AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2004

Anastasia Myskina

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Anastasia.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: That was in the first set, and was kind of nervous because it was a close set. You know, just too emotional at that point. And just said that he's kind of like a wall there, that he has to show me something, show some emotions to me. He has to give me something back.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yeah.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yeah, that's what I mean (smiling).

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: No, I know it's not the best part of me. Yeah, sometimes I lose the concentration a bit. Yeah, I try to -- I'm spoke to my coach during the matches. You know, it's the weak thing, and I'm try just -- you know, try to do my best the next matches and try to concentrate better.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Just try not think about it. I know it's not the best part of me, so I just try to work on this. It's pretty hard. But hopefully we'll work on that.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yeah, I try. Especially with Chanda, I knew that I have to put pressure her a lot, because otherwise if you give her finger, she's going to take a whole hand. I tried to put pressure a lot. And even that I knew that I'm going to miss couple shots, I still played really well today and I knew I'm going to win if I play that way.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yes, definitely. I know Chanda sometimes, even that she upset, couple more games in second set, she still can struggle, start to struggle in the match. I just knew that I have to put pressure, lots of pressure on her.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yeah, maybe I can tell because I played a lot of matches against her. I know that especially when it's deuce or it's 4-All, 5-All, she can struggle. But today it was my turn to struggle in 5-All. But I just try to play every point in the second set, and I think I did really well.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Kim right now, unbelievable. I just have to play even better than I played today. I mean, if I'm going to play like a second and third set, I think it's going to be tough for Kim, and I think it's going to be good match.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Hopefully, yes. I was working pretty hard before Australia. Yeah, that was one of my goal, to play better than quarterfinal because I'm not really satisfy with quarterfinal already. It was last year quarterfinal, US Open quarterfinal, so I think now I'm ready to play better and do better.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: In the Wimbledon was really long time ago. Leipzig, like you said, there was injury, so I didn't really win that match. Against Kim, you just have to do your best. Not 100%, I have to give like 300%. If you're able to give this percentage, you can beat her. But it's really hard right now because she's -- I mean, she's the best one right now.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: She's really fast, she's really strong, and she's not going to give you any ball, easy ball, so you have to fight for every point, and you have to make a winner, and you have to make a point.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Oh, you should ask my coach. It's not easy, for sure. I'm really tough girl on the court, really nice off the court. You know, on the court, I'm not nice. Maybe that helps to win the matches, the hard matches, you know. But you should ask my coach, not me.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: I just walk and I just play. You know, yeah, I can get angry sometimes because in my level, you cannot to miss easy shots. In my level, you have to win a lot. And sometimes, you know, I still losing some girls, you know, who's not in my level, and I really get angry.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yes, definitely.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yes. But he knows me. He knows that I'm not really mean it, the whole thing that happen on the court. He knows me really well. He knows that I'm really emotional. But it's only on the court.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: What do you mean?

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: No, he's not.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: I think we're really working hard to be here. We really want to be one of the best tennis players in the world. Marat, we really emotional. Maybe that helps us on the court. We fight, we run, we try to get every point. We not going to give anything just like this. Well, we grow up together. I think that's why we play good.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yes, yes.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: She give us great basis, I think. You know, my forehand and backhand, she gave it to me. Like she taught me how to play tennis. So I think that's why I play really well right now. I really appreciate her everything that she done for me.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: You know, I am the way I am. If nobody likes me the way I am, I'm sorry. But I think, you know, I'm really nice - too nice (laughter).

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: I was too quiet.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: I was really quiet when I was little, you know. Maybe that's why right now everything comes from me.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: No, I couldn't. She was really tough coach, you know. She was always -- you know, she put pressure on us, so we were really quiet.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: Yes. She was tough coach.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: No. When I was growing up, I couldn't even travel, because it was Soviet Union. I didn't know if the (inaudible) going to change. I just played for, you know, like -- I was energetic kid, so I had to put my energy somewhere. But I still was quiet kid. So that's why I play tennis, you know.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: I think we are the same. No, Kim really nice. Nicer than me, for sure.

ANASTASIA MYSKINA: I find my focus again, and just refocus in the second set. Was less unforced errors, for sure, and more winners. More clean tennis. I was serving better, and I think I did everything much better. I don't know, it was because I was refocused, I guess, in the second, third set.