuto _ se trasformata _ restituirle appena un po’ di fiducia, è praticamente finita k.o. già lì, 5-0 in 21 minuti, 6-1 in 26.
L’avvio del secondo set, un doppio fallo nel primo game perso a 15, e due doppi falli nel terzo che conduceva 40-15, sono stati la mazzata decisiva. Anche eprchè nel game precedente anche Serena era stata rimontata da 40-0, aveva commesso due doppi falli ma aveva reagito con un ace e un servizio vincente.
A quel punto, sul 6-1, 3-0 avrebbero potuto portare già il podio in campo, senza aspettare il 6-2 del secondo set, i 63 minuti totali.E i paragoni statistici con il 6-1,6-1 di Justine Henin a Parigi 2004 con Mary Pierce, con il 6-1,6-2 di Anastasia Myskina alla sorellina Deementieva l’anno prima, e il 6-0,6-4 di Justine a alla cugina Kim …Insomma mica tutte le finali femminili sono come Venus-Davenport a Wimbledon 2005. Però almeno quella dell’anno scorso con il 6-1,2-0 e ritiro della Henin aveva fatto discutere per la mancanza di fair-play di Justine.
La gente, non sapendo più che fare e per distrarsi, sul 5-2 si è fatta una ola, con il mio vicino Tommasi ovviamente disgustato. Al terzo giro ho alzato le braccia anch’io…per vedergli scuotere la testa sul serio (ma sotto i baffi… che non ha, gli veniva da ridere. Mi vuol bene come a un figlio, ricambiato, e credo ci sia rimasto più male lui che non mi chiamano a commentare i match per Sky che non io stesso…). Poi Serena sdraiata a terra in delirio dopo l’ultimo rovescio esplosivo e vincente, i salti felini da panterona, le corse verso l’angolo del suo clan, mamma Oracene…quindi la cerimonia di premiazione con una Sharapova molto, ma molto graziosa (anche nell’eloquio, che avete capito?) nei confronti della campionessa che l’aveva appena strabattuta (la n.1 dalla n.81…anche se sarà n.14 domani). “Non l’ho mai sottostimata, altri l’hanno fatto, io invece sapevo che è una campionessa stupefacente, l’ha dimostrato tante volte, spero di incontrarla ancora molte volte…e magari di vincerne qualcuna…”.
Brava davvero, insomma, Maria post-match, quasi a volersi far perdonare dalla folla per la sua brutta prestazione (vedi poi sua intervista, su questo argomento). Più banale, anche se genuina e con una sfilza infinita di ringraziamenti a questo e quello, presenti e assenti (papà, Venus etc) Serena, che però, dopo un guizzo para-commerciale non malvagio perché apparentemente spontaneo (“Grazie alle Nike per questi abitini e _ girandosi indietro verso Maria riuscendo perfino a farla sorridere _ we are Nike-girls”) _ ha concluso con il ricordo della sorella assassinata e in lacrime: “Mi ero detto che se avessi vinto l’avrei fatto per lei, per Yetunde…”. E nel dirlo le si è strozzata la voce, ha mollato il microfono e l’applauso che è seguito è stato il più prolungato e sentito.
P.S. Correggo anche qui e mi scuso di un lapsus nella risposta a uno di voi che ho dato in calce al blog post vittoria di Gonzalez su Haas (il massacro di Fort Haas)…
Cavolo, stavo andando a casa, alle 3 di notte e avevo lasciato il computer in sala stampa, quando mi è venuto in mente il lapsus che avevo fatto sul percorso della Williams (che era stata a due punti dalla sconfitta con la Petrova, 6-1,5-3 30 pari e anche con la Peer e non con la Pin). Il concetto che volevo esprimere non cambia, ma l’inesattezza c’era stata.
Mi sono subito detto “Mio Dio (gli inglesi dicono sempre My God, mi sto abituando) ora i miei amici del blog mi massacreranno e non farò a tempo a correggere fino a domani…lo faccio ora o ormai è troppo tardi? Credo sia giusto correggerlo per chi lo leggerà in futuro, non voglio portare i nuovi lettori su una falsa pista…qui se non dormo un po’ di più…, però oggi avevo un’intervista one on one con Federer, l’altro giorno con Nadal (e temevo di non aver registrato nulla…l’Alzheimer è galoppante). Quando ho finito con Federer la finale femminile stava per cominciare….e ora Serena l’ha già vinto ed è arrivata Maria S….e sono corso a sentirla e a porle una mia domandina che ha fato dire a Maria….beh lo vedrete nel blog Scusate, va bene? Come ha giocato bene Serena….e come ha giocato male Maria, vedremo una partita almeno per la finale maschile, sì o no?
L’intervista di Maria Sharapova

