Q. Can you put into words how disappointed you feel.

DINARA SAFINA: Well, not really happy with end result, you know. I think she just too good on grass. It's not my favorite surface and it's her favorite surface, so she just honestly be too good today.

Q. That must have been a nightmare result for you, though.

DINARA SAFINA: Oh, it's definitely disappointing, you know, finishing the match less than one hour and winning only one game.

Well, I have to accept. Still, I mean, this is I would say not ‑‑ out of three surfaces we playing, this is not my favorite one. And still reaching the semifinal, so hopefully I can change a little bit my mind and change my mentality on grass and to come with a different expectation next year.

Q. Did you feel like the world No. 1 out there today?

DINARA SAFINA: I think she gave me a pretty good lesson today. It was different on clay or if we play different surface. So it's different.

I cannot make end result of this match, because we play only two tournaments on grass. It's always different results when we play on other surfaces.

So by judging by this one, I cannot say anything.

Q. Is it the speed that you can't cope with on the grass? What is the big difference?

DINARA SAFINA: I would say speed and it's a little bit different game here than you play clay court or hard court. Here ‑‑ I'm a little bit I can create the point on hard court or clay court. Here you have to play just in one point.

The way she plays, she has the ball and she goes straight for the winner. She puts you from the first point under pressure. Me, I need a little bit of time. I need to create the point. Here I have no time for this. So this is a little bit different.


Q. So next year will your preparation change?

DINARA SAFINA: Yeah. I think first of all after French Open I think I'll not play any tournament before I want to ‑‑ maybe just play Wimbledon. I would like to prepare better for this tournament instead of playing any other tournament before Grand Slam.

Q. Is there anything you wish you had done differently today, or you think you could have tried differently?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, I tried. I tried to hit the ball and tried to go for the shots. I missed a little bit there, little bit there. But just she straight puts me under pressure from the first point. And then, of course, she pushes me to do shots that I'm not comfortable in.

Q. Inevitably people will ask about the ranking system again, when the No. 1 loses. Presumably you're happy with the ranking system.

DINARA SAFINA: So what you want to tell me with this?

Q. You've been to three finals and you haven't won, but you have the No. 1 status. Venus was saying just now that it's obviously being looked at, the ranking system. Are you happy with that? Do you think it should be centered around someone who wins a slam? Should that be taken as a factor?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, I've been in last four Grand Slams, I reach at least semifinal. I mean, they haven't been in the semifinal of the French Open. I think this is the result of how you play the whole year. It's not about one, two tournaments how you play. It's a result of tournament by tournament, day to day that you play. I think this is the end result.

I mean, it's not like just that you focus on the Grand Slam. I won Rome. I won Madrid. I been in the final French Open. I been in the final of Australia. Yes, I haven't won it, but this is not end of the world. But I still play consistent.


(via www.wimbledon.or, photo/Reuters Pictures)

Wimbledon 2009: Dinara Safina's 02. July Interview