Lovable Llodra
Andy Murray has defeated 11 Frenchman in a row with his win over Michael Llodra on Saturday.  From Llodra’s post match news conference after falling to Andy Murray.
Q. Do you think it might have helped if you had head‑butted him?
MICHAEL LLODRA:Â Yeah, probably can happen.
Q. He’s doing some damage to the French.
MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, yeah. Like always. F**k.
Q. You know that word in English?
MICHAEL LLODRA:Â Yeah (smiling).
Serena Smurf
Q. You won 6‑1, 6‑1 tonight. Before the match you said you were Jokey Smurf. What would the Serious Smurf’s scoreline look like?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, there’s no Serious Smurf. There’s Grouchy Smurf, there’s Brainy Smurf, there’s Papa Smurf. I’d say he’s the most scary Smurf. Smurfette. Greedy Smurf. So, yeah, I don’t know (smiling).
No coach – no problem says Tsonga
Q. And after the match, you mentioned that you had been worked with Agassi last year.
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no. Last year I went to Las Vegas have to some practice with the adidas team and he was there. He give me some advice. We talk together.
But it was just an answer to the guy on the court who asked me why I don’t have coach and how I do. It was just an example.
Q. Do you find it different at a Grand Slam without a coach, working on your own?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: I mean, it’s not the first one, so I feel, you know, good. I’m okay. (Smiling. I don’t know, you can improve your game by yourself also. It’s not since I’m kid I have a coach, and I improve a lot.
I’m here maybe because I had coach, but now I feel like I have to follow my opinion maybe a bit more.
Q. Do you plan to continue without a coach for a long time then?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah. I don’t know. We’ll see. (Smiling.)
If I still improve my game, you know, why I have to change?
Djokovic in the SI Swimsuit edition?
Q. A lot of women, female tennis players, get to pose in their swimsuits for the Sports Illustrated magazine. Do you think that men should have the same opportunity?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Okay. I will choose my next words very carefully (laughter).
Well, I don’t know. I guess, yes. We should all have equal rights. But I am not thinking about that too much. I guess, you know, women are more attractive than we are. They have a lot more to show, I guess.
Q. You’ve been in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Do you think the male players should do stuff like that, like Novak Djokovic or someone?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I don’t know. I mean, yeah, they should try, see how they go.
Q. Anyone in particular you think should give modeling a go?
ANA IVANOVIC: I don’t know. You tell me which one would you like to see (laughter).
What do you do on your days off?
Q. Is it possible to enjoy your in‑between days at the slams?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I enjoy my afternoon naps (smiling). I love them.
Q. What are you doing during your off days? Maria is napping and reading.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I am doing treatment, a lot of treatment. I’m not reading. School starts on the 23rd, so I kind of texted one of my professors to tell him I was in Australia, and I don’t know if I can make the first assignment in time. He was like, It’s fine. I was wondering if it was really you (laughter).
I was like, okay, just really nervous about school starting. He’s like, Don’t worry about it.
Q. What course is this?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I’m taking a kinesiology course. I’m also taking a management course.
Q. Two?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. I haven’t been able to reach my kinesiology teacher. Hopefully she will understand that I am going to get those assignments in. But I’m a wee bit busy, so we’ll see.
Q. What sparked your interest in kinesiology?
SERENA WILLIAMS: All my injuries, to be honest. Like every time I go to the doctor, I can pinpoint and tell him exactly what’s wrong with me. I know more about my injury than they do at the time.
The communication that I have is really great. I’ve always thought if I could just learn about my body and keep learning about physiology, sciences, stuff like that, just for the future I thought it would be really cool. You never stop learning about your body.
Q. Have you just started the course?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It starts on Monday the 23rd. But I had to write a paper, an introduction for my management class. So I kind of did that already. I was like, I’m going to get that over with. Trying not to send a picture of me that was so obvious.