S. WILLIAMS/M. Sharapova

6 1, 6 2

An interview with:

MARIA SHARAPOVA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is it possible for you to explain what went wrong for you today?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I think it started in the second game, you know, when I’m up 40 15, you know, and I give her that game. From then on, you know, when she’s serving pretty big and pretty consistent, you know, it was tough to break her.
So, uhm, you know, I think that was a key game in the first set.
And, uhm, you know, I mean, she played some she played some good tennis. You know, we don’t really have a lot of long rallies. It was just, you know, about, you know, a good serve percentage, which I definitely did not have, you know, which I said was going to be important, and the return. I thought she just served too good today.

Q. You seemed to have trouble with your ball toss a few times.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, a couple times.

Q. Did you anticipate, even though you didn’t serve well, that she would return that strongly?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I mean, I think she started doing that from the beginning of the match. And, uhm, I mean, yeah, she was aggressive from all her shots. You know, I don’t think she really wanted to get into long rallies. She was going for it, you know, making most of it.

Q. Was there any point in the match where you thought she was going to go off the boil, the momentum has to stop?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: No. I was just trying to find, you know, personally, you know, a way or a little door opening that maybe, you know, I could get through. Just, you know, like I said, try to get in the rallies a little bit, which was difficult ’cause, you know, we didn’t really have enough of long rallies, you know, for me to really like try to grind it out or fight it out.
So it was just really a matter of, you know, serving well and returning well. And I didn’t think that I did either well.

Q. Would you prefer today to play with an open roof?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Doesn’t matter.

Q. Seems that you didn’t serve very well during the tournament, for the whole tournament. Is it a technical problem? Is it confidence? Is it physical?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don’t see why it has anything to do with confidence. I mean, it’s not it’s not fairly possible to serve well all the time. I think I served you know, I mean, I served well when I needed to in the right points.
But when you, you know, against other opponents, when I was down a break, I was able to, you know, to get the break and find a way to get good serves in when I had to. And today I didn’t feel like I could get an opening, you know, to break her, even though I did have a couple of breakpoints.

Q. You said you can never underestimate her. But did you expect her to play so well today?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Of course. I mean, she’s won six matches here. I mean, there’s no reason why, you know, she’s not playing with confidence and she’s not playing well. I mean, to be in a final of a Grand Slam and to beat the to beat the pretty tough players, that takes a lot of good tennis. So you have to expect it.

SCANAGATTA Q. Don’t you think this tournament was rather strange? You were two points from defeat. Serena was also twice. The level was probably a little bit inconsistent because it’s the first important tournament of the year, in your opinion, or are there other reasons maybe?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, a little a little bit of a combination. Like you said, it has been a bit strange because I could have easily been out of the tournament on the first day and that could have been like a completely different result. And here I am, you know, losing the final.
I mean, I don’t know. I mean, yeah, after maybe my first or my second round, I could say that obviously I didn’t play, you know, matches and I didn’t have enough matches, I still feel like I need to get match tough. But I played six matches before this match, so I don’t think that really has anything to do with it.
But, uhm, you know, I mean, it’s definitely not the end of the world. Got to the final of a Grand Slam my first tournament this year. There’s a lot to be proud of.

Q. 4 1 in the second, you looked like you pulled something out of your bag. Was that a piece of paper?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah.

Q. Can I ask what it said?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Just a reminder.

Q. Of?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Of? Of what I’m going to buy in the grocery store. I mean, I’m playing a tennis match. It’s pretty easy pretty easy to understand that they’re notes about the match.

Q. You beat her easily in Wimbledon when she was a favorite. Now she beat you in the final here very easy. How would you explain that?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, those are two completely different matches on two completely different surfaces, two completely different stages of my career. You know, like I said, you know, at Wimbledon I was going into every single match thinking that I should have been home already, and I can’t believe that I was in the final.
You know, as years have gone on, I feel like I expect myself to be in the later stages of the tournaments. I expect myself to be winning these tournaments.
Uhm, you know, it’s completely different. I mean, look, she came out today and she really played flawless tennis. And that’s you know, of course, maybe you personally gave her those chances, you know, some of those the reason why she played that well might have been because you gave her those opportunities to play well.
But on the other side I think, you know, she still had to do it. She still had to go out and play well, and she did, you know.

