HE SAID/SHE SAID: Oz Open Day Seven

Q. You were whirling dervish after you hit that last [backhand winner] shot.

ANDY MURRAY: A what?

Q. You hit that magnificent backhand, and then you were spinning like a whirling dervish.

ANDY MURRAY: Was I?

Q. Yes.

ANDY MURRAY: I didn't realize. I was just excited. (Smiling.)

It was obviously to get the break in the third set. I'd had chances the first two service games to break him and didn't quite take them. So, yeah, happy with that.

Q. Have you met Prince William here?

ANDY MURRAY: No.

Q. Would you have liked to?

ANDY MURRAY: Sure, yeah. I would have done. But I don't think he was here for very long.

Q. What sort of feedback had you had from the rapping with the Bryan brothers?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, well, I don't know. (Laughter.) From the people I've spoken to about it, everyone did find it amusing. I don't think it was particularly good. I don't enjoy listening to it, that's for sure.

But if it helped them out, then I'm happy.

Q. Can you give us a bit of a rendition of it.

ANDY MURRAY: No, no. (Smiling.)

Q. You were talking movies with Jim Courier. Would you consider a career in film yourself?

ANDY MURRAY: No, no. I don't think I'd be very good at that.

Q. You sound a bit like Sean Connery.

ANDY MURRAY: I am Scottish, so I sound a little bit like him.


Q. Your thoughts on Yanina?

JUSTINE HENIN: I was impressed the way she went for everything. You know, she didn't give me a lot. She has been very solid, very consistent, real fighter on the court.

She put a lot of intensity in the ball. I had to play a good game to win. So I was ready to fight. But I was impressed the way she played, yeah.


Q. Did seeing [Delpo] win the Open provide you with any extra motivation or self‑belief because you are so close in age?

MARIN CILIC: I mean, not really. I mean, he did that on his own. And for me, well, it's tough sometimes to judge myself with other guys or the other guys with me. Everybody has its own way.

But I think since that tournament, since US Open, I think I started to play much better. To win against better guys more often. Of course, here I had some tough matches in the first few rounds, and also that gave me a little more in one way that I was hitting a lot of balls. But also physically‑wise I was maybe a little bit skeptic what it was going to be. But today I felt really good physically, and that in the end was the main difference.


Q. Did you see Kim Clijsters's comments after the match and do you feel she didn't give you enough credit that you deserved?

NADIA PETROVA: Honestly, I wasn't really paying much of attention. I thought to myself after that win that I have to stay focused for the next one. I didn't really go through the newspapers. Didn't really bothered by that.

But, uhm, what I must say, yes, it was a very good match from my side, and it would be really nice to get a good feedback from the person that I defeated.


Q. What do you think of your record against top‑10 players over the last eight months?

RAFAEL NADAL: Let me know what do you think?

Q. You tell us.

RAFAEL NADAL: The numbers are the numbers. So probably is not the best moment in my career against the top 10, no? But two weeks ago I was one point away, no?

Q. Is it an issue with confidence at all?

RAFAEL NADAL: You know, you have some up and downs in your career. And probably the last eight months or six months, I had more problem than usual with my knees, later with the abdominal. And I don't know what's gonna happen after tomorrow.

But, you know, I am here to fight. Nobody can ask me more when I try all my best all the time, no? So, you know, if I lose another time in two days, I gonna try in next tournament. If not, next. And if not, next.

So the important thing is don't have loses against the players that you have to win. So I did very well that last eight months, too. I didn't had bad loses outside of top‑10 players. So when you are there all the time, finally you win.


Q. I believe it's your birthday in an hour. [HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIRI!]

MARIA KIRILENKO: That's true.

Q. What are you going to do?

MARIA KIRILENKO: I mean, I don't know. When I was a kid, I had a dream, you know, to be in a Grand Slam main draw in Australia when I have a birthday. I think my dream comes true.

Q. Do you get to have champagne or do you not have that because you're still in the tournament?

MARIA KIRILENKO: No, I don't want to get drunk before my next match (laughter). It's going to be difficult for me to play then. But, yeah, maybe after when I finish with my tournament I will celebrate with the girls from the locker room, with all my friends.

Q. Can you afford to get excited and happy at this point or do you have to focus and be very serious?

MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, I can say only that I'm focused, you know, and I'm still in the tournament. Yeah, I'm just need to be ready for my next match because the tournament not finished. Yeah, I need to keep going.

[Photo(s): AP, Getty]