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MUTUA MADRID OPENMay 8, 2014Ana IvanovicMADRID, SPAIN A. IVANOVIC/A. Pavlyuchenkova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Congratulations on your win. ANA IVANOVIC: Thank you. Q. It was a very strong win, and you were playing very well here and in Stuttgart. How do you rate your chances for here, Rome, and more importantly, Roland Garros? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, you know, definitely I'm enjoying competing. I love clay. It's always so good to be back on this surface. I had a good week in Stuttgart, and just trying take that confident on to this week. To be honest, I'm not looking further than tomorrow's match. I just like every new opportunity and challenge. Every point is different and every match and every day is different. So you really have to work on things. There are so many little things that we do in practice that I try to implement in my matches. It's still not all there, but today was a really good match for me. Q. You've been working on your consistency.  You've been very consistent all through the tournament. It's been seven years since you made the Roland Garros final, and six since you won it. How do you see how you've matured in those years? ANA IVANOVIC: It's a whole other life. No, I mean, definitely I changed a lot over last few years. A lot of experiences good and bad make you a certain person and make you stronger as well. I did learn a lot about myself and about people around me and about things to do. I just feel so at peace and happy now with my game, with my team, and everything. I just want to show the tennis that I can play. I feel happy to be competing and to be on court. The level I think of my game now, you cannot compare it to then because think the level women's tennis is different. Now technology is so much more advanced and the players are much stronger so the depth is much better than it was back then it was. I think my game, it's more complete overall. Still, I have to prove that on the big stage. Q. The game that you have, do you think it's possible that you can beat Serena? Sharapova cannot. You could do it hitting hard? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I had a good start in Australia. It was the first time I defeated her, and obviously that is something that has given me confidence as well. You know, she's definitely one of the best players we have around, and we're so fortunate to have her, such a champion. It would be a great opportunity for me to play against her and to test myself against the best. But I have another tough match tomorrow, so just taking it one step on the a time. Q. You were talking about the quality of the women's players now. Which are those qualities that a tennis player should have to play on clay? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think tennis is such a complex sport, and especially at the professional level. So many things have to come together. It's not only if you're talented. It's also if you have strength, if you have physique, if you have mental strength. So it's all about getting these things together to work on a big stage. I feel that today's game, it's much stronger and much faster than it used to be. In fact, the people are getting stronger and faster. And then also technology. Now we have strings and racquets that help us get more spin or hit the ball more flat. All these aspects affect the game, I think. Q. Can you tell what did you do to get the frustration out of you after losing to Sharapova in Stuttgart and come back strong here in Madrid? Rest or traveling or having dinner with family? Something? ANA IVANOVIC: I was having barbeque with my family, and few glasses of wine. (Laughter.) The first night didn't really help; second night was better; third night was great. (Laughter.) Q. You played very well today. Do you think it's time to win in Madrid? ANA IVANOVIC: I would love that. You know, Madrid has been very special place for me since 2007 when I played the Championships for very first time here. Ever since then I was hoping to get a good result. I haven't been playing really well at this event. Last year I made semifinal, which was great result for me. I really hope I can take it further. The title would be a dream come true. Q. You feel people in Madrid love you? ANA IVANOVIC: I do. I really feel a lot of affection when I'm competing on the court. I feel the support. Even just walking around the city and parks and people come up and they're like, Oh, good luck, good luck. It's very sweet and I appreciate that. I feel very comfortable here. Q. Also, would you share some thoughts about the retirement of Dinara Safina, whom you beat in the final of Roland Garros six years ago. ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I mean, she's such a great champion. She's also done a lot for women's tennis. We've been friends for a long time because we're similar age. Obviously it's always sad when someone retires. But she has a great career behind her. It's very unfortunate with her back that she had to stop. She is such a nice girl. I'm sure she will do a lot good for tennis in future, too. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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