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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2009

Elena Dementieva

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

E. DEMENTIEVA/D. Cibulkova
6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How far are you from your best? Is that your best match you played today?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Uhm, it's hard to say. I think it was a good match, you know, very solid game from the beginning till the end. Yeah, I'm just very satisfied with the way I was playing today.

Q. If you win here, you'll become No. 1. Is that motivating you now?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think it's a great motivation for everyone.

Q. I think you've had 40 matches on the trot. You've had a great start to the season. Any secret to the kind of form you're having?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: There is no secret. I mean, I was working very hard. I had a good preparation, I guess.
So, uhm, it was good, you know. I think it was the right decision to come to Auckland and play a smaller tournament in the beginning just to get, yeah, confidence and, you know, just to play some matches there.
Yeah, I mean, it just feels good so far.

Q. You're getting a little more into your preparation. Did you do anything special?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, I mean, I decided to practice in Miami outdoor instead of just hit in Moscow indoors. It was much easier for me to come here and play similar weather condition. It was just so much easier.

Q. It's been 10 years since your first Grand Slam here. Does that feel a long time ago?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No, not at all. I remember my first time here because it was my first Grand Slam. I did qualifying and I played Martina Hingis on Rod Laver Arena, so I remember this day like it was yesterday (smiling).

Q. Do you remember your thoughts 10 years on where your career would be?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I remember crying after I lost to her. That was surprising to most of the people, because they thought that I'm just going to go on the court and enjoy. I was so upset to lose. You know, I really wanted to go on and continue to play a couple more matches in this tournament.
I mean, I was dreaming about, you know, being top 10 and, you know, become No. 1, so...

Q. Dinara said yesterday that you were probably the player to beat; you were probably the favorite of this tournament. How do you look at that? Do you find it kind? Is it a bit more embarrassing maybe?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I'm the favorite? I don't think so, because Dinara herself looks like she's in a good shape. She's made the biggest improvement since last year, so she's probably the favorite to win.
But there is still Serena, and there are a lot of good players here. It's going to be a tough competition. I mean, I'm not thinking who's the favorite; I'm just trying to take one match at a time and be focused and play my best.

Q. Do you like to be in that position? Is it a reward to your game? Do you look at it differently saying you don't want the pressure?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: It doesn't make any difference to me, because I am the only one who is going on the court and play. It's all about me, not about anyone else putting pressure or not. I don't feel any pressure at all.

Q. A lot of people other than Dinara have picked you to win here before the tournament. Is it comforting to know that people still believe you will win a major?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think it's always nice people to believe in you. And there is no pressure. It's just nice to realize that you're one of the few who can do it.
So for me it's just -- you know, I don't even think about it. I just play my game.

Q. Was it more relaxing for you to play out there today?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Actually, I really enjoy to play in the center court. It's just always tough to play against Australian girl, you know, so the crowd was behind her. It was not easy just to stand there.
But I really like the center court. I think it's a very nice stadium, yeah.

Q. Was your first match against Hingis, center court?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yes.

Q. You looked up to her quite a bit when you were younger, too?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I always admired her, the way she was playing, the way she behaved. I thought she was just the perfect No. 1. I was always enjoying to watch her play. I learn a lot by watching her.

Q. Is it a good thing to get over the fourth round? You've been there a few times. Now you're a bit further. Is that comforting?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I really don't count, you know. I always like to come here and play this tournament. I know I was very successful here, so...
Yeah, I mean, it's nice to be in the fourth round. I'm just hoping to play my best the next match.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on the No. 1 ranking? With Jelena losing yesterday, if certain results go your way, you could be No. 1 by the end of the tournament.
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I'm not the only one who can reach the No. 1 position. I think there are a couple of players has a chance to do this.
I mean, it's quite open right now. The person who's gonna win this tournament is going to take the No. 1 position. It's clear.

Q. What do you think of Carla Suarez?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I think she's a very tough player. She play a very unique style of game, you know. A lot of spin. It's gonna be tough match, I think, for me. She had a very good win against Venus Williams here. She was, you know, very solid today on the court.
So it's gonna be tough match. We never played before. So it's going to be our first meeting.

Q. Are you surprised to find her here?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: No, I mean, it's not a surprise. I was watching her playing French Open last year when she qualified and played in the quarters beating AmÃ©lie Mauresmo. I think she's got a lot of talent, and she's physically very fit. So, no, I'm not surprising to facing her.

Q. Your matches often, at one time, included a great many double-faults. You seem to have put that behind you. Is that your thinking, that you're no longer troubled by those?
ELENA DEMENTIEVA: You know, I think that my serve can be better. I think I did improving something in my service motion. But it's not perfect yet, so...
It's much easier to play without making, you know, like 10 or more double-faults for sure.

End of FastScripts

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