[Mightymirza]

What are your emotions right now after the loss?
"It's for sure disappointing to lose this kind of match. Then my knee hurts. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do next few days and for Miami. It's not the best moment of the week. But, you know, there are things much more important than tennis in life, and I'm sure tomorrow it's going to be better already."

It was an up-and-down match. Is that typical for you against her?
"No, no. I think I was dominating the match. I was up 6-2, 5-2, then I lost my
concentration a little bit at that point. That cost me the second set. I really help her to come back in the match. I was playing pretty good in the first set then till 5-2. I don't know, maybe I thought too early that the match was over. Just for one game I lost my concentration. Then she took the opportunities and the match turned completely. I just kept fighting as much as I could, and that was a good third set. There was always the same rhythm. I couldn't do what I do in the first set any more, change to down the line, be a little bit more in the court. There were very long rallies, and usually I was losing them. When you play like that, she's very consistent. She didn't make a lot of mistakes. At the end, she deserved to win the match."

Did the tape(bandages) limit you at all in your movement?
"No, it did help. That gave me a lot of support on my knee. My knee is bothering me for a couple of weeks. I know that it's probably the fact that I'm playing on hard court. My knees are going to be happy when I play on clay again. I have a few problems on my right knee, but I hope it's going to be better soon."

You may have lost concentration. Elena is notorious about being a slow starter. How important is it for her opponents to watch out for that and not to get this false sense of security at 6-2, 5-2?
"Yeah, I know that Elena is a great fighter, and it's never over with her. Just in that game at 5-2, yeah, she played consistent, and I did a few mistakes. I haven't been very lucky at 5-3, 30-All with the let, a few lines. But, that's tennis. In the third set I probably had my chances again. But, she was dominating the rallies at that point. She's a real fighter. The game is never over. I didn't think it was over, but I knew I had two breaks and I was feeling comfortable, then it changed. Sometimes you win when you're down 6-2, 5-2, and sometimes you lose these kind of match. That hurts a little bit. But, that finally doesn't matter. Some things are more important than that."






How much discomfort are you in right now? Is it a tendonitis issue?
"I have no idea. I had some problem with my kneecap, with the tendon, with a few different things. Just probably the surface. It's hard on the back and on the knees. It's a lot of injuries. So, yeah, I don't know? I'll have to see the doctor and know and just decide what I'm going to do next few weeks because this knee is bothering me a little bit for now a couple of weeks. It's going away, then it's coming back, then it's going away. There are matches that I feel it and matches that I'm fine. But, it's no excuse for me that I lost today. I never thought about leaving the court because the tape really helped me to give me a lot of support in the third set."


Would Miami be an uncertainty right now?
"Yeah, I don't know exactly about Miami? I'll have to wait a few days and see how I'm recovering, how my knee's doing in the next few days."

Other players have given you credit as being the toughest competitor mentally. I don't think you're going to have to argue that. Where would you rank Elena? Is she pretty close to second toughest up there with you?
"Oh, I don't consider myself as the toughest player mentally on the tour. I just try to give my best all the time. All the players try to do that. The match is never over. If you didn't play the match point, it's not done. Elena, she played a lot of three-set matches. She's a real fighter. I think she proved that again today. So, it's good for her."

You talked about mental toughness. If had you to single out one or two players on tour, who would you say?
"It's very hard to answer these questions because a lot of players are tough, and I have a lot of respect for everyone. Everybody can beat everybody. It depends of the situation. It depends how you feeling that day. So it's very hard. You have very consistent players, but everything can happen. That's why the tour is very exciting now. There is a lot of concurrence, so that is good. But, I don't like to say names about that."

Sharapova thinks you're mentally toughest. Do you think the same for her?
"She's a real fighter, too, yeah. She has a lot of motivation when she's on the court, like Elena, like a lot of other players. That's good, everybody wants to win, for sure. It's very interesting this year that there is no one player that is dominating the other ones, so that's very good. "

I understand there were reports that due to the medications you were taking, you had an ulcer problem?
"Yes, that's correct. I cannot take anti-inflammatories for anything now because I wouldn't support that. Yeah, that's the problem I had. I still have to deal with that. It's not gone hundred percent. I'm still on the medication probably still for a couple weeks."

Was that(ulcer) pretty painful?
"Yeah, it was, very painful."

You seem undecided about Miami because of the knee. Will your decision be swayed either way when you consider the new rules with the women's tour regarding the mandatory entry for an event like Miami? There would be penalties, even if there was a medical certificate?
"Yeah, but I'm not going to think about that. I'm going to think about my knee and my health concerns. I think that I have to think about myself. I don't agree with the fines, that's for sure. When you're injured, I mean, when you cannot play, it's not normal that you have to pay. But, I also understand they make Miami a mandatory event because it's a great event and they put a lot of money. So, I understand that. But, I understand you never have to pay when you're injured. I have been in this situation in the past, and I think it's not normal."


And about the bitch thing..Hmm not true maybe only in ur dreams...lets see how many people it attracts now...

[alibaby]

this interview is another proof,how great a sportswoman she is! honest,modest,giving credit to her opponent....
and thats why i ask myself again and again:WHY,people,WHY is she often treated SO UNFAIR HERE???shes neither arrogant,nor insultive to others,she only focuses on herself.so tell me,folks,what is wrong with her??

BTW:and please explain me too,why it is nearly" lawbreaking" in your eyes to be injured?..just a simple question....

[Mightymirza]

yeah exactly...Justine bashing threads are so popular but this is her own interview and is so nice and none replies..People just like to bash her thats it..Anyways justine ..Shes always so honest and speaks from her heart..

[Justine Fan]

Originally Posted by alibaby

this interview is another proof,how great a sportswoman she is! honest,modest,giving credit to her opponent....
and thats why i ask myself again and again:WHY,people,WHY is she often treated SO UNFAIR HERE???shes neither arrogant,nor insultive to others,she only focuses on herself.so tell me,folks,what is wrong with her??

There is nothing wrong with her. Posters are just pissed off that she has beaten absolutely everyone on tour - Venus being the only one that has given her trouble! She took Serena's crown away from her by stopping her unbeaten run and she has beaten every other player.

That IS the only problem with Justine!

[Allez-H]

You have to change the title in: Justine calls Dementieva a bitch after loss!

Everybody's gonna come over then

[fonsito]

allez juju. she'll win the FO

[ys]

A couple of points to The Cheatah in my book..

[Carmen Mairena]

Originally Posted by Allez-H²

You have to change the title in: Justine calls Dementieva a bitch after loss!

Everybody's gonna come over then

Justine

[Justine Fan]

Originally Posted by ys

A couple of points to The Cheatah in my book..

You are not important enough to matter to tell you the truth!

[Dexter]

Originally Posted by Allez-H²

You have to change the title in: Justine calls Dementieva a bitch after loss!

Everybody's gonna come over then

So true

Justine Best of luck in Florida

[Lulu.]

Wow. Shes alot nicer than I thought she was.

[ys]

Originally Posted by Justine Fan

You are not important enough to matter to tell you the truth!

Who is talking about what matters? Nothing that happens on these boards matters, really.. All JHH's supporters on these board could have a simultaneous heart attack - she would not even know about that...

[SAEKeithSerena]

Originally Posted by fonsito

allez juju. she'll win the FO

over my dead body. it's totally hingis' or sharapova's

[Dexter]

Originally Posted by SAEKeithSerena

over my dead body. it's totally hingis' or sharapova's

oh please!

[hablo]

So she's thinking of not playing Miami ?