A lot of people this week have commented on what a dramatic tournament it has been already. The Venus-Date match was an obvious highlight and there have been a lot of exciting matches. Personally, I have had two thrilling match days, mainly because of the weather.
It’s taken me a few days to get over my defeat on Sunday. It’s a tough one to explain: I was in control of the match, leading by a set and a break, but I somehow lost confidence and Mattek-Sands took full advantage.
I’m often asked by friends what the locker room at a tournament looks like. They really vary, to be honest: at a Grand Slam they are large and there are usually two of them, whereas at smaller tournaments they are far more compact, usually with just the bare necessities. At the larger ones there are sofas and I’ve even seen a hot tub.
I like to relax as much as I can before a match, so I try to find a peaceful space. I will often sit on one of the sofas and read a book while I’m waiting for my match to be called.
Before arriving in Indian Wells I spent around 10 days training in Las Vegas as part of the adidas Player Development Programme. I worked with Darren Cahill and of course my hitting partner and trainer were with me. It was such a fun trip.
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great time on New Year's Eve, and that 2011 brings you everything you wish for.
I had a lot of fun at the New Year's Ball in Perth last night. The atmosphere here at the Hopman Cup is so positive: it's a wonderful place to be, especially at the start of the New Year.
Novak arrived just in time for the Ball, and we remembered how enjoyable the first one we went to was, five years ago, when Novak sang!
What an end to the season! I had such a good time in Bali. The tournament director was joking with me and my team, that I enjoyed my last trip there - especially the beaches - a little too much, as I lost in the first round!
So I'm glad I put that right, and proved that I can play good tennis even in the most relaxing environments!
What a place to end the season! It is so, so beautiful here. I just need to keep reminding myself that I am here for a tournament!
I love the beach, so this is a perfect venue for me. It's a unique format: kind of like starting a tournament from the quarter-final stage. The draw is on Tuesday and I understand I will wear some traditional Balinese outfit, which will be fun.
I'm now on my way back to Europe. It was an interesting and eventful trip to Asia, as usual! Three very different cities in three weeks, and three very different tournaments, with different conditions.
Unfortunately I didn't do myself justice at all in Seoul, and in Tokyo I didn't adapt very well to the sharply changing conditions between my two matches.
It's been a while since I visited a new country for a tournament - even though I'm only 22 I've been fortunate enough to have visited many different places already. So I was especially looking forward to coming to Korea.
I'm very impressed by the stadium. This is where Steffi Graf won the 1988 Olympics, the year she completed the "Golden Slam". There are many outside courts for practice, which is not always the case at tournaments, and it's really nice to see so many children coming to watch practice.
I got back to Europe a few days ago. It was a long, emotional but overall successful trip to America.
When I arrived there my ranking was really low, but now I'm at least back in the top 40 and am confident I can rise much higher during my remaining tournaments.
At the same time, I am not thinking too much about rankings: I've always believed that if you concentrate on improving your game and winning matches, the rankings take care of themselves. Still, at least I don't have to ask for anymore wild cards!
