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U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2007

Jelena Jankovic

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Have you ever played doubles with Ana?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No. Maybe we might play in Fed Cup or Olympics next year or something like that. Who knows.
We are both not really concentrated on doubles. We are singles players. We don't really pay too much attention to doubles. And doubles, we just use it as a practice to get a few matches. Basically we don't go for titles.

Q. Next round, Alice Cornet?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know her. Today my opponent I also didn't know. I didn't know how she looked like, how she played. I didn't know anything about it. Sometimes it can be very difficult, especially in the beginning, to figure out the way she's playing, how I have to play, what are her strengths, what kind of game I have to play because I don't really know what she is doing on the other side.

Q. She played very well at the French Open.
JELENA JANKOVIC: I really don't know what she did. It was first time that I saw her today on the court. I didn't know even how she looked like. Normally at least I know the player, who she is.
But sometimes can be very tricky. But I did my best. Happy to get through. And also Cornet, I don't even know who she is, how she plays. I never watched her. But I'll just have to keep lifting my game. I have to play aggressive and just go for it. I don't really have to think about who's on the other side, just play my game and enjoy.

Q. Don't your coaches get you some kind of report on your next opponent?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I have a sparring partner here with me. He doesn't even know like 90% of the girls because he used to -- he was with an ATP player. He's very new on the WTA Tour.

Q. She won the French Open juniors.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Who?

Q. Your next opponent.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Oh, okay. I'll give my best (laughter).

Q. Are you happy with the way you played today?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I'm never really happy with the way I'm playing. It was a lot better than my first round. But I feel also a little bit slow, especially on the returns. And not knowing the way how the other girl plays, sometimes she comes up with very hard shots, very deep, and then all of a sudden some other shots that I don't really expect.
So I was trying to focus and just really try to watch the ball carefully because my reactions, especially on the return, they were not really that great. But I was trying, you know, to get in a rhythm and just feel the ball and just play the game.
But obviously I am just improving and getting better and better and just getting in form.

Q. Can you remember the emotional feelings you had a year ago at this tournament when you just kept winning on and on?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, I remember. Even when I watch some of the highlights, you know, on the TV, something, it's amazing. If I look at myself, I felt like I was flying on the court. You know, I was just so fast. I was a lot thinner than I am now (laughter). Then I look at myself now, it's totally different player, different girl.
But I feel more mature, more experienced. I'm having a lot of fun. I'm just enjoying my game. It's very important to add some of the things in your game because there is always room for improvement. I'm trying to really improve on my serve. That's my biggest weakness in my game. But some of the things don't happen overnight. I just have to keep working hard, stay positive, and things will come.

Q. How do you explain that you put up some weight? I know the feeling (smiling).
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, how do you want me to keep up with the other girls? If I am like a stick, you know, I'm going to collapse after a few games. I have to have energy, something to burn (laughter).

Q. How much faster is your serve now?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. If you ask me if I'm faster on the court, you know, moving my legs, then maybe I would tell you. But serving-wise, I don't really know.
It's not that much faster. I'm trying to get a lot more power on the serve and also precision. It's very important to be accurate and to, you know, have a high percentage, especially on your first serve, so players don't have a look at your second serve.
It's something I really have to work on.

Q. Are you also considering to go and watch some more matches of the other girls since you don't know many of them?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No. I don't know. It's not that I don't know many of them, but it just seemed to happen that I'm playing two girls that -- maybe the only two or few girls that I don't know on tour. I guess they're young and they're new on the circuit.
Now that I played against them, so now I know them. Next time they will not be strangers to me.

Q. What do you know about Tipsarevic?
JELENA JANKOVIC: What do I know about him? That he is a really great guy. We played together in the juniors. He's a guy that I know the best out of all the other Serbian players because we traveled when we were younger. We played the same tournaments.
He's great. I'm very happy for him that he's doing well. He's improving, too, going up the rankings, propelling quite fast.

Q. Is he going to be intimidated by Nadal?
JELENA JANKOVIC: He's playing Nadal next?

Q. Yes.
JELENA JANKOVIC: I hope not. It's very important to believe in yourself. When you go on the court, doesn't matter who is on the other side, you have to believe in your abilities and what you can do on the court. Always it's important to give your best, to believe that you can win. Otherwise, if you go to the court, Oh, I'm playing against Nadal, I'm playing against Federer, you kind of lose the match before you even went on court. I think that's not a good thing. So you have to go with the positive attitude, believing you can do it.

Q. Ana said before when she sees that you and Novak are winning, it puts pressure on her, but motivates her, too. Is it the same with you?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I don't really look at the other players, how they're doing. I'm basically focusing on myself. I just try -- just I think this is an individual sport. Obviously we have three top Serbian players doing well. But I think at the end of the day it all comes to yourself and how you have done. This is not a team sport that we are playing as a team. If they are winning and I'm not winning, it's a little bit of pressure, but I don't really think about that. I just try to win my matches, try to work hard, try to become the best that I can be, and this is what are my goals, this is what I'm trying to do. I don't really look at the other players.
But I love when I see that Serbians are really doing well, winning a lot of matches. It actually motivates me to do well and to keep going and to keep improving.

Q. What do you have under your left arm? You have red things.
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. Who knows who bite me (laughter). I don't know. I'm just kidding. Maybe allergy, I don't know. I'm here to answer tennis questions only, if it's possible.

End of FastScripts

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