Quote machine: 2009 Australian Open, Day 13
Originally published on: 26/02/10 15:22
Serena Williams just loves winning…
“I’m so excited to win, because I wanted to win, and I feel like I needed to win. I don’t know – I just really needed it. I wanted to get to 10. And then I felt like, “Okay, well, I really needed that, and I wanted that for me.” You never know what happens in life. I feel like, you know, opportunities sometimes don’t present themselves twice.”
…but sounds a little non-plussed about being world No.1:
“I actually forgot until the end when I was saying hi to my box. They’re like, ‘Hey, you’re No.1’. I was like, ‘Oh, yeah!’ So kind of like the US Open, I mean, I always believe I’m the best, whether I’m No. 1 or whether I’m a hundred. Just having that extra bonus is pretty cool.”
And while she might have beaten Andy Roddick in her time, she doesn’t rate her chances against mens’ finallists Roger and Rafa
“I was trying to think of who would beat me worse, either Roger or Rafa, and how long, like a five?minute set. They’d probably take me out in five minutes, so…I think I want their autographs!”
Dinara Safina gets to the root of the problem after being blitzed by Serena:
“Normally my serve is my weapon. So playing without all my weapons, it’s tough against her.”
Although the Russian is thinking positively about 2009
“If I would lose the first round, of course I would sit here and I would start to think. But I lost in the final, you know. I made all the way. There is much more positive than negative. So just I lost the match, and now it’s back to training.
“I don’t see any reason to panic or to make thousand thoughts in my mind.”
Safina admits Serena is one of the greats – but she’s not the best player the Russian has ever played…
“I think for me, Justine was best. Not I don’t have anything against Serena, but I love the way Justine was playing. I love the way she was on the court and all these things. Just maybe I like more Justine.”
Young Indian tennis sensation Yuki Bhambri can’t hide his joy at becoming his country’s first Junior Slam champion
“I dreamed of winning it, and it’s come true.”
Roger Federer plays down talk of the advantage of having an extra day off ahead of the final – no word yet on what Nadal makes of it…
“At the US Open we have no days off, so let’s be happy we have a day off here, to be quite honest.”
…but Fed doesn’t expect it to affect him
“I don’t think it’s really going to affect Rafa that much. He’s had very easy matches going into this semi-final.
“Okay, he has a day less. But, look, I mean, you got to be fit and recover from this kind of a match. I think he will, even though he took a while. His matches usually take longer than other matches because he takes his time out on the court. I don’t think he will be really affected on Sunday.”
Aussie Open Girls’ champ Ksenia Pervak is in no mood to let Laura Robson steal her thunder…
“I think she’s much younger than me, like three years or something. I think she’s OK. But I was better today, so what can I say?”
But while Robson might have lost the girls’ final, she did score a much-coveted souvenir from Fernando Verdasco after the match – if she can hang on to it!
“I went in the cafe and asked him if he had a jumper and he gave me this one. I don’t know if I can keep this one. It would be a good one to have in the cupboard back home.”
And the 17-year-old Pervak has Robson matched in the name-dropping stakes too!
“I practice sometimes with [Anna] Chakvetadze because we had the same coach for five years, so that helped.”
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