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WIMBLEDON


June 26, 2009


Ai Sugiyama


LONDON, ENGLAND

D. HANTUCHOVA/A. Sugiyama
6-4, 6-3


Q. Unlucky today. It seemed like you had the match quite under control. You were 4-3 up first set and then it seemed to slip away.
AI SUGIYAMA: Yeah, I mean, I started really good. I was hitting the ball deep and could sort of make her run at the beginning. But she changed the pace at the middle of the first set, and I couldn't really adjust. I lost my rhythm, and she took away.
Then also second set I tried to catch up, but she was always ahead.
It was closer than the score was, but I couldn't get the game.

Q. You know each other's games obviously very well. You've played a lot of singles, played doubles together. How difficult is that to actually go and play somebody that you know they know all about your game?
AI SUGIYAMA: Well, actually it's the same for both of us, so it's not that difficult, just focus on what I have to do.
But I think she was doing really good what she has to do. She was going for the line, down the line earlier than I did. She was making me run the first couple of shots, and then I had to run side to side at the beginning. She was the one who was dominating from the shots.
It's not that easy for me to make her run from the end of that first set.

Q. Were you trying to avoid each other before you played or did you kind of see each other and chat in the locker room before the match?
AI SUGIYAMA: No, actually we didn't talk much this morning, but we were also changing the -- there's a room separating south and north, and we were a different part of the locker room, so we didn't see each other much. It's not that difficult. Once we have to play, we have to play and focus on what we have to do. So it's not that difficult.

Q. It's quite unusual watching a match with both players, both women players, where when you hit the ball, strike the ball, neither of you make any noise; there's no grunting or shrieking. It's quite nice. Do you think it's actually got a little bit out of control now, some of it?
AI SUGIYAMA: I think some people are just too noisy. I understand that they grunt or when she hits the ball, says, "Uhh," or something, but not like extra noise until their opponent hits the ball. That's, I think, way too much.

Q. Do you think it's almost something that's become accepted and coaches are almost saying do it?
AI SUGIYAMA: I don't know what it is. I mean, for me it's extra effort to do it for me, so I'd rather not do it. If they are trying to bother the opponent playing, it's not fair I would say.

Q. As one of the older players on the women's tour, I was wondering, do you pay particular attention to your diet? And as such, you've been coming for Wimbledon for so long. Do you have favorite restaurants or things you like to eat while you spend time in London?
AI SUGIYAMA: Actually we're renting a house, and my mom is cooking quite often, almost every day. We, of course, sometimes go to the restaurant to eat, but mainly my mom is cooking.

Q. That would be Japanese cuisine?
AI SUGIYAMA: Yes.

End of FastScripts




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