Discussing her preparation for Roland Garros...
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, after Rome I started working really hard on court with Sven, and Scott also in the gym. I just started to hit a lot of lot of balls, and that's how I got, you know, my confidence back.  Also came few days earlier to Paris and we had unbelievable practices. So that's something I was very excited about, and I was looking forward for competition again and to play matches, and, yeah, go out there and have tough matches.  That's something that has changed since that first few tournaments I played on the clay, and I'm very happy to see that.

Discussing how he can improve his game...
GAËL MONFILS: My serve, because my second serve is not very fast. I still make lots of double faults, and my percentage on my first serve is not at the top. I think it can be one of my strong shots, but at the moment, it's not my best. I can improve on that.  And then come to the net more often and be more performing. It's getting better, but I can improve still, I think.


Discussing her ability to come back and win long, tough matches now against top players... is it a mental or physical change?
DINARA SAFINA: I would say physical more, because before it would be ‑‑ when I would play with the top players I would lose a set, and for me it would be -- I'm both ‑‑ mental and physically tough to still come back.  And now I'm kind of physically like, I feel like it's -- if I still have to play two sets, one hour each, I still able to do this. So it's kind of like it's a -- if you know physically you can do this, mentally it's also easier, because you still feel like, I still have to do something more.  It's not like you lose a set. Oh, I still have to play two sets. But now it's like, Okay, I still have to do this, this, this, this, so I think it's physically.


Describing her thinking going into her first Grand Slam final against Ana Ivanovic...
DINARA SAFINA: I think just take it as another match and just take focus on myself and what I have to do. Like there is only the ball, and I have to do the things that I know to do, and try to avoid thinking as much as I can about, This is the final. If it's like the first round.  Like it's still the same court and still the same ball. It's just how I take it in my mind, how I will prepare for the final.


Discussing her what she learned from her experiences at the 2007 French Open final and the 2008 Australian Open final...
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, both finals were great experience for me. From both of them I learned a lot, you know, especially from the first one I played against Justine here last year.  It was great learning experience, and it's something I can, you know, look back and try to not make the same mistakes, you know. And, yeah, I was -- both finals I played I was very excited about the fact that I had possibility to maybe win a Grand Slam.  So going into tomorrow's match, I have to make sure I focus on what I have to do to win a match like it's any other match, and not about the result... It's something that -- when I went to play these finals I was thinking more about result, what if I win this match, not what I have to do to win the match.  So that's something I want to change. And, you know, tomorrow when I go on the court, keep working hard for each point. Also, you know, what I have to do in order to win these points. And, you know, be patient or focus on my first serves, yeah.



Discussing his approach to the third set tie-breaker against Novak Djokovic in the semis...
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I analyze a little bit the situation, no? I was thinking for what reason I was playing unbelievable in the beginning? Well, two sets to Love, 3‑0, and having all the time the control of the point.  Right now he's having control of the point in the last games of the third set. So just thinking about this, and I take the decision, no? I have to win the court. I have to go more inside another time, because they was more inside. I thought the only reason is because he's more inside than me right now.  I try to go inside. Before tiebreak I think, I going to win in this tiebreak or I'm going to lose this tiebreak, but I going to do the things, no? And the things were good today. I play very good forehands.


Describing Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros...
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is a special court for me, no? Unbelievable memory from this court. Always is a special feeling when I go to this court. When the court is full is really impressive. Is emotional for me every year when I come back here.  Just thanks very much everybody, because always the crowds are very respective with me. So thanks to organization, everything.


Responding to a comment before the finals that his Uncle Toni said that he, Rafa, could lose the finals...
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, he is going back Mallorca, whereas I'm going to play Queen's and then Wimbledon, so of course. Toni is going to play on the beach if he wants to; but when I walk on this court, I want to win.  I don't want to lose, but then anything can happen. Will I play again like today or like the one against Almagro? I know that I walk on the court and anything can happen, and I know it's going to be a pretty open match.  I don't want to think about losing, but I do accept the fact that this can happen.


Describing how he felt after his loss to Rafael Nadal in the semis...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, how you want me to feel after a loss? You want me to laugh all the time?  I expected a lot from this match, of course. You know, I feel sorry that I lost. I'm not depressed, far away from that, you know.  I'm only 21 years old and I played so much, you know, semifinals of the Grand Slam tournaments, and won couple majors and a Grand Slam itself, so I have no reason to be depressed. I just look forward to the future.


