Here is the transcript of the press conference.
Is it a nice feeling to be in the Finals?
(Ivanovic) Great. Yes especially after a tough loss today. It’s good and Novak managed to score an easy win.
(Djokovic) Oh definitely. This time we were really eager to win it. It was 5 years ago, the first time together - we were young and not experienced, and we did not have luck to go through the finals. This time we were winning quite comfortably, our matches, and really playing well. Both of us, we have a good chance to win the trophy.
Ana you’ve been winning a lot of matches recently. Did today’s match show you how far you’ve still got to go?
(Ivanovic) Yeah it definitely does. I thought today was probably one of the worst matches I played lately and I was really down on myself, and I got really down on the court actually as well. Still, I had so many chances and I managed to almost come back all the way in that first set. I guess I was a little bit negative on the court today, and that’s something I have to work on for next matches. Overall I still saw lots of positives in the last couple of matches, so I just have to focus on that and have to try to take it a little bit easier on myself sometimes.
Novak can you talk about tennis in Serbia, after winning a Davis Cup and now a chance to win a Hopman Cup, what’s the feeling like with tennis in Serbia?
(Djokovic) People definitely react in a great way. They appreciate the success that we’re having as individuals and as a team for the last 3 years. As you probably all know, tennis in Serbia was never that popular and we never had a long tradition in that sport. Then when we came at the professional stage and started winning Grand Slam events and fighting for majors. In the last 3or 4 years it’s been great, it’s been one of the most popular sports, definitely. People love it. Yeah it’s great to share those best moments in your career such as winning the Davis Cup with our people in Serbia, just a couple of weeks back. It was a historical win and definitely highlight of my career.
Ana
(Ivanovic) Yeah I guess I have to be a little bit more aggressive then I was today. I gave her lots of chances to step in and my serve is definitely something I have to improve on to win these big matches. I didn’t get many free points today, even though she was stepping up on my second serve, so I really need to work on that a little bit. It’s just getting through matches and getting more confidence, because practise its coming together nicely which is always good change to see, but you know I just have to put it together in the matches as well.
Is there a particular team you want to play against in the final?
(Ivanovic) No, I haven’t thought of it. Anyone?
Ana have you been thinking about the diamond ball?
(Ivanovic) I know. We’ve been thinking about it since 2006.
(Djokovic) She especially is wanting that. Obviously - she’s a woman, so of course diamonds.
Is that one of the more unique prizes from tournaments around the world?
(Ivanovic) Yeah I think it is, definitely, I mean it’s very special. Like I said, the first time we saw it we were like ‘oh we want it’.
On that note Novak in the Davis Cup or the Hopman Cup, which match do you have the best team-mate?
(Ivanovic) Well you can’t ask that question with me sitting here.
(Djokovic) Honestly. What do you think?
(Ivanovic) You’ll have to ask that when I’m not here.
(Djokovic) I mean I like my colleagues from the Davis Cup team, but you know I’d rather chose Ana.
(Ivanovic) Thank you.
Ana can you comment on the tennis of Justine?
(Ivanovic) Yeah I mean it’s as good as it’s always been. I really think she’s playing well at the moment and like I said, it’s the beginning of the season and lots of players try to look in their best form. You know she’s playing well. She was stepping up a lot today, and coming to the net often and playing aggressive, and put me a lot under pressure. I felt that I was in the back court for most of the match. She seems to be playing well.
Novak to you think you’ve been as fit and as mentally fresh so close to a Grand Slam?
(Djokovic) Well I don’t know if I can use the word ‘fresh’ because the off season was really short
I meant focused – that’s the word I meant to use.
(Djokovic) Focused ok. Focused - I am definitely. I have to be in order to achieve the goals and ambitions I have. We are both very self critical so we always have a very high ambitions. It’s just part of our personalities and I guess we have won the Grand Slams before and she was number 1 in the world, so we know how it feels to play on the big stage. You know in my case I had a very short off season where I try to get the tennis out of my mind for two weeks as much as I can. It wasn’t very long break but you have to adjust to it. I think I’m preparing well and to be honest I haven’t expected to perform this well. At the start of the year I knew that this week of the tournament is as well probably one of the hardest weeks for me in preparation time, because even on the match days I go out and play for hours outdoors and would do a lot of endurance, so it’s been a hard week for me but very successful. I will not work before the Finals. I will just focus my energy -
(Ivanovic) That’s what I keep saying – that he needs to go to the beach more. Use this week to relax.
(Djokovic) I would love to – tell it to my fitness coach
Did you go on a boat yesterday?
(Ivanovic) Yeah it was good.
(Djokovic) Yeah a short cruise. Swan River, we saw a lot of jelly fish.
(Ivanovic) Yeah heaps – they’re huge.
In some ways is a shorter break an advantage – you haven’t had the down time, the body hasn’t slowed, and you haven’t had to pick it back up again. Can that be an advantage the body hasn’t slowed, and you haven’t had to pick it back up again. Can that be an advantage?
(Djokovic) You know I was thinking about that as well. I leave it to the nature, I don’t know. I will just try to prepare as best as I can. I have no more time to think why I had such a short season to think ‘ok maybe it would be better if I had a bit longer season’. But at this moment I really feel good physically and mentally, so I’m going to Australian Open with a lot of confidence and I think that my game is good enough to change anybody on the world at this moment, especially on the hard courts. I have to believe. I have to believe that I can go all the way through and hopefully physically I will be fit because Australian summer is really, really hot and warm and I have experienced that before. So I will just see what’s going to happen.
Novak you talk about goals – Number 1 in world, where is it for you and can you achieve it in 2011?
(Djokovic) Sure. Well I believe that I will make it one day. I don’t know if it’s going to be this year or next year, or in the next 3 or 4 years – I am really trying to work hard towards that lifetime goal. I do have a really strong competitors – Nadal, Federer and of course Murray. So I think there is more players in the men’s tennis than the last 10, 15 years that are able to win major titles. Maybe in the last years there was more, just like Nadal and Federer winning all the major titles now, you know you could see some other players coming up and challenging those two guys. They’re still the best in the world and we are all trying to win against them.
Courtesy: Hopman Cup
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