Q. Good win today over someone who had gotten you before. A tough first set, you kind of rolled it.
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yes. Last time I played, I was 6-Love, 2-Love up. The match sort of turned around because of one point. She started to like loop all her balls up.
Today I was just prepared for that. I knew she was going to do the same thing as she did then in the second and third set. I knew I had to be patient and wait until I got the right ball to score or just wait until she made the mistake.
Q. How do you feel this year on clay?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I feel a lot better than last year. I'm playing better clay court tennis. I'm more experienced now. I'm a little bit more patient than I was last year.
Q. Do you think you can have some good results, as good as the results you can have on other surfaces you prefer?
KIM CLIJSTERS: It's going to be hard. My game will always be better on grass or on faster courts because I can hit winners from one meter behind the baseline. On clay court, it's going to be a little bit more difficult.
I'll try. I mean, like I said, I feel a lot better than I felt last year.
Q. The same question as for Justin. You saw the draw. You know there is a good opportunity. How can you handle this, the pressure?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I've got no pressure. I mean, I've done already better than I did last year. I mean, I played a good match today. I'm really happy with that. I mean, I think it depends if Marrero wins.
I think she played quarterfinal or Round of 16 last year. It going to be a tough match. If I play her, it's going to be tough. I'll have to be ready for it.
Q. Can you talk a little about what happened to your game mentally and physically after reaching the Indian Wells final? You seemed to go down a little bit.
KIM CLIJSTERS: I didn't play that many tournaments afterwards, like on hard court. I only played on clay court. I think the two matches that I lost in Berlin and the one in Rome just came because the way I was feeling mentally at that time.
In Rome, I won my first match, but I didn't feel comfortable out there. I just didn't feel like the way I normally feel. I mean, normally I'm very aggressive, going for every point. There I just couldn't -- like I was trying, but I couldn't really focus, I couldn't really hit the ball hard as the way I wanted it.
I've been practicing very well. I mean, of course you're very disappointed when you lose those matches. But I kept working. I think this is the result for that.
Q. So mentally you feel like you're in a good space now, much better than you were?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yes. Like even if I make a few easy mistakes, I feel that I can keep my concentration and keep focusing on the next point. I think that's a good thing.
Q. The fact that Mauresmo lost, that Williams lost, of course you can be considered one of the favorite in the bottom part of the draw, but do you like to be in that kind of position? Do you like to have everybody focusing on you?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, I don't mind. I mean, my first match was really great because there were a lot of Belgian people supporting us. That was really great. It was a pity today that we were all playing at the same time.
Well, I don't feel the pressure at all. I mean, I'm focusing on myself, on my own matches. Of course, I know that Mauresmo lost, and that Williams lost. But I'm not focusing on those things.
I'm focusing on my tournament, my tennis. I'll focus on my third match now.
|