Q. Is there any feeling of shock and awe when you’re on the court?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: No. I mean, I really like I said, I was trying to find a way to get in the rallies, you know, trying somehow to find a way to get an opening, you know, through a door.
And, I mean, you know, I definitely you know, I felt like I could have served a lot better. I mean, during the match, you know, you’re trying you’re trying to find a way to do that, you know, either take some pace off and try to make your first serve or, you know, just try to go for a big serve.
You know, you just you try to find ways. And I was just telling I mean, I wasn’t getting frustrated or anything. I was just trying to tell myself, You can always find a way even if you’re down a set and two breaks.

Q. It’s been a while since you haven’t been able to dig into the match at a certain point.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah. I mean, in a way it is, but these things happen. It’s part of a tennis career, you know. That’s why we play the matches. That’s why favorites can be going into a tournament and they can be playing someone that’s ranked outside the top hundred, and that’s why we play the matches, to see who’s going to win.

SCANAGATTA I, we all appreciated very much how graceful you were in the speech on court.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Thank you.

SCANAGATTA . I want to know if you think this is a matter of experience, since you’re getting used to talking on the microphone, or also because you felt you had to give something more to the crowd since the match was so so?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Thanks. You’re telling me my speech was a lot better than the match (smiling). Great, great! Wow, wow! All right. (TUTTI RIDONO)
Uhm, no, you know, at that point you know, maybe you’re trying to make it up just naturally because you feel like, you know, you owe a few words to the crowd. No, uhm, I mean, I remember when I did my first when I had to do my first speech after I won a 10,000 or something in front of, I don’t know, like 90 people that showed up to watch the match. I was just thinking to myself, These people do don’t want to hear what I have to say. I remember being so embarrassed about it.
But ever since that, I’ve given, I mean, you know, quite a few speeches on the court, off the court. And, yeah, I feel like I want to you know, I want to talk with the fans. The fans only get to see you play, see you practice. The don’t really, you know, they just read the articles that you guys write, your opinions. Sometimes they don’t get to hear what you actually have to say.
That’s like a time to, you know, say thanks to them, to really thank, you know, your team and everyone that’s helped you in your career in sort of a formal way. It’s not like, you know, I tell my coach and my dad, Thank you, it was a great day of practice today. It’s not like you do that.
So, you know, when you’re up on a stage and when you’re in front of a great crowd, you feel like you want to show them, you know, how much you appreciate, you know, what they’ve done for you.

Q. Does she still have the best first serve in women’s tennis?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, I mean, I’ve played against her when her first serve wasn’t completely on, you know, when she’s had to rely on her second serves a lot. I mean, I think it’s consistently the biggest. I think on important points, you know, she still goes for the big serve.
And a little has to do with confidence, as well. You know, when you step on a line and it’s, you know, a tough situation, I think it’s pretty gutsy to come up with a big serve. But it’s definitely her biggest weapon, I feel, yeah.

Q. Andy Roddick lost completely against Federer. He was handling the loss very nice. He said, Just go back to work, work hard. What kind of a lesson is that for you today?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, of course. I mean, as much as I can be disappointed about losing a tennis match, I mean, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like losing. I know you all know that. It’s not fun. You go back in the locker room, like, Darn it, I just lost. Someone is celebrating over there. They’re going to be opening a bottle of champagne.
It’s just I think these moments make you stronger. Not necessarily now. You know, I always you know, when I win or lose, I call my mom. She always tells me, Look, you got a tournament next week. You got to focus on that. You’re going to remember this day in your future, in your career when you’re going to look back and say, This really taught me something. This only made me stronger. This has happened many times.
Unfortunately, it was my mom’s birthday today and I couldn’t win for her. But, you know, she still made me happy, made me realize this is just another loss.
Intervista di serena Williams alle 18 australiane (8 del mattino in Italia)

S. WILLIAMS/M. Sharapova

6 1, 6 2

An interview with:

SERENA WILLIAMS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Of all your eight Grand Slam victories
SERENA WILLIAMS: Whoo hoo!

Q. how does this one rate?
SERENA WILLIAMS: This one is right up there with the top. Even I didn’t expect to come in and win it all. I never expected to lose. But, you know, you just always stay so positive. You always go in.
You always think, I’m going to win, I’m going to win. When it really happens, I still can’t believe the tournaments over. I feel like there’s another match to be played or there’s something else.
You know, it’s an awesome feeling.

Q. You appeared to be very driven right from the word “go.”
SERENA WILLIAMS: Right from “play.” I was driven. You know, I’ve been watching some matches. I was just watching some film. I was just feeling really good about going out there. This morning I woke up yesterday I just felt different than what I did at Wimbledon. I just felt different. I felt like, I feel good. I’m happy. I’m confident. I’m not nervous.
You know, at the end of the day I’ve done well. I’ve had blisters, I’ve been sick, I had diarrhea, and I’m still in the final. Whatever the result, I was going to be happy with whatever happened.

