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AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 22, 2010


Elena Baltacha


MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

D. SAFINA/E. Baltacha
6-1, 6-2


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. There was some power coming back over the net today, wasn't there?
ELENA BALTACHA: There was. It was difficult. It was difficult. It was a great experience for me to play the world No. 2. You know, all credit to Safina. I think she played really well today.
It was difficult because I don't play top 10 every week. I knew for me to get anywhere near her, I'd have to play very, very well. And she put a lot of pressure on me out there today, especially on my serve. I knew if I didn't get the first serve in, you know, then she was gonna be all over my second serve.
I had to put a little more on the second serve. I was serving a little more double-faults than my last couple matches.
I think overall this will be disappointing because I would have liked to have played much better. I think I did under-perform. I didn't show kind of my tennis that I know that I can play.
But I've got to look in a very positive way. I put myself into a great situation. I've made the third round this week. I am earned my place on Rod Laver today to play Safina, so I'm really proud of that.
I think the start of the year has been fantastic. I've qualified in Auckland, qualified in Hobart, beat Chakvetadze last round, and made the third round this week. It's a complete and utter positive. It's just the start of 2010, and I've got the rest of the year to build on that, improve and get better.

Q. Have you done any sort of calculating about what this might do to your ranking?
ELENA BALTACHA: I knew I had to defend 160 points and I've earned 160 points, so I won't really move anywhere. I think I'll stay around 83. Obviously depending on the players around me, who has to defend, if they go up. Pretty much around the same ranking.
But I don't think I've actually got anything to defend until kind of April time.

Q. Where do you go now?
ELENA BALTACHA: Fed Cup is next. I'm in Portugal. Then I will go to Midlands, which is 100,000, then Memphis, main draw. Hopefully I'll be seeded there. Then Monterrey, week off, Indian Wells, Miami.
And then, yeah, and then we're still kind of thinking about going for the clay, not trying to avoid it as I did last year. But we'll see.

End of FastScripts




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