October 17, 2001
Fotoshooting in Acapulco:
"It was a lot of fun because I had some time to do it. I had injury
obviously. And it wasn't you know in a rush. It was just different and had
nothing to do with Tennis and they were just really fun and happy pictures
around the ocean and the beach which I love so. It was really exciting."
Tennis passion:
"The part that I appreciate most is being on the court. When you play
a match and you know after a difficult match, after you played well
hopefully just think 'Wow,this is great you know I played great. This is
what I've been working for, this is what I've been practising for.' So the
best part is being on the court."
"Well I've always known how much I love it. Like I said: The only
important thing for me is when I'm actually on the court. That would give
me satisfaction when a shot goes well, when a match is won and that's why
I'm out here is being on the court. So I never really stopped loving it
but you just kind of see it differently. Sometimes it's not the most
important thing in life as opposed to health."
Character in movie:
"Well you know honestly I never really thought, I just like to be
myself I guess (laughs). Ahm, I'm really comfortable you know being who I
am and that's it."
Early years of career:
"I did not miss out anything. I think that, I KNOW that I was doing
what I loved and I really enjoyed it and all I wanted to be you know, all
I wanted to do is play Tennis and spent 10 hours on the court and 8 hours
on the court and I was doing that. We had our own community,ahm first in
Moscow and then at Bolletieris. I had lots of friends in Tennis and we
were just all hanging out, playing Tennis, resting and then playing Tennis
again and it was a lot of fun and I really missed out on anything. You
know I was travelling the world by the time I was 10 years old and eating
lots of bubble gum (laughs) and everything so. It was a lot of work but
only know when I look at it back and when I was little, when I was 10,12
years old I didn't realize that I was actually working because it was all
a lot of fun for me."
What needs to be done:
"Like I said before I have to just improve and continue working and
everything will come together."
Anna about her Dad:
"My Dad he's never been a public guy but he's always there, he's
always with us and he's never been without us and we've never been without
him. Sometimes he stayed home more because he had to work and other than
that he's been travelling with us all the time. And he's really calm and
really smart cause he's a professor (laughs) and he always thinks first
and then makes his decisions."
8-month-layoff:
"It's my first time not playing for so long since I started playing
when I was five. So it's first time that long of a break in 15 years for
me. The longest I had before was 3 months and it's way different, 3 and 8
months. So obviously like I said it's gonna be difficult, I know it's
going to be difficult but I am getting better with every match."
About Parents:
"Now I was really lucky that my parents could spent so much time with
me opposed to working all the time like a lot of other people. And you
know they gave me everything for me to become a tennisplayer which is
great, which is why I'm playing and why I'm here today."
Comeback and 2002 aims:
"You know it's been a little bit frustrating coming back after the
injury. It's not easy after 8 months coming back and get into the playing
shape right away. I'm trying to get my rhythm back and you know, taking
the end of this year as preparation for the next year and looking forward
to the next year and starting really strong and getting back into the
shape and into position and the level of my game where it was before my
injury so hopefully...! You know I will be working really hard these next
couple of months and hopefully I'll be there next year."
"I'm only 20 years old and just trying to get back into the same
level where I was before my injury and you know I was in Top 10, I was
playing really great and getting up there again and just...I was a little
bit unlucky with the timing of the injury but this is sport and stuff like
that happens."
Anna about Mother Alla:
"She's a really warm person, she's really open-hearted and you know
she does everything there is to be done for me and she's always taking me
to a lot of different clubs where I would get the time to play in Russia
when it was difficult and my dad was always working. She was just spending
a lot of time with me, she wanted me to get better and you know at that
time in Soviet Union it was difficult to have something and she thought
that if I play Tennis, if I'll be good I'll have a lot of opportunities
which people didn't have and plus she saw that I was not bad. I think that
she likes also the sport herself. She was an athlete also before and I
think both of my parents have done a great job with me, handling me, I'm
not very easy sometimes (laughs). I'm just really happy with my family and
you know that's all. Those are the only 2 people that will always be there
for me and I'm just really proud to have that kind of parents."
Seriousness of Injury:
"Well it wasn't little injury. It was really big injury and obviously
I couldn't walk, I couldn't run, I couldn't play Tennis. I was playing
Tennis just sitting on a chair so that was something new. After that you
kind of realize what is the most important is being healthy, being able to
walk and of course I'm really happy right now that I can run and be on the
tenniscourt."
First big memory in Tennis:
"The most big first memory that I have is the 96 US Open where I had
to play qualifying and I qualified and got to the fourth round and lost of
Steffi Graf like one and two but it was just an amazing experience. I had
to play 7 matches in a row because I played Qualifying. And it was just
amazing to be in the main draw of a Grand Slam. I think it was in 96. So
that's my first big experience and it was my first Grand Slam also."
Bond-Girl:
"I don't think it's going to happen right now. I'm really happy that
I'm getting back to being healthy and just wanna play and play again."
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