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SONY ERICSSON OPEN


March 27, 2011


Kim Clijsters


MIAMI, FLORIDA

K. CLIJSTERS/M. Martinez Sanchez
6-4, 4-6, 6-3


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously she was an able opponent. She has a lot of variety and things in her game.
KIM CLIJSTERS: Obviously more so because she's a lefty. That always is a little bit tougher than kind of what I'm used to.
But yeah, just the way that she played, as well, she reminded me a little bit of a girl I played at the Australian Open, Cornet. You know, really she had a really flat backhand and a forehand she hit with some more topspin.
It's always a little hard when you have a player who kind of plays two totally different shots on each side. I think you try to -- you obviously have to be ready to move and ready to adjust all the time.
I think a couple of times, yeah, my footwork wasn't right there and I was not playing the game that I should be playing, you know. I'm the one who should be going for the lines and being aggressive and step into the court, and a couple of times I felt like I was in a backhand rally with her that she was dictating a lot of the points.
That's obviously not the right thing to do against somebody like her.

Q. How is your shoulder doing?
KIM CLIJSTERS: It's okay. Yeah.

Q. Did you feel better with your serve today?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I feel -- compared to, I mean, Indian Wells, obviously I'm very relieved that, you know, it is getting better, because I was really worried there.
But, no, I'm definitely -- you know, it takes a lot of work and I have to focus a lot of my attention and my time on my shoulder, but I know if I can do that that it will stay stable. I think that's obviously what I'm hoping for.

Q. Ana next. I don't think you've ever lost but two games in a set to her before. You want to talk about that a little bit?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I think the last time I played her was probably in Cincinnati last year where she was playing better, and I think she had to withdraw from the match. She hurt her foot or something, I think.
So it's nice that she's -- you know, I always root for her, you know, because we have been going back for a long time and we get along really well.
So it's nice to see that she's doing well and that she's happy and playing well. But obviously tomorrow night I'm gonna just try and do what I do well and what I have done well against her in the past, and that's, you know, obviously, you know, something that I probably didn't do enough of today, is be really aggressive and go for the lines. That's what I'll have to do tomorrow, as well.

Q. Did the heat affect you at all today? It seems like some players have had trouble with it.
KIM CLIJSTERS: No. I mean, you know, if you prepare yourself well and if you make sure that you're not out, you know, the whole day out in the heat, no, I mean, it didn't bother me at all.

Q. Do you have a preference of playing night, day?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Um, I mean, there's days where I like the challenge of playing in the heat and trying to be better than your opponent in those tough conditions. You know, sometimes in Australia, as well.
But the night matches, the atmosphere is different. You don't have to worry about sun in your eyes, a lot of wind. You know, today there was a lot of wind during the match, as well.
So I think it all -- I mean, yeah, some advantages and disadvantages to both.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the atmosphere. What are the differences at night?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Here especially I feel that -- I don't know if it's because there's a lot of more Latin Americans, there's a good vibe, and, you know, the people are really into it. I think, yeah, you know, I enjoy that.
I remember watching a lot of the South Americans play here, just, you know, a couple of night matches where the crowd was really going crazy. I think that's what it's all about is those kind of matches where, you know, the crowd -- even if it's not a final or a semifinal, that's, you know, what tennis should be about.

Q. French and Wimbledon are the two Grand Slams you haven't won. Do you think there's one or the other where you'd have a better shot?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Um, I don't know. Obviously, you know, it's a completely different mindset and different game on each surface, so...
Um, I have always liked playing on grass better, but I have never felt that I played my best on clay courts. I have had really good results there. I kind of, yeah, have some mixed feelings towards that, because I want to do well and I want to play some of my best tennis on the clay court season.

Q. When you think back to that Capriati match, what do you think? It's a classic, Kim.
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, but I wish that I could kind of just do it over. I mean, the score doesn't have to be different, but I just wish that I could do it over so I could kind of take it all in because I don't remember anything about the match.
I mean, I just -- it was -- I didn't sleep the night before. Yeah, very overwhelmed and nervous, because Jennifer was a person who I admired very much growing up.
My dad was, you know, he was playing soccer and he was sponsored by Diadora and Jennifer was playing with Diadora at the time. I had all her outfits, so I was really -- yeah, I admired her very much.
Then when I got to play against her in my first Grand Slam final, it was very special, you know, for all of us, I think. Just for my family and just everybody that to get to that stage is a very overwhelming rush kind of.
And when you're that young, it just overwhelms you completely.

Q. China Open is shooting a promotion film this week in Miami. You agreed to be part of it, and they also said that you are very cooperative in shooting. Does that mean you could still possibly play in October, or is it absolutely...
KIM CLIJSTERS: No, I can still play Beijing. I don't -- Beijing is obviously -- the WTA is monitoring everything to see how it's going.
But to me, if I decide to play or not play Beijing, it is because of the family situation, obviously. You know, I don't like to go without Jada, but also don't want to take her for a one-week trip to fly that long. I have to see how it goes, what the future will give us more information.
So, yeah, we'll see what it is. But I did the commercial, and I met a lot of people from the tournament. It was a very fun commercial.

Q. Does that mean if you come to Beijing this October, you will come alone, no daughter?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I don't know yet. That's the thing. Obviously I haven't spoken about it with my team yet because we're kind of just focusing on a few things first.
But when it's the right time to choose and to decide what I want to do, and, you know, also how Jada is.
Because obviously at that time we come back from the US Open and we have been gone for a long time, so she goes back to school. So there is a lot of things as a mother that make it sometimes a little bit tougher to choose my schedule.
So I have to see in the future.

Q. Maria Sharapova is in a similar situation, looking forward to playing in the first Olympics, as you are. Is there any concern that it might not feel like a real Olympics because it's going to be at Wimbledon just a couple weeks later and might feel more like a second Wimbledon that year?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Um, I mean, I have never played the Olympics, but I don't think you can compare the Olympics to another Grand Slam just because the atmosphere is so completely different.
But, you know, I am looking into trying to stay at the same place as I will be a few weeks before, so I guess maybe in that way it is going to feel very similar. But I assume people working, and, you know, the familiar faces that we usually see are not going to be there, so...

Q. Will you stay in the Village?
KIM CLIJSTERS: No. Near Wimbledon.

Q. No, I mean, at Wimbledon --
KIM CLIJSTERS: Oh, I thought you meant the Olympic Village.

Q. That would be three hours away.
KIM CLIJSTERS: I know, so no. Yeah, so I think in a lot of ways it will feel very similar just because we were only there, you know, a few weeks before.
But then again, I think there will be a lot of details that will be so not like Wimbledon that it will feel different.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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