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

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN


August 19, 2012


Na Li


CINCINNATI, OHIO

N. LI/A. Kerber
1‑6, 6‑3, 6‑1


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Congratulations.
NA LI:  Thank you.

Q.  How are you feeling?
NA LI:  Much better than last week.  Same like final, but, yeah, at least I win.  First one for this year.

Q.  What did you do to earn it today and what do you think of that trophy?
NA LI:  No, today I was watch the Roger.  He was take the photo and I was have lunch.  I was think, Okay, I really want to do the same.  Yeah, in the upstairs.
So after I was do the same I was feeling, Okay, I can do the same.  How do you say, last night I really want to win the title for first one, you know, because this year I got three time in the final but I never won one title.
So I really hungry about for the title.

Q.  But then you got down 6‑1 and a break.  What did you do to turn it around?
NA LI:  I mean, after I was feel like she was playing unbelievable in the first set.  I was trying to play flat, play fast, but I feeling she had no mistake.  Every ball just come back to my side.
So I call Carlos after first set and he say something.  I think I was change a little bit beginning of the second set but didn't work.  But I just continued to try, and finally it's work.  Yeah.

Q.  What was it that worked?  What were you trying?
NA LI:  Yeah, I mean, he didn't say like, Oh, you're doing so bad.  He say, What do you think about her and what you should do on the court?  You should focus on your side.  Yeah, yeah.
You tell me what the words.
THE MODERATOR:  Your secret weapon.
NA LI:  Yeah, secret weapon.  (Laughing.)

Q.  Does he know what your secret weapon is?
NA LI:  No, no.  I didn't tell him.

Q.  The relationship with Carlos then seems to be having a very positive impact for you, yeah?
NA LI:  Yeah, I think we have a good beginning of work.  Yeah, like before the match we talk a lot about yesterday and also about today.
Yeah, I mean, he is like, how you say, if I working with him I was feeling more comfortable, like more relax, not stressful.  Yeah.

Q.  You're playing well; this time a title.  What do you want to work on going into the US Open?
NA LI:  I mean, right now just finishing tournament, so at least I have to take two days off.  I think these two weeks I have a lot tennis, so I think I need to recover.
Yeah, but we have the plan for whole team so we know what we should be doing the next step.

Q.  When you arrived here Tuesday morning after Montréal, did you think this was possible?
NA LI:  I was feeling like, Oh, I'm so tired.  I was tired in the body and tired in the mentally as well.
I don't know.  Maybe I'm too strong.  Or too tough.  (Smiling.)

Q.  With Carlos, you trusted him a lot.  It looked like today when he came out and gave you advice you seemed it apply it very quickly?
NA LI:  Yeah.

Q.  Do you trust him as coach right now when he tells you something to go with it?
NA LI:  Yeah, of course I was trust him because before we have communication.  Yeah, like even lose the first set, he's still like, Oh, come on, let's go.
If I was working right away, if I lose the match or I lose the set, I think he's still‑‑ we can work, you know.  I mean, if I win the match but still didn't like‑‑ not same, how you say, like same idea or same‑‑ or if it go the other way we couldn't work too long.
Right now we know we have to go so we just keep going, yeah.

Q.  You hired Michael Mortenson right before Roland Garros too and that worked out pretty well for you.
NA LI:  Yes.  (Smiling.)

Q.  So are you not nervous about making coaching changes right before major tournaments?
NA LI:  No, because I think, how you say, everyone is different.  Every person or every coach can give me different information.
So I know he's doing very good job before, so that's why I was trust him a lot already.  Yeah.

Q.  Why do you think you started slow today?
NA LI:  Why?  Ah, I don't know.  I was just feeling beginning of the match I tried to hit fast, but, I mean, I don't know what happened.  She can come back all the ball come to my side.  Make me more‑ not angry ‑ make me more like I want to hit the winner on the point, so I got a lot mistake.

Q.  Carlos in an earlier interview said he wanted to see you more patient and more calm on the court.
NA LI:  Yeah.

Q.  You had to fight a lot today and didn't look like you had to lose your temper.  You feel calmer on the court right now?
NA LI:  Yeah, I mean, at least I know was hungry about the tennis.  Not like before.  Okay, lose is lose, doesn't matter.  But right now I was happy what I'm doing on the court.
Yeah, you can see even I lose the first set Carlos was coming we still laughing a lot.  So, yeah, I think this is a good challenge for me.

Q.  There was someone in the front row yelling for you really, really loudly.  Did you hear him?
NA LI:  Who?  Which one?

Q.  Just a fan.  Did you hear him and does that cheering help you?
NA LI:  I mean, if I focus on the tennis court I couldn't hear anything.  If not, of course I can hear like baby cry.  So it's not for the fans.  It's everything about myself.

Q.  Do you find yourself a frontrunner?  Are you a favorite in New York?
NA LI:  I mean, it's changing, you know.  Before I never got one point in whole America; this time I don't know what happened.  I got a lot of point, so I think should be good start.

Q.  You and Novak both made finals last week and this week.  Did you have a chance to see him this week, and did he say anything about that?  Did you talk to him at all?
NA LI:  I was like, Okay, I'm same like him.  I can two time again in the final.  You know, he's amazing player, so of course he's there; I'm here.  (Smiling.)

Q.  A few people have thought to compare Angelique's game to Caroline Wozniacki's:  defensive, solid off the ground.  You've played them both.  How do you think they compare?
NA LI:  I mean, I was play Caroline like last year in Melbourne, so I have one and a half year I didn't play against her.  So I really didn't, how do you say, didn't know which way she's play.
Sometimes of course I saw her play, but different opponent.  Yeah, so I mean, everyone is tough.

Q.  What do you think Kerber does well?
NA LI:  At least she's running a lot.  She's running fast on the court.  I mean, she can use you pace and put ball back to the court and always make you play one more shot to have you mistake.

Q.  How do you compare the way your playing now to the French Open, the Australian Open last year?
NA LI:  I mean, already one year.  I mean, of course it's different.  I couldn't play like always the same because different surfaces as well.
Yeah, I mean, right now I, how you say, after French I didn't doing well on the tennis court.  I tried to stand up and be hungry again for the tennis court.
So now I think I it's very good beginning to start to try fight again, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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