Thursday 28 January 2010

Li Na is so awesome!

Q. This was a great day for China, for you two women. Where are the men? Where are the Chinese men?

NA LI: The Chinese men in China (laughter).

Q. It's the question we always ask. What are they doing in China, all these men?

NA LI: They still sleeping. They didn't wake up. I was waiting they wake up also, yeah (smiling).

Q. There are not as many interested among the men as the women, is that correct?

NA LI: No, they have many, many men player in China.

Q. They're not of world class. You're a world‑class player.

NA LI: They're still sleep. They didn't wake up. Someday they will wake up.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Pressers from the AO

I love reading press conferences when they are funny! Nikolay Davydenko's ones this week have been pretty good, and here is some other funny stuff from the last few days:

Zheng Jie

Q. Is it easy to work with your husband as a coach?

JIE ZHENG: Yeah, he is my coach. But now I have another two new coach. One from America. He teach me a lot just for serve. Another one from China also.

Q. I didn't understand. Two other husbands or two other coaches?

JIE ZHENG: Two other coach (smiling).

Q. Very strong with the women [in Chinese tennis], but there are no men.

JIE ZHENG: Yeah, is hard question. (Smiling.) Everybody want know.

Q. Do you know why?

JIE ZHENG: Maybe men need more hard working. I don't know. (Laughter.)


Andy Murray

Q. When you talk with your team after a win like tonight, do you smile more? Do you have a voice which sounds more happy than now? Now you talk almost like you lost.

ANDY MURRAY: Have you ever sat in this seat before? I mean, last year I played 80 odd matches and we do a press conference after every single match. We do one before every tournament. More for other bits and pieces.

Q. It's very boring.

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I don't know (smiling). You just get used to doing it. I don't get excited about doing them anymore.

THE MODERATOR: That's lucky because this one's over.


Marin Cilic

Q. Why are you playing such good tennis?

MARIN CILIC: 'Cause I'm a good player (smiling).


Li Na

Q. Why were you better than Caroline?

NA LI: Maybe I eat Chinese food. (Laughter.)

Q. You mentioned after I think your last opponent in round three that you went to Chinatown and you had some spicy Chinese food that hurt your stomach. It tasted great, but made you a little bit sick. Have you been back to the same restaurant? What are you doing now?

NA LI: Actually I was eat two days in a row in Chinese. If I feeling stomach was a little bit uncomfortable I would go Korea. And then feeling better, I go back Chinese food again. (Laughing.)

Yeah, I mean, I love Chinese food, so I was ‑‑ around of the world I always found Chinese restaurant. Yeah. I mean, good for my stomach. I know sometimes bad, but I still love it.

Q. Is it Korean or Chinese tonight?

NA LI: Because yesterday was Korea, so maybe today I go Chinese. (Laughter.) Yeah.

Saturday 23 January 2010

Funny interviews from the AO!

There's a show on Eurosport every day during the Australian Open called 'Game, Set and Mats' with Mats Wilander and Annabel Croft talking about the tournament. There's a feature on it called 'Babs Undercover' with Barbara Schett doing random funny stuff around the grounds, and on yesterday's feature she interviewed players with different questions than usual to see what their reactions would be like. I don't know if anyone will put the episodes up on youtube sometime but for now I transcribed the interviews with the players!

Here they are:

Dinara Safina

Dinara: Today, I think, was quite solid game from my side
Barbara: (touching teeth) Sorry, I've got something in my tooth. Do I have something in there?
D: (looks seriously) No
B: Just in the middle there
D: No
B: Are you sure? It's really bothering me when I talk
D: (laughing now) No, nothing
B: Is there nothing?
D: No (laughing)
B: Okay, dont worry, I'll give it another try


Alona Bondarenko

Barbara: Congratulations, Kateryna, you've -
Alona: Alona
B: Ah is it Alona?
A: Yeah
B: Oh I'm sorry, I mixed you up, so stupid
(Kateryna is standing near them and smiles)
B: And what about your sister Alona, is she happy that you won?
A: Yeah, she's happy for me, it's first time I won 3rd round, yeah she's happy
B: Alona or Kateryna?
A: Kateryna
B: (points at Kateryna) Kateryna, (points at Alona) Alona, it's so confusing, unbelievable
A: (points at Kateryna) She's there
(Kateryna laughs and waves at camera)


Maria Kirilenko

Barbara: I also heard that you actually got offered a role in the new James Bond movie as a Bond girl? True?
Maria: (looks confused) No but I mean we have different surname actually. My surname is Kirilenko and her name is Kurylenko I think
B: The girl who played in the last James Bond movie?
M: Yes
B: But I heard that you got offered a role in the next one? Have you not heard that?
M: (still looking confused) No (laughs)
B: Would you like that?
M: I mean it's nice of course to get... (laughs) It's just a joke?
B: Yes
(both laugh)


Fernando Gonzalez

Barbara: Something completely different, I read in the newspaper that you got voted to the sexiest man in Chile, is that true?
Fernando: Oh really? I don't know, thanks. But I didn't know (laughs)
B: You didn't know about that?
F: I didn't know
B: But you're huge there, everybody must know
F: Maybe it was in my website
B: Well done, congrats. Thank you, thanks so much
F: (laughs) Thanks. Is that true?
B: No
(both laugh)

Saturday 2 January 2010

He's baaack!!!

Yay, I'm so happy that Rafa just won the Capitala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi. He beat Robin Soderling 7-6 7-5 in the final. I watched the match and Rafa was great. Awesome revenge after the French Open! It should give him confidence going into Doha and the Australian Open. Vamos Rafa!