Q. Would you say maybe your ability to retrieve is just as important as shot?making, the balls you ran down?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think footwork is something of the most important things in tennis, especially at the level that we’re playing at. At the moment, I think it’s become extremely physical, you know, the game of tennis, especially at the baseline. It’s not as much back and forth. It’s more side to side.

I feel like, you know, my movement’s back. I think that’s a great thing. I definitely had to play some of my best tennis tonight to come through. That was clearly the case.

Q. Did you think it was a great strategy tonight, more than usual?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, he’s obviously a very patient man from the baseline, you know. I mean, I think this is how he made it to the top really. You know, not missing much, being dangerous, mixing up his pace very well, some loopier, some flatter. He can obviously go angle, hard down the line, as well as his backhand. I think that makes him particularly tough to play against.

Read more »

Q. You had those chances in that third set.

ANDY MURRAY: I had chances in the first set as well. You know, I had a chance to go up a break. Maybe three chances to go up a break at 2?All. You know, he started to play a lot better after that second set. Second set he deserved to win for sure.

I thought third set I had more of the chances. I thought I deserved to take it into a fourth, but it didn’t happen.

Q. You’ve played him 11 times. Did he show you anything different?

ANDY MURRAY: No. I mean, I think his level is a lot more consistent, you know, in the slams. You know, I don’t know. Maybe, you know, in the other tournaments he tries a few more things out.

But, you know, the shots that he hits great, you know, all year round, they’re still great. You know, he just makes fewer unforced errors I think than he does the rest of the year.

Read more »

Q. Disappointed but proud? JUSTINE HENIN: Of course disappointed, I mean, when you lose in the final of a Grand Slam, especially in three sets, and I got a few opportunities that I haven’t been able to take.

But this feeling of disappointment cannot take, you know, uhm, advantage on all the things I’ve done in the last few weeks. And it’s just more than what I could expect for. I just have to remember that.

Even if it’s quite soon after the match now, I’m sure there will be a lot of positive things I can think about in a few days. Uhm, it’s been almost perfect. Just the last step, I couldn’t make it.

Yeah, it’s mixed feeling at the moment. In a few hours I’m sure it’s going to be much better.

Read more »

Q. How are you feeling at the moment? Could you tell us something about the match?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel amazing. I feel like it happened but it hasn’t happened, so it’s really kind of cool. I really am in the moment right now.

Q. Was it a tough match mentally and physically?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was definitely a tough match mentally and physically. I felt like we both were out there trying to kind of prove something. I think we both did at the end of the day.

Read more »

The tennis world, except China perhaps, is anxiously hoping for a grand slam final between Justine Henin and Serena Williams. But before that Justin and Serena have to square off against Chinese opponents Zheng Jie and Li Na for a place in the final. Nobody from China has ever reached a grand slam singles final. So this must be a huge event there! Serena and Henin never played in a grand slam final against each other.  Who will be the ONE?

P.S. I love this photo. Both of them show Number 1. In Europe, when you do finger counting, you start with your thumb. Holding up your thumb means 1. I wonder how they do it in China?

Her name is Nadezhda. HOPE in Russian.  Is this her last chance for a first slam title? Nadia Petrova has been showing some powerful tennis at this year’s Australian Open.  She destroyed US Open champion Kim Clijsters 6-0 6-1 in the third round, upset third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round and is now targeting former world No.1 Justine Henin in the quarter-final.

Can she do it?

(photo: wtatour.ru)

Maria Kirilenko turns 23 today. Happy Birthday! Good luck at the Australian Open!

photo: wtatour.ru

Kim Clijsters about her stunning loss 6-0, 6-1 against Nadia Petrova at Australian Open.

The full interview after the cut. Read more »

Today tennis royalty met with real royalty. Prince William made a surprise visit to watch Roger Federer play a second round match at the Australian Open. Federer acknowledged Prince William in the crowd after the win against Romanian opponent, Victor Hanescu. “Your Royal Highness, welcome to the world of tennis. Thanks for coming,” Federer said.

Prince William stayed for the final match of the evening between Casey Dellacqua and Karolina Sprem  and also posed for pictures with both Federer and Serena Williams.