I slept well last night because I had a good massage and before sleeping I ate fresh cold strawberries.
I share the room with my friend Elizabeta Samara and we are always together.

Our trainers don’t have to wake us up; we’ve got an alarm-clock. I got up at 8 o’clock today. I always do exercises and gymnastics first, I need that to wake up.

Normally I eat cereal with milk and coffee but since I’ve been playing in Italy I also like a sweet breakfast.

After the doubles match I called home, it was my brother on the phone; they didn’t see me on television, Eurosport was not broadcast in Romania.

They always follow my matches live in the internet; they say it’s very hard and I believe them!

I didn’t expect a win against Ai Fukuhara today, nor against Haruna Fukuoka yesterday. Previously, I had lost all my matches against them, maybe I won once but I knew that I had nothing to lose today.

I played against Ai Fukuhara two years ago, and lost but today I played really well and I could focus on the match; that was important because if I don’t, I lose quickly.

Some people asked me after the match ‘did you see me’ and ‘did you hear me’ but I didn’t notice anything at all besides the table and my coach.

I was relaxed. I was afraid to lose one game and was happy to finish quickly.

After the match I went for a massage because I felt a little tired. I have been injured many times; thank God I’m healthy here at my first World Championships

I drink a lot of water all the time but sometimes also orange juice. Rarely coke, but only diet coke, I’m a typical women, you see!

On the first day I was sitting two hours in Doping Control even though I drank a lot, I was blocked!

The doubles today against Wang Nan and Zhang Yining was good, not the results or the number of points but we had a good match and played well.

At 4.00pm in the afternoon, after my match, I asked Elizabeta what we should do after the shower.

Sometimes we look at a movie. Today I was chatting with some friends on the Internet.

I have been to Zagreb many times; when I’m out of the tournament, maybe we’ll going out. I love ice cream and I hope they have a “gelateria” like in Italy. I love stracciatella, nocciola, baccio, that means kiss you know!

In Romania where I live I know all the places to buy ice creams.

I like reading papers and magazines during breakfast, as regards television. I don’t have time here.

I intended to fly home tomorrow at 2.30pm but I’m still in the tournament; we’ve had to re-arrange the flight. It’s no problem.

I could go home with someone in a car; I only live about five hours from here.

Tomorrow I’d like to do the same as today but I don’t dream of a medal, that’s too much. But of course I would take it!

Articol publicat de Ian Marshall pe site-ul www.ittf.com.