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July 09, 2007

Quotes from the 2007 Wimbledon Interview Room - Week Two

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Discussing her thoughts after her calf cramped in her match against Daniela Hantuchova…

SERENA WILLIAMS: I thought about, uhm, not finishing, but very briefly. I thought I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hadn't at least tried.

Describing her calf cramp and the advice from the doctor…

SERENA WILLIAMS: I had a very bad acute muscle spasm in my left calf. Acute, as you know, is a really intense pain. I think I was crying at one point (laughter)… Well, I got a lot of advice 'cause it could be more serious than I think ‑‑ he thought it could be more serious till we got some scans on it. You know, for me, my career for me is still young, and I feel like I have a big future. He was worried about me ruining the future potentially. But at the same time, once we got everything in order, it looked pretty good.

Talking about playing against Serena Williams after Serena had cramped and then came back and played on…

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yeah, it's tough. You never want something like this to happen. It's so hard to play against somebody that you know is struggling, and you kind of feel sorry. At the same time you have to be tough and still play your game. Yeah, mentally it was very, very tough plus having to deal with the rain so, yeah, the conditions were difficult.

Discussing her routines...

JUSTINE HENIN: … I like to have a routine, and the routine is different in every tournament. Even if I prepare my matches exactly the same in Paris and Wimbledon, it's always the same preparation. I'm the kind of person who really needs that. It's important to me. But, yeah, when I'm in the tournament I like to do the same thing every day.

 

Describing her loss to Nicole Vaidisova…

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. Everything went wrong today. No, well, the serve was definitely not working really well today. A little bit I think I had some up and downs throughout the first week, and it showed a little bit more today when it's a bit well, first when you play a better opponent and when it's a little tighter in terms of score. So it definitely showed more today as well as, yeah, the rest of the game didn't work very well. Probably confidence. I'm struggling to get the confidence back. That's probably an explanation, well, to what I produce in terms of tennis today.

Discussing getting her confidence back…

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: You never know how you're going to improve, how you're going to get the confidence back. It's always very little things. Maybe you struggle in these kind of match, you don't play well, but you're still capable of winning the first set, then go past that match, then maybe it gets better. It's always very few details, few shots here and there, then the confidence can get back. But unfortunately it was not the case. Yeah, you know, sometimes it can go quickly. It's not happening to me right now.

Discussing her feelings after beating Jelena Jankovic to reach the quarterfinals…

MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, well, you know, I've not won already Wimbledon. Maybe if I won it, I will be more happy than this. I think, you know, I just I think it was a great match overall. I think I play great. I was really focusing. I win this match. I was happy, but not overhappy. It's normal for me to win some matches at this stage. That's what I'm working for. That's why I'm working like this 16 years to be on that stage, on big courts with the crowd really happy to see me I think on the court and to win against some top players. That's what I'm working every day for. So, yeah, I think it was quite normal at the end.

Discussing what affects the outcome of a match in a Grand Slam…

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I would say 70 is mental, 30 is technical.

Talking about the rain at Wimbledon…

MARIA SHARAPOVA: … I actually like the rain. I mean, I've been pretty positive about the rain. I mean, it comes with the territory. It comes with Wimbledon. I mean, some years are going to be better than others. Unfortunately, this was a year where there was more rain than others. But, I mean, it's bound to happen sometime. It can only get better from this year, right?

Discussing whether a lack of confidence had anything to do with her loss to Venus Williams…

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Today had nothing to do with confidence. After Australia, actually during Australia, I had a pretty serious injury. That kept me out of the game for a while. Having said that, I don't think anything has to do with confidence. I'm 20 years old. I've won two Grand Slams. I've been No. 1 in the world. I've got plenty more years to either win matches or find confidence. At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. It's about going out there and giving yourself the best chance you can. Sometimes it just doesn't work ‑ like today. Yeah, it doesn't really matter, confidence, no confidence. I should be proud of what I achieved. There's no reason for me to go out on court and think I don't have any confidence because I clearly know what I'm capable of.