Q. Was the plan more about getting you up or upsetting Maria by being so aggressive so early?
SERENA WILLIAMS: My plan was just to play my game. And that’s my game. I finally played it for the first time this whole tournament. That’s the way I play.
You know, when I’m staying close to the baseline, I’m playing that way, aggressive. That’s the way I was raised. My mom and dad taught me to play that game of tennis. For some reason, I stay on the baseline.
But that was Serena that I’ve been trying to showcase for years and years. I haven’t seen my mom.

Q. We have. She’s fine.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Is she?

Q. After you won, you spoke to the camera and said, Thanks for the advice. What was the advice?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, there was this one forehand down the line. I just thought about it when I was hitting it because he said, Meka because he calls me Meka. Meka, when you go down the line, you definitely got to just look at the ball and you got to get your body weight going.
There’s this one shot and I thought every point was important out there but that one point I thought was really important. I thought about him and I thought about what he told me to do, and for once I was actually able to listen to it, and that really helped out.

Q. Were you surprised that Maria didn’t find answers for your impressive game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Like I said from the beginning, when I’m playing well, it’s difficult for anyone to beat me on the women’s tour, just for the record (laughter). It’s difficult for anyone to beat me because I have a unique style. I have a unique game. You know, tennis is what I think I was born to do.
Like I always said, when I’m playing well, it’s difficult. I think she did a good job. She never gave up. Down to the last point, she was fighting. That’s always something to be complimented for.

SCANAGATTA Q. One thing is to beat you; another thing is to be overwhelmed. She was destroyed. Is that surprising you a bit or not?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I just went out there, I was focused. You know, I was really focused. I knew what I wanted to do. I’m insatiable. I still think there are things I could have done even better. I knew what I wanted to do when I went out there.
My game plan was to play my game and to stay relaxed. I think if I can do that, then, you know like I always say, if I’m playing good, it’s hard for anyone. Doesn’t matter what they’re ranked. As long as they’re on the women’s tour, doesn’t matter who they are, it’s tough for them to beat me.

Q. You missed so much tennis over the last year. Was there any point when you were at home you felt there wasn’t going to be an opportunity to get back into the winner’s circle? Did you ever feel it had gone?
SERENA WILLIAMS: There’s always times out there where you think, you know, Am I ever going to be looking at another trophy? Especially since I hadn’t won a tournament let alone a Grand Slam I hadn’t won a tournament in a long time. You know, you’re thinking about, Wow, will there be another time?
As I said, since day one, my parents, my mom and my dad, have always been so positive. They never stopped believing in me. That helps me believe in me. Venus, as well. I live with her, so I’m with her every day. We always, like, believe in ourselves. You know, it works.

Q. How does this impact your motivation, looking ahead, going forward from here?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I’m ready to start training on the clay already. I know it’s too soon. I’m ready for the clay courts. I want to go home. I saw some things here I want to work on, I want to share with my dad. I want ameliorate it, ameliorate my game, take it to a new level. I’m ready to do that now, ready to take my game to a new level.

Q. People have always wondered about the small number of tournaments that you play. When do you next intend playing? Are you going to play any more this year than you have in previous years?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I’m definitely playing more than four tournaments this year. I’m supposed to go to India next, Bangalore, the Sony Ericsson there. I’m so excited. I’ve never been to India. I heard a lot about it. I really look forward to going there. For some reason, I’m really happy to go there. I’m going to India, then Dubai, a couple tournaments after that.
My schedule is not filled, but my schedule is very practical because I’m not high on the exempt list, if you know anything about that. My schedule is really practical. My goal is to stick to it and just make it happen this year.

Q. What will you do to celebrate your win?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, you know, I’m going to spend some time with my family, maybe some other things. I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it much yet.

Q. You talked about your focus. How much of that focus came from the memory of your sister?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, you know, she was every day I write notes, you know, from my match. Not every day, but every match I wrote notes. Today my note was just Yetunde. That was all my notes. That’s it.
Usually I write, Look at the ball, move forward, do this, do that. Today I just had one word. You know, every changeover I looked at it and I just thought about how happy she would have been, you know, how much she always supported me.
I just thought about what an amazing sister she was to me. I just said, Serena, this has to be motivating. This has to be more than enough to motivate me, and I think it was.

Q. How long can you carry that through your career?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I just think it’s obviously long term. She’s gone forever. I just that’s not the only thing I get power from. Like I said, I prayed not to win. I never pray to win; I just pray to be strong, just help me there. I just think I derive a lot of power just from my heart.
I don’t know.

