“I beat a lot of top 25 players the last tournaments”, Alicia Molik said after defeating Swiss Patty Schnyder before a home crowd. “I hope I can keep it up till tomorrow”. Molik did beat players like Mauresmo, Sugiyama, Petrova, Dementieva, Myskina and Kuznetsova who are all ranked under #25. She lost however to her opponent on Sunday at Birmingham in the quarterfinal.

“I had no best start but I stepped it up and I felt I got the momentum in the second set. I started going after every shot. I also missed a few slices so I was a little reluctant using them again”.

Looking forward to her opponent Sharapova: “I don’t think I change my game, I just play my style of tennis. And if she is going to attack me with those hard shots I try my best to keep her from those shots. It will be a clash of styles. I will go out there aggressive”.

Her coach David Taylor has proven to be a big help for her. “He doesn’t like to take any credits but he has given me some clear and consistent directions. It made tennis more clearer to me, the last three years that I take his advice but on court I have to do it myself.”

“I just want to finish this year on a high note. It has been a great year. I have always managed things I couldn’t do the year before. I have learned to handle the pressure, when you come to play top 20 players it comes to the mental games and I have learned from that”.

The Athens Olympic Games where she got a bronze medal after losing to Amelie Mauresmo in the semi final has been a great experience for her as well. “Its great to meet all the athletes from your country and sit together while you’re eating. And I think I really made the most of it. Against Sharapova I also will have my chances. I had a bad record against Nadia Petrova and I beat her so I will have my chances”.

Patty Schnyder will be going on a two weeks holiday on the Maldives.