This Week In Tennis
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Q. Can you just talk us through what happened out there. Looked like the heat got to you. Was it more than that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, everything was fine until end of the first set. I start to feel myself not very good. It's getting worse, worse, and worse, so finally in the second set I realize that I was not able to keep playing. I tried to resist, but I get a little bit scared to be too dizzy and lose a little bit the (through translation off microphone.) So I call the doctor a couple of times, but I felt that I was not safe there so I decided to go. I wanted to finish the match, but I seriously could not. Q. Do you think it was the heat or more than that? You think you might have an illness of some kind? RAFAEL NADAL: Hopefully is nothing. Hopefully is just the extreme conditions out there. Something happen, hopefully is the beginning of a virus, and in combination with the conditions I had this strange feelings. But just finished half an hour ago, so I don't know. Q. Roger, Stan, and Rafa are all out. Are there any players on tour that you like to watch when you have a chance? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Monfils, No. 1, by far, because you never know what's coming up next. He is very unpredictable player, but very entertaining, and I think he's great for the sport. Dominic Thiem is also very nice to watch. Young player who has lots of talent and potential and really nice variety in his game. There are couple of guys, but Monfils I would pay my ticket to watch |
Q. Looked like you were suffering from the same problem. Tell us how bad it was. How much of a worry that is?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I was suffering a little bit. It was worse than my first match, but I hope nothing dangerous. I mean, I will see what's going on after today and see if I can practice tomorrow, if I can hit again like a little backhand. They said before this is a long road to get better. Not to play well or to win matches, just to get better and to play tennis again. I'm looking forward for that. For me it's like surprise when I win a match in this moment because I'm not 100% yet. But I'm here. Of course I'm suffering in moments, but I'm playing tennis. Bad or really bad, but I'm playing. That's good for me. Q. A year ago you sat in that chair and told us about the crisis in confidence, how you weren't believing in yourself. Can you just tell us what the difference is in the space of a year? RAFAEL NADAL: The difference is I'm enjoying on court. I'm not feeling that nerves on court. I'm not feeling that strange feeling that I never felt. I am enjoying on the practices, I am enjoying on the tennis court. I feel with the right energy. I can lose, I can win, but I am happy on court. That's the most important thing. That's the big difference on what happen last year, what I told last year. |
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ON THE WEB
Novak Djokovic: "Better Game for All"
"Tennis Players Set Twitter Ablaze over Tennis Row"
"Juan Martin del Potro Recognizes Challenges in Latest Setback"
"Murray Believes the Tide Should Turn Towards Total Equality in Tennis"
"Why Andy Murray's Feminism Matters"
"ITF President Rejects Dick Pound’s Revelations of High Meldonium Use"
"A Tennis State of Mind: Florida's Unique Place in the Sport"
"Kyrgios' Agent Morris Blasts Jankovic Retirement"
WTA
RUNDOWN
- Svetlana Kuznetsova took out the #1 seed Serena Williams in the 4th round. Williams, the 8-time Miami Open champion, won the opening set but couldn't overcome Kuznetsova's relentless defence and accuracy the rest of the way.
- Prior to her loss, Serena notched the 750th win of her career in the 3rd round versus Zarina Diyas in the 3rd round.
- Venus Williams lost her opening match to Elena Vesnina and continued her hot and (mostly) cold start to 2016.
- Angelique Kerber is through to the quarter finals in Miami, her first time winning back-to-back matches since capturing the Australian Open in January.
- Madison Keys is now working with Mats Wilander on a "trial basis."
- Daria Gavrilova is eligible to play Fed Cup for Australia after winning her appeal to the ITF.
- In a facebook post after first round loss, Lucie Safarova gave us some insight into her struggles to return from illness.
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PRESS
Q. Your next opponent is Kuznetsova. You've had some really good matches against. Quarterfinal French Open for instance couple years ago. Thoughts on that match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's a great matchup. She plays well and makes a lot of the great shots. She's actually been playing well this year. She had a couple big wins and couple good tournaments. Yeah, I have my work cut out for me. We'll see what happens. Q. You mentioned on the court you and she are friends. She's someone that's been on the tour around the same amount of time as you. What's your relationship with her? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, we get along great. That's no secret. She's just someone that you respect and you like and you -- I don't know. Just something about her that I think everyone likes Q. Talk a little bit about the third set. You must have thought that things were turned around there for you. Was it something she did or something you weren't able to keep up the level? VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she just played really well. I couldn't afford any errors because she was on. She didn't make many errors. She came out with nothing to lose and just everything worked for her today. Bad luck for me; great luck for her. As the match continued I think I started to find more and more rhythm. She is coming off qualifying and playing doubles matches every week. It's a little bit challenging to play your best tennis without -- you know, against an opponent who is just so inspired. You don't have a moment to try and figure out how to get into the match. |
Q. How important is it for you? You had a great result in the mixed doubles in London. How is it for you now? Are you focusing more on singles? How are your expectations for this Brazil Olympics?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, it's a long shot to be expecting something at this point. It's definitely one of the main goals for me this year, and I can't wait to play the Olympics. I always had so much fun representing my country, and I'm looking forward to do it again. My last Olympics was really successful, so I'm looking forward to play again. I'm definitely going to be competing for a medal, but this time only for singles. Q. What is the biggest thing that you have to get used to in the humidity? The breathing? The heat? The sweat? What exactly makes it particularly difficult? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Honestly, to hold the racquet, because it's so easy to slip out of your hands. It was the case today. I tried to hit the net and slipped out and I got a code violation because of that. But I don't know. I think to breathe is one thing. Takes a couple days to adjust. But definitely being able to stay hydrated in these conditions is really important. You have to overdrink than you probably would on a daily basis. Just also I think that's very important. |
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ON THE WEB
"Insider Notebook: Equality for All"
"Serena Williams: Why Tennis Needs the Miami Open"
"Prize Money Debate is Demeaning, Dull and Outdated"
"Equal Pay is as Much a Myth as it is a Minefield"
"Serena Williams, Raymond Moore and Tennis' Eternal Gender Gap"
"Meldonium Producers Say the Drug Can Take Months to Leave Body"
"Trending Upward: Gibbs’ Tennis Game Catching up to her Twitter Game"
"Quotable Quotes: Serena Takes a Stand"
"Kuznetsova Shows Fight, Grit in Come-From-Behind Win over Serena"
PODCASTS
The Body Serve - "Deja Vu All Over Again"
No Challenges Remaining - "Ladies Know What I'm Talking About"
WTA Insider - "Going Coast to Coast"
Realz Tenis Fanz - "Tennis, You Be Too MUCH"
The Night Session - "Meldonium, Sexist Rants, Team Leaders, and Stray Underpants"
Tennis Connected - "Reviewing Indian Wells and Previewing the Miami Open"
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