Describing why he’s not terrified to say he believes that he can beat Roger Federer…

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Why should I be frightened? For me it's totally normal thing. If you go out on the court thinking positively and thinking, I can win against anybody, I think that's a right thinking. If you go with the white flag on the court, what you're doing there? You know what I mean? Federer is surely No. 1 player of the world already for last four years, the best player, most consistent player, probably one of the best tennis players in the history of this sport. We all know that. But looking from my point of view I really want to get to that place. That's my goal: To be No. 1 player of the world. I'm really going slowly even though I made fantastic results in last two years. But I'm really trying to go step by step, really slowly, and I'm sure that my time will come. Even though I lost four times to him, I'm still working on my strokes, on my game. Every time I play him or Nadal I learn something new and see the things, negative things, what I need to improve on so I can win next time.

Discussing the ordeal of the rain delays…

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, it is what it is. You know, the things that you love about Wimbledon with the tradition ended up making it tough this time. But, you know, I still love the tradition and I still love kind of everything about it, the prestige. I think that's what kind of makes the aura of this tournament. Unfortunately, you know, it made it tougher on especially Rafa's side. Maybe that's why I'm sitting here saying it's okay (smiling). But, you know, there's no question it's tough. You know, you're sitting in the locker room the whole time knowing if it clears you could be on the court in 20 minutes. That's quite a prospect to carry on for three and four days. Then boredom takes over. We all start getting a little loopy. You know, it is what it is.

Talking about his career to this point…

ANDY RODDICK: Well, you know, I've said from the beginning if you would have told me at 12 that I could just play tennis forever for a living, I would have been the happiest little boy you've ever seen. You know, I feel like I've done really well. I had four goals when I started that were kind of my best case scenario for my career, ever, beyond my wildest dreams, was to win the Open, to be No. 1, to win Wimbledon, and to win Davis Cup. At the midpoint I'm about two for four, so if I can keep on that pace, I'm doing okay.

Describing how she feels about her progress since last year…

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I can't be too disappointed yet. I obviously wanted to win here and I really felt like I was going to. But considering where I was last year, mentally and just everything, I should be proud of myself because I've really come a long way. I was really pretty much out of it last year. I was even 140 in the world and everyone had written me off. I mean, I don't it was just considering I'm even in the top 10 right now is really awesome. I still have another Grand Slam.

Describing her early round struggles at Wimbledon…

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, that happens. That's tennis. That's life. Sometimes things happen and you have to adjust. On the tennis court you have to adjust quickly or the match will be over. So I wasn't necessarily concerned that I didn't have my best day. What mattered is that I got through it. It built character.

Describing how she’s been able to maintain her confidence…

VENUS WILLIAMS: I always believe in me. There's times when I'm not a hundred percent. That makes it a lot tougher, especially for my preparation coming into the tournament. But I always believe in my game. I know I have a huge game. I know I have a lot of stuff that a lot of players don't have. You know, I've had a lot of blessings in my life on and off the court. There's no reason for me not to believe in myself.

Describing her role as big sister to Serena…

VENUS WILLIAMS: She has a big personality. I think we're both definitely very different. But at the end of the day I think our morals and our values are definitely the same. I take a lot of pride in being the big sister. Even when we're playing doubles, I serve first. If there's an overhead, I'm taking the overhead. Like I'm the big sister, I'm the one that's going to step it up, on the court or off the court. That's one of my primary jobs.
I'm a tennis player, but I take care of her…. Across the net is completely different, it really is. It's each woman for herself. At the end of the day, if it's Williams/Williams, what matters is that it will be Williams. But, of course, I'd like it to be V. Williams.

Describing why she played so well in the round of 16 against Sharapova and the quarters against Kuznetsova…

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm really a big‑match player. I get up for these matches. I feel like I know what I'm doing. I expect so much from myself. I expect to come off playing very well. So I think a lot of it is just what I expect from myself. A lot of it is how I believe in myself.