Describing how she has improved her attitude and approach to the game...
DINARA SAFINA: Yeah. Also, like, with emotions for me, so I started to deal with my emotions and I accept some things if they're not going my way. So I say, Okay, it's not going my way. I have to find something else.  So maybe the years before I would say, Oh, I'm so unlucky. I cannot do this. So I would start to not even look for the answers. But now I'm trying every time, Okay, this is not working, but I'm going to find other solutions to still win a match when I'm not playing my best.

Discussing how his approach to hitting drop shots has changed the past few years...
ROGER FEDERER: I guess I have a little bit, you know. No, I mean, look, it's something I always knew that was probably necessary on clay, just to have the option. It doesn't work against everybody, you know.  Because some guys play really close to the baseline. They play shots in a way you can hit a drop shot. There's other guys who play really far behind the baseline, like Gaël today. I think it's good to mix it up sometimes and have this extra option.  I've been trying to do it for the last three or four years, but it's just something that didn't come very natural to me because I always thought the drop shot was a panic shot, you know. I tried to just end the point early.  But I think this season especially I've been able to use it in a great way. Today it came in handily again, you know, to put Gaël under pressure. We'll see if I'll use it again against Rafa.


Describing her feelings on becoming ranked Number One...
ANA IVANOVIC: This title, it's very important for me, because that was my dream for a long time. You know, reaching position No. 1 even, you know, before I played this match in the final was great award.  But then again, you know, you have to still -- when you're on the court you have to play your game, and rankings speak for themselves. You know, you just have to make sure to keep doing the right things on the court and play your matches, and the rankings, they take care of themselves.  You know, it's obviously very, very sweet and nice, you know, to reach that. But, you know, you have to make sure you're still working hard on the court.


Explaining why her parents stay out of the limelight...
ANA IVANOVIC: No, it's their choice. They really -- they always supported me, maximum. My mom travels with me most of the time, but they don't like to give interviews or to be, you know, in the media. They like to keep aside and, yeah, support me from the back a little bit.  They leave it up to me, you know, to my coaches to do the right job. They're always there, you know, to support me and give me the best possible advice.


Talking about the future...
ANA IVANOVIC: You know, future comes soon enough, so why worry about that? Yeah, it's just a great moment for me.  Like I said, I felt I came a long way since first two tournaments on clay. I learned a lot from that, and it was some tough times. But when you go through these things, it makes you stronger.  So I learned a lot from it, and I feel like I found the tools that helped me to be in the moment when I'm on the court.  Like I said, you know, some days it's much harder to do than others. Still, you know, I feel this will help me in the future. Obviously, you know, being No. 1 now holds more pressure. But you're also a professional athlete, and if you want to achieve your goals you have to learn how to handle the pressure and realize that pressure is also kind reward, because you put yourself to in a position to doing something memorable.


Describing her experience against Ana Ivanovic in the French Open finals...
DINARA SAFINA: No, I was a bit nervous, but then once I stepped on the court, no, actually I felt pretty good. I found myself on the court.  But just as I said, if I would be just a little bit fresher it would be different, because I spend way too much hours like for those two matches against Maria and Elena. Two comebacks, because comebacks always takes so much heart and mentally.  With her, I had to be really aggressive. It was just missing just a little bit more reaction, a little bit come closer to the ball. Of course, she was much fresher and she could do -- what I had to do to her, she was doing this to me.


Talking about Bjorn Borg...
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, it's always wonderful when a player like Borg says nice things about me. But as I said, I think I have great respect for many people in the world, especially for good people.  And talking about tennis, of course I have great respect for Borg. How could it be otherwise? I don't know if he was the best player in the history of tennis, but when we talk about Borg, he seems to be somebody apart from the others.  He also was one of the guys who brought many innovations to the game. He started playing topspin shots, and he brought many new things to the game.


Commenting on his loss to Nadal in the finals...
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, key for me is the way Rafa played. I mean, no doubt he played excellent. He hardly made unforced errors, and when he's on the attack, he's lethal.  On the defense, he had some, I mean, unbelievable shots, you know. I can only praise him for the level of play he's had for the last two weeks and today again under pressure.  It's not like it's easy for him either. He handles it very well. To come up with a performance like this under pressure shows what a great champion he is.  For me, I mean, it's been a good tournament. I still go out of this tournament, you know, with a positive mindset. You know, not with a mindset, Oh, my God, you know, I had no chance today. I mean, I had a little chance in the second set. Okay.  But, you know, it doesn't matter now. I mean, I'm going to look forward to grass. I think the second half of the season, hopefully, is going to be better than the first.

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