MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
Date: 2008-01-07

MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 7, 2008

Dinara Safina
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES
The Moderator Questions for Dinara.

Question Obviously great disappointment. What could you tell us about how your mind is and your mood right now?
Dinara Safina: Well, I was disappointing. I mean, up 3-1, 4-2 on my serve. Played some strange game like at 3-1 and 4-2. So many like just free points. I have to avoid this.

Question Are there any positive that you can take away from this match?
Dinara Safina: Definitely. I played well the first set. Still I was 5-3 up and I should have won easier than -- just like I'm playing okay, but just maybe be a little bit more positive on the court and trust a little bit more myself.

Question Does it take a couple of days to get over a loss, or just want to get straight back into it?
Dinara Safina: Now it's Grand Slam coming so you really have to forget it immediately because the most important is coming now. I have a week, so I just have to forget about it. Concentrate in doubles, like work on the things in doubles that can help me in the singles.
Still I have six days just to try to work on things that be missing.

Question How did you feel physically from this match?
Dinara Safina: Good things and bad things. Good things that I was playing and actually I was feeling pretty good, but bad things I was so slow. So I don't know what it's like.
I would say I played three sets and I didn't feel anything tired, but just very slow moving from side to side. It's really slow. I guess I need to work a little bit more on physical. Yeah, I been working on it, but maybe now I need to work on something specific.

Question Do you think you'll do more drilling and more set practice in the next week?
Dinara Safina: Next week I'm here. I mean, it's this week. Well, set practice there is not only -- I'll hit with my coach, and it's also like just other things to work on. The game work. It comes to this point and you do this, this, this and obviously of course sets. Just to try like, okay, in the practice to do the things, and then it comes in the match. It should come, I mean. I hope.

Question Do you feel like your game is there and you're just not being able to get the consistency or confidence?
Dinara Safina: That's what it looks like. I'm playing the same as last week. I play and I'm there and suddenly I'm not there anymore. I guess one win, if I would win this match maybe it would bring me more confidence.
Now it's a Grand Slam coming, and depends. First two rounds I hope will be good so that I can show my game and just step over it and go for it.