Q. You mentioned before you used to speak after matches. There was a nice line about when you spoke to her after the French Open, when you had beaten somebody.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I beat this girl. I don’t remember, it was a long time ago at the French Open. She said, Wow, Serena, you played so well. You beat her like she stole something. I was just laughing because I had never heard that expression before. I was just laughing so hard.
I have so many good memories of my sister. Obviously, she was I remember just so many, so many things from her. That’s just one of the things that stick out. She was always so happy for me and Venus. She would come travel with us with her kids sometimes. You know, we had so many unbelievable memories. I take solace in those memories.

Q. Do you remember who you beat so heavily that time?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t remember that. I just remember calling her. She was so happy. She was obviously proud. You know, she was an awesome sister. She’s the best.

Q. The time between now and the finish of your match, can you tell us about what you did? Did you let yourself enjoy the moment in some way?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was really excited. After the match, I did a little dance. I had to do some media, you know, one on one interviews. I went to do a drug test, which held me up a little bit. I think, yeah, shower and stuff, yeah.

Q. So, no, you didn’t allow yourself to celebrate?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Honestly, I feel like I mean, I know it’s over, but it’s like I still feel like there’s more. Maybe that’s for the next tournament. Maybe that’s for the French Open. I don’t know. I feel like I got to go out and play some more. Feels like I have to come back tomorrow and play another match.
I’ve got to get that feeling out of my mind. I’ve got to just like release that. I need to do that now.

SCANAGATTA Q. Are you going to call Sybille Bammer and tell her, See what I’m capable of?
SERENA WILLIAMS: She was capable of a lot, too. I’m glad I didn’t have to play her in this tournament. That’s for sure.

Q. Watching Federer and González play in their semifinals, have comprehensive wins, is that a good reminder
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, those wins that Federer played Roddick and crushed him. It’s not that he crushed him, it’s that he played so well. And then González and Tommy, I mean, González played so well. I thought they played good. I figured if they can do it, I can do it, too.

SCANAGATTA Q. We didn’t see two great men’s semifinals here. The women’s final was a little bit one sided. What do you expect for the men’s final? Will it be different or not?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t know about you, but I saw two great men’s semifinals. I saw the No. 1 player beat the ‘H E double hockey sticks’ out of another player. I saw Fernando González beat the ‘H E double hockey sticks’ out of another player. Those were great matches. Today you saw the No. 81 player win a great final (smiling).
Those were great matches. Those guys played great. Those were great matches to me. I don’t know about to you, but as a player, being in the “industry,” I thought they were incredible matches.

Q. Of the seven matches you played, when were you in the most trouble?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Hmm. I was pretty down and out in Petrova’s match and Shahar Peer. They were really playing well. I lost the first set in both of those matches. I just had to like come back physically contrary to popular belief and mentally. That really helped out. So those two matches. I don’t know which one.
But thank God I went through that because, you know, I was able to go through a rough road before I got to the final.

Q. Do you think the means of today’s win will make it hard for Sharapova to beat you down the track in a big match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Sharapova is probably going to go home right now and train on some things and she’s going to never want this to happen again as I wouldn’t either. Whether it was 7 5, 7 5, if she had lost, she would still go home and train, as I would as well. I’m going to do the same thing because I know someone whose name is not Sharapova, like some other ‘ova,’ and they’re 12 years old in Russia, or wherever they’re from, and they are playing hard to get ready for me. That’s what I’m going to go train for.

SCANAGATTA Q. You said, ‘physically, contrary to the public opinion.’
SERENA WILLIAMS: Popular belief.

SCANAGATTA Q. You say also you don’t read the papers. Where does this public opinion come from?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, you hear things. You hear things.

Q. When Roger came in here the other night, even after that match, even after beating the ‘H E double hockey sticks’ out of Andy, he talked about fear and doubt before the match. Do fear and doubt play any role in your thinking before a match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think every athlete has fear naturally. You know, there’s always some doubt in your mind maybe. But, uhm, I think that’s just the role of an athletic individual. You’re going to have a little fear, you know. I was going up against the No. 1 player in the world. Of course, you know, it was like, Okay, she’s No. 1. What am I going to do? He was going up against a good player, as well.
I think that’s definitely natural.

SCANAGATTA Q. Will you read the newspapers tomorrow? Are you afraid to go away with a big head afterwards as you mentioned the other day?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. I have to wait to see.

Questo articolo è stato pubblicato Sabato, 27 Gennaio 2007 alle 07:18 e classificato in Australian Open, Grand Slam, Interviste. Puoi seguire i commenti a questo articolo tramite il feed RSS 2.0. Puoi inviare un commento.