|
 Anna
beat Shahar Peer 6-4 6-1
Q. We asked your opponent, Peer, what's so good about you.
She said, oh, you'd have to ask Anna, but she couldn't figure it
out. All you do is you win matches. How are you doing it?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I'm doing good. I'm doing good. I'm so happy
that I got through. The question is how am I playing or what?
Q. Yes. How are you doing it? You're not serve and volleying
and you're not explosive, but you keep winning you're and No. 5
in the world.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: No 6.
Q. Excuse me. You'll be 5.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, just, you know, I don't have this like
powerful groundstrokes and I just, you know, fight until the end
and trying to play smart.
Q. You seem to know though where the ball is. You anticipate
well I would say, because you're there. When the ball is there
you're there.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yes. And I'm trying to change the pace a lot.
Q. You were talking going into the match that Shahar had
given you a very tough match in March. What did you do to change
it around? Did you change your tactics?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Actually, I need to say that that match in
Indian Wells I played really -- I didn't play well. Today when I
was in the rush a little bit from the beginning. I was -- I
wanted to hit very hard. Wanted to blow Shahar from the court,
but that's not the way how I'm playing.
So I just had to play smart and not easy and not rush myself.
So, yeah, then I just started to do less mistakes, easy
mistakes, you know. And on the other side also I was aggressive
especially on the second set. That's why I think I won it so
easy.
Q. How do you learn to play this way? It's almost like
Martina Hingis-type tennis.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Again. Yeah, a lot people compare me with
Martina. I don't know. You know, I change it because I never
played like this when I was a junior. I was hitting really flat
balls, and after that I couldn't just win a match. That's why I
change it. I knew that needed to do something else, you know.
Q. Had you watched lost the Martina Hingis when you were a
junior?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yes, I did, but not more than all other
players.
Q. You've had two matches with Svetlana Kuznetsova. Is there
a common theme in both of those matches? Did the matches
progress in the same way?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I think the last time I played her I won --
no, I mean I lost really easy, like 6-2, 61. It was on a clay
court in Warsaw. I believe it was one year ago. So, yeah, you
know she's a favorites in this game, in this match, so I have
nothing to lose and no pressure.
For me it's much easier to play with no pressure, so I will try
to do my best.
Q. Is that the way you felt all season, that you have no
pressure?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yes.
Q. Can you talk about that a bit, because you've made such a
great rise. There must be more expectations?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, I mean, I played top 10 players and I
mean, I played maybe top 20 players. Still, you know, it's much
easier to play when you have no pressure and you're not thinking
about, oh, if I going to win this how will -- which ranking will
I have and all this stuff.
Just be more relaxed and think about next point and that's it,
and next match.
Q. You also always seem to be in a good mood.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, today I was a little nervous because all
crowd was against me, but I thought to myself, I will die on
this court but I wouldn't lose, because the crowd was against me
so I have to win. I have to prove that I can win that.
Q. But is there anything this really gets you down? You seem
so bubbly and happy.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, it depends on the mood, you know.
Depends when you woke up how you feel. I woke up today with a
good mood, very good mood. That's why I won maybe so easy,
straight sets.
Q. You were saying no pressure on yourself depending on how
the players you play are, but you're also the type of player if
you don't play well you get upset with yourself. You have high
expectations of your own level, correct?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, that's true, but you can't play good and
well during all matches. For example, here I didn't start that
well first and second match I didn't play well. But then I just
felt better and better with every day.
Today I'm happy with the way I played. I think it was a good
quality and good level.
Q. Why did you think the crowd -- or feel -- that the crowd
was against you?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I guess it's so many people from Israel came
to New York.
Q. How old were you when you decide that you needed to stop
hitting the ball so flat and change tactics a little bit?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I think I was 15, 16 years.
Q. It a was coach that sat down and talked to you about that?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah. Actually, I change my coach after that
and I just began to work with coach from Sweden with Aspelin.
Yeah, I just want to win some matches. You know, I didn't want
to lose all the first round, so that's why I change my game.
Q. How long did it take to you get comfortable with this new
style?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: A while, of course. You know, it doesn't
change really quickly and really fast. But I was working on it
and I'm happy that I improved in that.
Q. You're going into your first Grand Slam semifinal. What
does that mean to you? This is as if far as you've got in a Slam
before.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: You know, I should be so excited but it, but I
think just pretty normal like always. Of course it's a big
match, it's a big win, and I'm so the happy to be in the
semifinal. But I just thinking about the next match.
Q. To go out and play under the circumstances you did today
with the crowd so in favor of her and you're twenty years of
age, to be able to go out in that environment and to play the
way that you did and prevail, how do you feel about that in
terms of your own development as a player mentally?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, I knew that I have to stay concentrate
and confident and I have to stay calm. I knew that Shahar going
scream after I losing easy point, like, Come on, like this. The
crowd will be like, Oh, come on.
But I knew it will be like this so I was prepared for that. I
knew in my mind it was most of the crowd will be against me.
Q. Your probably answered the question, but why do you think
the girls from Eastern Europe are so successful?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: First time this question actually. From
Eastern Europe, I never thought about that. I never thinking
where is my opponent coming from actually. You know, I never
thought about that before.
Q. Are you upset that there are so many players in this
tournament in the quarterfinal? There are six players in the
fourth round from Eastern Europe. Are you upset about this fact?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: You know, I never thought about that. Never
thought about that.
Q. Here's something else you probably never thought about.
Everybody said there's nobody good in the bottom. Nobody any
good down there after Sharapova lost. What do you think of that,
to be among the bottom feeders?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Of course she was second seed and she was -- I
mean, for sure everyone thought she would be in the
quarterfinal, but it just didn't happen. I guess just Radwanska
played better that day than her. This girl deserved to be in the
fourth round as well because she beat Maria and she can beat top
players and win these kind of players. I just took advantage of
the draw.
Q. Do you think since Wimbledon you maybe have been playing
the best tennis on hard courts all summer long, and if you play
to your level you should get to the final?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yes, I'm thinking that, you know, I'm playing
well, but still, you know, I'm not feeling that I'm playing my
best.
Because even I think in Stanford I played better. But because
these two weeks I'm getting like I'm feeling better the ball
with each day, so hopefully I will do well on Friday and I will
play even better than today.
Q. Do you think that you will feel no pressure as well on
Friday and maybe even Saturday?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, I hope I will have no pressure. But, I
mean, all players I think have a little pressure before the
match. But when they go on court it doesn't really matter if
they still have that pressure. It's just gone and they
concentrate on the match.
Q. If there were just a few Russian girls doing well it might
be easier for everyone to be close and social. But there are so
many good Russian women on the tour right now. Does that maybe
make in more difficult to get close to people from your own
country because you're competing against them all the time?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, you know, me I'm such a friendly person
and I'm in good relations with everyone. I mean, we are seeing
each other every week. We practice together. I don't think that
-- I ht ink on court you're fighting against each other, but
when you go off court we're in a good relations.
Q. Is Lansdorp coming now?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I don't know. I didn't speak with him yet.
I'll call him and ask if he comes.
Q. How much has he been helping you?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: He help me a lot. He change my serve a little
bit before Toronto. It was -- we had just few practices with him
and he did change my serve, and I think on this tournament I'm
serving much better.
So he helps me a lot. He gives me confidence, you know, and he's
a great guy.
Q. Did you visit him or...
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I visit him in L.A. |
