Eurosport - Sun, 28 Jun 08:57:00 2009
Reaction from the key protagonists on a busy day of third-round action at Wimbledon.
World number one Dinara Safina is "annoyed" at constantly being asked about whether she should be world number one without a Grand Slam title under her belt: "I'm consistently there. One day I will get the Grand Slam and nobody can talk anymore that I am number one without a Grand Slam."
Former world number one Jelena Jankovic blames what she called "woman problems" for her defeat to 17-year-old American qualifier Melanie Oudin: "I don't know. It's some woman problems as well. It's not easy being a woman, you know sometimes. All these things happen. What can I do? I never had a problem like that in the past. It was my first time experience."
Jankovic's victor, Melanie Oudin, is already aiming to "become number one": My goal has always been, since I was little, to become number one in the world one day. But I know that it's going to take a lot more work and i'm going to have to get better and better. But I'm willing to work on it.
Oudin could meet Venus Williams later in the tournament and Venus was full of super praise for the youngster from Georgia: "(She's) super nice. Just so enthusiastic about tennis and about life, enjoying herself. Very well adjusted. Obviously I saw her Fed Cup win earlier this year. It was really exciting. It was huge in helping us get to the finals. So she"s done some great things."
But before that can happen, Venus has to make it past Ana Ivanovic who sent out a warning to her opponent: "She's a very dangerous opponent, but I think I have a great chance and I feel very comfortable going into that match."
German 24th seed Tommy Haas is critical of the fifth set policy at Wimbledon: "It has never happened to me that we stopped playing at six-all in the fifth. We should have a tiebreak at six-all in the fifth like in the US Open. All the Grand Slams should have this, that's my personal opinion. When you've played so much tennis... it's really draining. It was getting really dark out there (on Friday). When he had two match points at 5-6, I was like, 'Great, maybe he's going to finish me off right before we're supposed to stop due to darkness'. Then I played some really good points to come back to six-all. Maybe they can just make some magic lights happen when you're that close to finishing a match so we can just finish it at least."
Another man who overcame the odds was Tomas Berdych, he overturned an 0-8 record to defeat Nikolay Davydenko: "I think the grass suits me more than him, and it's better for my game. He was the favourite because he won all the matches before and he's higher in the rankings. But I think this was one of my best matches so far this year."
Israel's Shahar Peer is ready to put her experience in Dubai, when she was refused a visa to play, behind her: "You cannot be upset for so many months. I feel OK. I'm really happy it is behind me. I was really ready to play in Dubai and playing well. Then I had to stop for two weeks because I couldn't play anything, which was unfortunately not very good...so I was a little bit upset".
Andy Roddick says he is much better prepared than last year when he suffered a second-round exit but that he was still not playing quite as well as the first time he reached the final: "I think the best I've played here was probably '04. In '05 I was pretty fortunate to get to the final. I could go through why, but just take my word for it. But as far as comparing (this year) to '05, it's probably similar. I feel like I can play better."
French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova did not get the birthday present she hoped for when she was knocked out of Wimbledon in straight sets by unseeded German teenager Sabine Lisicki: "I wasn't feeling comfortable at all. I was not moving much and I was not doing my thing. With her game you cannot adjust. You cannot have long rallies so you've got to be quick and at maximum level all the time and I didn't do that today. That is why I lost."
Lisicki, who went out in the first round on her Wimbledon debut last year: "It is a huge win for me. I can't believe I'm in the fourth round. "I just kept fighting. I missed some opportunities at 5-4, but I managed to serve well... and just fought to finish up the match."
Comment 1 - 5 of 5
No news about Juan Carlos Ferrero beating Fernando González yesterday? Ah, Ok.
hi rhymes caught the last set of simon hanescu, simon looking good on the turf interested to see how he proceeds next week.
stine stop complaining like an old woman.
What surprises me in Andy Murrays part of the draw is while players like Llyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Wawrinka are been tested with players that have hot services Murray on the other hand have been playing with players who are serving double faults, it makes you to wonder how was that part of the draw arranged, if this was Federer draw I know people would not have rested with all kind of insults, but now I see the reason why they already picked Murray to get to the finals. The only known player in his draw was Ernest Gulbis (Lat), who is Robert Kendric? Who for God’s own name is Viktor Troicki they all have one thing in common smiling feeling so happy to be playing in the new open roof as if that is not enough he Murray will then be meeting another player who also does not have hot service, a player who also have been enjoying the draw without been tested and at the end of the day when Murray gets to the final they will say he played so hard, played so hard? When he will be meeting a tired and worn out Llyton H or Andy Roddick in the Semis, what a very funny tournament well arranged ANDY MURRAY WILL START PLAYING HIS WIMBLEDON MATCHES WHEN HE GETS TO THE SEMIS TO PLAY A TIRED OR WORN OUT LLYTON H OR ANDY RODDICK
EVEN A RETIRED TIM HINMAN WOULD HAVE STROLLED INTO THE FINAL IF PLACED ON MURRAYS DRAW, WHAT? AND NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT, INFACT THEY ARE ALL ARGUING ABOUT BEEN SCOTISH AND BRITISH, JUST WHAT THEY NEED TO DISTRACT PEOPLE FROM WHAT IS GOING ON, WHO CARES IF HE IS BRITISH IS THIS THE OLYMPIC, IF HE WINS THIS TOURNAMENT IT IS NOT GOING TO THE BRITISH SPORT ASSOCIATION OR THE SCOTTISH SPORT ASSOCIATION IT IS GOING TO HIS HOUSE. GET THAT INTO YOUR HEADS AND STOP THIS BRITISH AND SCOTISH ARGUMENT
The top half of the draw looks pretty interesting. Three former No.1s plus Murray, Stepanek, Wawrinka and Berdych. Special mention for Gilles Simon (my old buddy...ho, ho), not cos I think he's the best player in the world (don't get me wrong...he's a fabulous tennis player), but he's brave, smart and cool under pressure. Judging from a direct comparison with his result against Victor Hanescu at RG, his game is better suited to grass than clay. Caught the last set of Ferrero against Gonzalez. Ferrero and Hewitt are proving this week that you don't get to number one because you're just one of the bunch. Both have been plagued by injuries but class will out. Looking forward to the second week. Take it easy.
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