Describing her reaction to rain and why she likes the rain…

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, rain is good for me. I feel like I achieve clarity actually when it rains. The longer I have to sit and wait the clearer my game becomes to me. I just see it a lot better… I just relax. Just the longer I think about it the more it makes sense, the more my game makes sense…  'cause I think the rain has a special significance for me because I grew up in Southern Cal where it never rains. When it did rain, it means we had a day off from practice. I've always found the rain very calming. So I think that's probably why.

Describing his feelings about playing on grass after his first few matches at Wimbledon in 2007…

RAFAEL NADAL: I feel playing great. Grass is not my worst surface for sure, no? Play in the final last year, quarterfinals this year, quarterfinals two times in Queen's. So I like lot playing on grass, no? The important thing is serve, serve good. That's the point when I am working hard always because I have to improve if any day I want to win here.

Talking about his feelings after losing to Richard Gasquet in the quarters…

ANDY RODDICK: Well, it's another lost opportunity at Wimbledon. I mean, I don't know if you really I don't know if I really need to spell it out for all of you. I'd love to make you try to understand what it feels like in the pit of your stomach right now, but I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I'm articulate enough to really put that into words for you… I'll probably wake up tomorrow with a better sense of perspective. I'm sitting here feeling pretty crappy right now. But I promise you I'm aware in the grand scheme of things I'm still pretty blessed and very lucky and very fortunate. That being said, you know, when you put your blood, sweat and tears, everything you have into something, and you can almost taste it, you envision something and it doesn't work out, it's not easy. But that's what makes you addicted to the competition, you know, is the feeling when you do win. That's what gets you back on the horse.

Talking about her loss to Marion Bartoli in the semifinals…

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I'm very disappointed now. That's pretty normal. I still don't really realize what did happen. I don't understand what did happen. But, yeah, she played her match and she did a very good job. I played a very good first set, then I had a couple of chances at the end of the second set. Didn't take these chances and the match completely turned over. I didn't feel fresh enough in the third set to compete with her. She played very good tennis. So, yeah, it's pretty hard right now, but going to be better in a few days… She did an she's playing an unbelievable tournament. She was in confidence. She never been scared of winning the match or anything. She took the opportunities. But I probably played her game a little bit too much. And, yeah, I had the feeling I didn't know what to do at certain points of the match. Yeah, it's been pretty hard for me today.

Discussing why she was able to play better and win the match against Justine Henin after losing the first set…

MARION BARTOLI: Well, to tell you the truth, as I said on BBC a few minutes ago, I saw Pierce Brosnan in the crowd, which is one of my favorite actor. I love his movies.I said to myself, it's not possible I play so bad in front of him. Because he watch me and I play so bad it was unbelievable. So I try to feel it a bit more the ball, play more smartly. I saw he was cheering for me, so I said, Oh, maybe it's good. I kept going and I won, so maybe a little bit for Pierce Brosnan.

Discussing how she learned to play tennis as a child…

MARION BARTOLI: When I was younger, still living in France, we didn't have any indoor courts. The indoor courts we had was multi surface courts. It was the courts for volleyball, basketball, tennis. They have some multi lines all over the courts. My dad used to put me some targets. If I touched the targets, I get a candy. So I was very motivated. Maybe that's why I'm still loving too much the candies. But whatever. So on this court, I didn't have any backgrounds. I couldn't go back. The wall was one meter behind the baseline. If I was at least staying on the baseline, my racquet was touching the wall behind me. So I have to stay inside the baseline, take the ball as early as possible, and touching the target. I played thousands and thousands of ball like that. I think it helps. I believe that tennis, you learn tennis from 12 to 14, 12 to 15. That's when you learn tennis. I learned my game in this court. To play inside on indoor court, that's where I learned it.