Q. Do you use a lot of holistic kind of therapies?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I do. I’ve really gotten into a lot of holistic lately. I hate medicines. I hate having to take, you know ‑ what’s the word ‑ medicine that’s manmade and stuff like that. So I like the holistic.
It’s better on your system. It takes longer. But overall the effects of synthetic things are longer term and not really so good for you. I’m looking forward to those courses.
Q. Do you use acupuncture?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I do. I use that. I think it’s really cool. I actually wanted to take an acupuncture class. Hopefully I can do that. But I have to be there. I can’t do that one online. I would never get any clients (laughter).
Q. You had acupuncture on your feet, knees?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I’ve had it before. I think there’s a lot of results. I just like it. I think it’s pretty cool. You just have to be patient. I think it’s important to find a good one, though, because a lot of people do it. To do it really the Eastern way I think is right now the best way to do it, so… I have to learn by like a Japanese master, which is where one guy learned. Hopefully I can do that one day. But that would have to be after my career.
Q. As people become more aware of these types of treatment, is it becoming more common in the locker room?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I don’t know actually. I don’t think it’s really common really in sport yet, you know. I mean, I’m on synthetic medication now for my leg. When it’s an acute injury, you have to take something that can take away the pain.
Q. Have you tried meditation or Yoga?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I actually really like Yoga. I don’t like it for the spiritual reasons. I don’t like all that stuff. I like it to stretch and to be flexible, but I don’t like to get involved into all the other stuff that’s involved with it.
Meditation, I’ve heard is really good for you. I haven’t been able to do that yet. I have always wanted to take 10 or 15 minutes out of a day and clear your mind. Hopefully I will do that one day.
Q. It sounds like it’s important to you to keep your mind active. Talk about that.
SERENA WILLIAMS: If I’m thinking too much, I’m thinking too much about my job, which is tennis. Then I can start thinking about too much what to do. I try to keep my mind as far away from that.
When I’m here, I keep my mind so on it that I’m like crazy. But then when I’m away from it, I just try to relax.
Q. How do you put all those outside interests together? In your next career, a nail salon and acupuncture as well?
SERENA WILLIAMS: That’s a good idea. I hope you won’t want a royalty on that (laughter).
Yeah, the whole object is to get a business degree. I’m working towards that. That way I can just kind of fit everything in. Maybe I’ll be my own agent one day.
Q. Are you done with acting?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I actually have a gig in a week or two. I’m excited about it.
Q. TV, movie?
SERENA WILLIAMS:Â TV.
Q. Can you tell us about it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven’t read the script or anything. It’s a pretty big show in the United States, so I look forward to it. It’s fun.
Q. You don’t want to say the same?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not yet. No. But it’s cool. I’m excited.
Q. You’re not going to punch anyone like you did in the Showtime one?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no. I wasn’t good at that, so… But I actually am, so I’m excited about that. Hopefully I can build on that, too. It would be cool.
Q. How about your interests in fashion?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was just emailing new inspirations, gosh, just yesterday about what I’m going to do next, confirming some different designs, colors and stuff. That’s fun. I’m educated in that.
So I’m kind of easier doing that for me as opposed to like the school. It’s kind of new. But the fashion, I’ve been educated in that, so it’s cool.
Q. In TVs and movies, who would you like to act with most?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t know. I would start out with someone that’s like maybe more into action, you know, try to see. I don’t know, I’ve never thought about that actually. So I don’t know.
Transcript excerpts from ASAPsports
‘Oz and Ends’ – Bugs and Broken Racquets
Karen Pestaina is the founder and editor of Tennis Panorama News. She is in Melbourne, Australia covering the Australian Open as a member of the media. Follow her throughout the Australian Open on twitter at @TennisNewsTPN. She freelances for various media outlets and has worked for many a broadcast news entity. She witnessed her first live tennis match as a young child at Forest Hills when Guillermo Vilas upset Jimmy Connors to win the 1977 US Open. This branded her as a Vilas fan for life.