home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS WOMEN


February 17, 2011


Flavia Pennetta


DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

F. PENNETTA/V. Azarenka
6-3, 6-7, 6-4


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is your injury?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: I don't know yet.

Q. What part? It's your knee?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, it's the ankle. Yeah.

Q. It's heavily strapped. The right ankle, is it not?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's the left one.

Q. It's hard to understand how a match can fluctuate as much as that. Explain it to us.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, you know, I think we didn't play our best tennis, both of us. You know, too many up and down for both of us.
But it's not easy to just stay in the court when you lost the second set like I lose today. But I was trying to just stay there and fight until the last point.
I'm really happy, because was not easy to stay in the court and fight and play after like 6-3 and 5-1 and so many chance.

Q. So how do you lose a set from 5-1, and how did you come back in the third?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: I think I just waiting for her mistake. I just make one step back and try to run. Like this, my tennis is not good enough.
So I need to try to be aggressive; I need to try to go to the net; need to try to just be on the court all the time. When I starting just to run and stay back and play really flat, I cannot do nothing with this kind of player.
In the third set I starting again to just make something different, like go to the net, a little bit ball up and down, so was much better.

Q. In the last five games you only dropped three points. How did you finish that strongly?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Um, I think in the third set happen the same thing to her, like the thing happened to me in the second set. She was waiting for my mistake. She just stop a little bit. She didn't push a lot the ball, and I just try to be more aggressive. That's why.

Q. Was it hard mentally considering you were...
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes, was really hard. When I finish the match, was like dead.

Q. What sort of spurred you on? I would have thought having lost the second set the way that you did, being 4-1 down, it could have been very easy - but for you being a top-level tennis player - for you to just think, Oh, it's not my day today.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, the thing was like until 6-3, 5-1 I was playing really well, so it was my day. So you just keep thinking about that. You have a chance, you lose it; but you can have another one, like she had in the second set.
Was the same thing for me.

Q. Just on your injury, you've withdrawn from doubles but you'll continue with singles?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes, that's why I withdraw from the doubles.

Q. So the injury isn't...
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, I don't know yet, because, you know, you have to wait 24 hours. So there is blood, like it's blue.

Q. Black and blue?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes.

Q. Swollen?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes. It's not that painful, but there is like a big swelling.

Q. Did you turn it?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's look like turn it, but I didn't twist the ankle. It was just I slide with the left one, and I put all my weight on the foot and I just lost the balance and (clapping hands). Was just one moment.

Q. Right or left?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Left.

Q. If it happened so early in the match, are surprised you managed to keep running?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Because the first three game I think we running so much, and I think sometimes the body is not ready -- needs time to get ready. That's why.
Of course I practice in the morning, I do all the stuff before the match, but sometimes can happen.

Q. Do you think you'll be okay for tomorrow's match?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: I hope so. Yes.

Q. What are your thoughts on tomorrow's game?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: I going to play tomorrow against Kleybanova. We know each other really well. We play so many times. She beat Zvonareva, so of course she going to be in good shape. She going to play really well.
But, you know, we know each other really well, so it's going to be a little bit weird because we are really friends. My coach and her coach are really friends. We spend so much time together.
But in the court you have just to be focus on your game.

End of FastScripts




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297