Discussing her feelings regarding winning Wimbledon this time compared to her other three Wimbledon titles…

VENUS WILLIAMS: I would not give up any of the other wins, of course. This win, it's so much different from the others because the other ones I felt like I was playing in championship form from minute one. Here I really had to focus on my game, you know, overcome a lot of challenges, including obviously being seeded low, those kinds of things. But all in all, it's wonderful. But, I mean, the last time I won, it was a really outrageous way to win. I keep that trophy by my bed. That's the only one I keep close to me. I don't know if it can replace that trophy, but it's so wonderful.

Talking about the beginning of her career  and then eventually winning Wimbledon…

VENUS WILLIAMS: …Just growing up, though, my parents, they always told us we'd be winning Wimbledon, be No. 1 in the world, that we'd be No. 1 and 2. It was really a positive environment that we grew up in. The way we worked was toward that. In my mind, I was always thinking that. So when it happened, it was like something I had been preparing for. I mean, I think they were genius to put that in our head.

Discussing her feelings about her Wimbledon title in 2005…

VENUS WILLIAMS: That one is special because there were so many people who said I wouldn't do it, couldn't do it, wrote me off, said I wouldn't win again. There were so many people who just, you know, tried to put negative thoughts in my head. But I definitely wouldn't let it happen. I believed in me. Obviously that final being so epic, being able to come out with that win as well as Lindsay was playing, all those factors were very special to me. After the tournament I realize in my heart I wanted it more than anyone in that draw, and that's why I got it. I was willing to do it. I realized what a strong person I was, too. It really made a difference in my life.

Talking about her father…

MARION BARTOLI: …I think my dad always was believe in me, in whatever I was doing. It was tennis, classical dance. Before I was doing some classical dance, some ballet. It's cool. Always he has been believing in myself and in my capacity to be at the best, one of the best in the world in what I was doing. So I think to see that from your dad, I think it's the best reward you can even imagine. To see in your eyes on your parents you can be one of the best, this give you so much confidence, so much strength, you're able to go and walk the world. I think I did it. In this tournament, of course, show to everybody what I was able to do on the tennis court, and this happened because of him.

Discussing her emotions after losing the Wimbledon finals…

MARION BARTOLI: …I want this title so bad. I want it so much. I mean, for me to win this trophy and to hold it in your hands, this is the reward you can ever imagine in tennis. And to be able to go to the ball and wear the dress and be with the men champion, everything that happen in this tournament, which is the only tournament happen like that. I want it so bad, and I lost. And, you know, I'm a competitor and I hate to lose. I really hate to lose. Of course, tomorrow I won't be that disappointed because I will realize what I achieve, which is already awesome, of course. And everybody will tell me that. But right now, because I want it so bad, yes, of course, I'm disappointed.

Discussing what was the difference in his loss to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon finals…

RAFAEL NADAL: Some points. Just have big chances in the fifth, 15 40. Especially, well, I wasn't feel I play worse than him from the baseline, no? Maybe if we have to find any difference, maybe the difference is the serve. He serve better than me, and that's important in every surface, but in this surface more, no?

Describing what he’ll remember from the 2007 Wimbledon final…

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, just the occasion. I mean, it was a huge occasion for me, huge pressure. Bjorn Borg sitting there, Jimmy Connors sitting there, John McEnroe sitting there, Boris Becker sitting there. You know, for me it's a big moment for me.
Then in the end, to lift the trophy, it's a very, yeah, special memory. I'll have it for all my life.

Describing his feelings in the last game of the 2007 Wimbledon finals…

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I was almost crying already when I was up 5‑2, so I had to kind of just stay pretty relaxed. And then, you know, the game starts with Love‑15. I'm like, Oh, my God, this is going too well. Then all of a sudden, of course, he's got game point and I'm just trying to stay focused. But it's hard, you know. So many things go through your mind. On match point, you know, I had one beforehand. I played it well. He had a good slice on that. The second one, I said, Let's do it again, play aggressive on the second serve. It paid off, so I was thrilled.

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