"My goal is to be number one"

“My goal is to be number one”

Russian tennis player Elena Dementieva, who won an Olympic gold at Beijing last year, is excited about the ongoing Doha WTA Championship, and hopes to make it to the top spot soon.

October 29, 2009 3:22 by Aarti Nagraj

Kipp: What are your main expectations of the tournament in Doha?

It is very exciting to come back to Doha and to play in their championship once again. When I look at my group, it’s pretty much the same as last year. You have the Williams sisters, Svetlana Kuznetsova, etc… I think it’s going to be a difficult challenge for me but I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be quite interesting.

Kipp: What went wrong in China?

Well it was very emotional for me to come back to Beijing and play at the Olympic stadium. I look back at my match with Agnieszka Radwanska [and I realized that] I didn’t play my best and she was too solid for me on the baseline. It was disappointing for me not to play at my best, especially in this stadium.

Kipp: And do you think that you’re ready for the challenge in Doha?

Well, knowing that I’m going to be playing here in Doha in advance gave me some time to prepare, so I came here a week before, and I’m ready to play.

Kipp: How long do you usually stay in a city for when you play a tournament there?

Well this time I decided to come a week before because of the very hot temperature. You really need to get used to the weather. And you need time to get ready for the first match, because it’s not going to be a warm-up match, you’re going to face one of the best players in the world, and you have to be ready to play 100 percent from the first game.

Pages: 1 2 3

Tags: championship, Doha, Elena Dementieva, match, tennis, WTA