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ROGERS CUP PRESENTED BY AMERICAN EXPRESSAugust 14, 2007Ana IvanovicTORONTO, ONTARIO THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. After the big win in Montreal of Djokovic, the large Serbian community here is expecting you to complete the Serbian win in Rogers Cup, and they're expecting the final match between and you Jelena. What do you think of this possibility? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, we had a great match against each other, and definitely played unbelievable tennis the whole tournament. I saw a couple of his matches and I was really impressed. And I could actually learn a lot from his performances. Unfortunately, Jelena and I couldn't play final against each other, but still it was amazing tournament for both of us. And I'm really happy that I could won another title for Serbia. Q. You broke through in this tournament in Montreal last year. How did that change the course of your career? ANA IVANOVIC: It helped me a lot, because that was my first Tier 1 tournament win. I beat lots of good players, especially Hingis in the final. It was unbelievable breakthrough for me. As growing up I watched her winning Grand Slams, and then I had the opportunity to play against her and actually beat her. So that was amazing week for me, and I was really happy with that. And it gave me confidence to practice even harder to see it's possible to beat these top players. Q. You feel pressure to defend your title? I mean, you have a lot of points in play this week. ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely a little more pressure on. But still I feel confident about my game at the moment. I'm really, really happy to be back here, and this is a great tournament. So I'm just going to try to play the best I can and play each match and see how it goes. But, definitely, I'm very excited to be back. Q. You've risen pretty high in the rankings. How hard have you found it to really get up into that kind of top four, top three, top two, right to the top of the game? How hard is that? ANA IVANOVIC: I was for quite a long time around 15, so it took me some time to get through to the top 10, which was my goal for a long time. And now it's -- now I'm setting higher goals for myself, and that's definitely to become the No. 1. So it's only three spots left to go, but it's definitely the hardest one to make. And there are many players who want the same position and lots of them are great players, and I have to still work hard for it. But now I've beat lots of top players, so that's for sure a big step forward for me. And I just want to keep working hard, which is very important for me and keep enjoying my tennis, because this is probably the best time of my career so far. Q. What did you think when you saw Novak? No one had ever beaten Rafa and Roger in the same tournament. Did you play with him when you guys were younger? Did you have any relationship with him growing up? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I know him since we were both 4, we never played tennis at that time. But I once I had practiced with him, it was in a tournament, I think under 12 in Serbia, and I had to warm up for my match. But I didn't have very tough opponent, so we had to hit against each other. Obviously, he was better, he was a boy. So I still wanted to beat him and to play good practice match. So we had a lot of rallies, lot of running, and I was so tired afterwards. It was amazing practice, but afterwards I was dead for my match, and I lost terribly so it wasn't too good. Q. Did you ever beat him? Did you -- because you played at the same club when you were young, right? ANA IVANOVIC: No, we didn't play at the same club but we played sometimes, but it was mostly just like practice matches and so. Once only we played exhibition in Serbia about two and a half years ago, and, yeah, I won 7-5. But I think he was just a gentleman (smiling). Q. Did you ever think that he was going to be this good? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, he was very talented as a kid as well. He always was one of the best in Serbia. So obviously I could see that he has a good potential. When he start playing professional and playing and winning lots of matches on the tour, I said straightaway that he's going to be the next Roger Federer. And I still believe that he's a great player, and I think he has a very bright future in front of him. Q. What is it with this kind of generation of Serbian tennis players, because before it was the Russian women who were really dominating the tour in terms of nationality? Now it seems that the generation that grew up during the war is ascending at the same time? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it's pretty amazing that all three of us are coming so high in the rankings all at the same time. And these days there are so many players from all over the world playing at the top. And it's very exciting for us to be able to play such a good tennis at that high level, and we're all very young and have bright future in front of us. It's very hard to explain or pick one reason of that. I think we're just very determined people, and we have a big fighter spirit, so I think that's probably one of the biggest reasons that brought us here. Q. Novak said it was just something in the water? ANA IVANOVIC: Probably as well. Water or food, I don't know. We eat lot of meat, maybe that's it (laughing). Q. I want you to go back a little bit on your French Open final. What did you take from your first Grand Slam final? I mean, you seemed a little tense on the court, and of course, you were playing Justine, which is an incredible clay court player. But what did you learn from that experience, couple months after maybe you can. ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it was great experience. It's still in some way a little bit hard to believe because it all happened so fast. But it was great match for me. I started really well, but then I got so tense I couldn't serve anymore. My left arm was gone, I couldn't toss the ball, so it was very hard for me. It was, obviously, very emotional time and emotional match for me. She's a great champion and it's never easy to play against her especially in such a big and important match. So I could learn a lot from how she dealt with the pressure, because I'm sure she had much more pressure than I did. She was defending champion, and I was kind of underdog in that match. But still it was unbelievable experience, and now looking back it was important one for next step forward for me. Q. I suppose that it was really hard to practice in the period when Serbia was bombing. And how did you do that? ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it was very hard. First few weeks we didn't practice at all, and then later on we started practicing from 7:00 in the morning when it was not dangerous. And we just practiced like 7:00 to 9:00, then maybe did some fitness and went back home. From about noon till all day and all night it was dangerous, so we kind of hang out with friends and family at homes and try to have some fun also. But my parents did a really good job. They gave my brother and me away from all what was happening. They didn't really let us watch the news and all that, so it was really good for us. So we had kind of as normal as it could be there. Q. Like you last year in Montreal, Novak also became like a fan favorite early in the week. And he said kind of in a joke that he wants to have like a Serbian tradition in Montreal, each time a player from Serbia is going to win the tournament. But I could see a lot of similarities like how the public in Montreal likes you and how they likes him. A lot of personality. Could you maybe elaborate a little on that? ANA IVANOVIC: He's very, very nice guy, very friendly, very open. And he likes to joke, so I think that's why people like him a lot. And he's obviously a great player. He brings so much to the men's tennis, because most of the finals were Nadal and Federer, so he's someone new there who can actually beat, as he showed both of them. So that's what brings excitement. And as I said, he's very entertaining guy, so I think that's what probably the most it's about. Q. When adidas signed you, I think your manager said they saw you as kind of an answer to Maria Sharapova, which is an old comparison, and you talked about last year how you wanted to be yourself and didn't want to think about that. In terms of performance and off the course, selling the game, is that a lot of pressure to be under? ANA IVANOVIC: Once I'm on the court, I don't think about these things. I just focus on my tennis and what I have to do. And practice, practice hard is what helped me to get to the place I am at right now, and I realize that. So I want to work even harder, and spend even more time on the court that's necessary to improve my game and set my goals. But I don't really compare myself to any other player, because I think what we have all in common is that we're all tennis players, but we are all very specific in the way we play or the way we behave. So, yeah, I just want to be myself. And also, as all women, not any other woman likes to be compared to anyone. Q. What do you remember from the tournament last year in Montreal? And what did you learn on court and maybe off court also with the pressure or just the city, I don't know? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, when I was in L. A., obviously, the mens were playing in Montreal. And I kept thinking a lot back to that tournament, because that was a great week for me, and I experienced so many different emotions. And I just went through all the matches I played. And I remember second round I played, and I had three match points in the second set, 40-Love on my own serve, I lost that game, lost that set, and to come back in the third set and actually win a match was a big step for me. And also against Safina, we had very long match over two days, it was raining, and I went strong also through that match. Then playing final against Martina on Monday, I was very emotionally strong and very concentrated for that match. It was a very tough match. So I went through lot of things through that week, so I think that made me very strong also. And it's experience that you need so you can get to another level. Q. Did you watch the final in Montreal or you were playing at the same time or preparing? ANA IVANOVIC: I watched first two sets, then towards the end of the second set I had already to warm-up. But afterwards, before my match I had a pre-match interview, and the woman asked me about that match. And I said, Oh, I just saw it's 1-All in the sets and she said, No, it's just finished and he won. I was like really, that's great (smiling). That was the best news I could get. And I had to go on the court and try to win two titles for Serbia, and it was great. Q. How do you -- do you feel that the Montreal tournament last year was really your breakthrough where you knew that; okay, I could be Top 5 or No. 1 at some point? Like I can compete with the best? Do you feel it's that tournament that really, not changed your career? ANA IVANOVIC: I think through your career you have a few moments where you can call it breakthrough. And the first one was in Zurich when I first time played the big tournament. I qualified, I lost second to Venus, I had unbelievable match. So that was I would say a first one. Then Montreal is definitely one, it's important step. To win a Grand Slam or to do good in a Grand Slam you have to win Tier 1 tournaments or Tier 2 tournaments. So I felt that was kind of a big step for me. That's why I look back to that tournament as one of the most important days of my life. Q. Just a last question. Did you have time to enjoy the city of Montreal last year? Because you were playing, you couldn't really? ANA IVANOVIC: Yes, I actually played juniors there also, I think, two times before. So I had time to go around the city. But it's beautiful. Last year when we were there, we had chance to have dinner in old city, and it's very, very nice. It's also kind of European little bit and it's very romantic. I like it. Q. Do you feel it's a different tournament in Toronto. It's not the same facility, not the same city. So for you, you don't go on the same central court. It's the same tournament, a Rogers Cup, but do you think it will be easier to defend your title there? ANA IVANOVIC: Actually, it's a good question. Because today when I was coming I was thinking they were all like you're the defending champion. But I was like that's different tournament, kind of because it's a different site, different people. But it's still very special for me. Two years ago when I played here, unfortunately, I had to pull out. But this time I really hope I can go to the end, and hopefully defend my title. Q. How do you feel about the US Open? Do you think you can win it this year? ANA IVANOVIC: I just want to take it step by step. Last week was great preparation for US Open. Obviously, I want to do well, it's the last grand slam of the year. But there are so many players who want to do the same thing. And I never reach the second week there. So this year I really hope I can go further, and yeah, you never know. But I just want to enjoy each match. End of FastScripts |
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