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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN


September 26, 2014


Petra Kvitova


WUHAN, CHINA

P. KVITOVA/E. Svitolina
6‑3, 7‑5

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  So how does it feel to be back into a final?  How would you rate your performance today?  Were you happy about it?  Things that you could have worked on?  That sort of stuff.
PETRA KVITOVA:  It feels good, for sure.  I mean, the final and fighting for the title is the thing what we are playing tennis, we are enjoying every moment.  I'm glad that I'm in the final again.
I will try my best tomorrow again.  For sure it's gonna be tough match.  Doesn't matter who I gonna play.
Today I think it was really great match.  I mean, I felt pretty well and we had great tennis out there I think.
My serve was pretty well today.  It helped me a lot in the important things, so I'm really glad for that.  I think that she really fought hard.  The same with me.

Q.  You have had a couple early losses since Wimbledon:  Cincinnati, US Open.  Do you think you're starting to find some more consistency in your game?  How does that feel to get this far this week with that?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Yeah, that's true.  I mean, I lost quite early in Montreal, Cincinnati, and US Open.  But I think that for me USA just‑‑ I don't know what is there, but it's not there for me (smiling).
So I'm just taking it as a normal thing already.  Of course every time I'm going there I'm trying to improve my results over there, but it's not happening so far.  But hopefully one year I can make it a little bit better.
Now I'm feeling well.  I mean, after US Open I had some days off recovery and everything from the U.S. trip.
Then I was starting train again, fitness preparation and tennis preparation, and from the first round here I felt pretty well on the court.  I mean, I love the court.  The center court is just beautiful.  It's quite fast surface, so I think that it can suit my game.

Q.  (Through translation.)  People said that you're the first and you're the winner, especially in your forehand, among the WTA finals.  So my question is:  Did you take some specific training about your strength, your balance of your body, and your flexibility for your whole body?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Well, I think that I will need more training of these all parts every time.  Of course I will try and improve still, but I am in the good shape and trying on my best shots, because I think that's my game and that's what I need the most.
Of course on the weaknesses, as well, but I know that always I will have this weakness with my fitness.  I am not gonna be the best athlete on the WTA Tour so I know it, and I'm trying still work hard for it but still playing my aggressive game.  That's what I'm doing.
Of course it's a lot of part of fitness.  It means balance, as well, everything, but it's coming together.  So that's something what each player need to do.

Q.  Many women players love manicure, and Li Na said if you come to Wuhan she will take you to manicure.  Have you got your nails done yet in Wuhan with Li Na?  Are you superstitious about your color choice before big matches?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Yeah, I think that, how you said, that a lot of women tennis players love manicures.  Maybe that's why we have a manicure salon in our players lounge so we can be there.
I'm probably same.  I am doing myself most of the time.  And, yeah, sometimes I'm just, you know, trying to find a right color for the big matches.  I never know which one is it (smiling).  I'm still trying to find it, but yellow is working right now so I will keep it for tomorrow.

Q.  (Through translation.)  In the second set you encountered some problems because you took the lead 3‑1, but then your opponent came back strong and closed again, closed it by 3‑3, and then she lead by 5‑4.  So how did you adjust yourself and finally win the last set?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Yeah, I think that, you know, she came back from the beginning of the second set and she tried to play really aggressively than she did before.
So I was just trying to keep my serve.  And then one game I just break her.  I thought that probably it's enough if I keep my serve, but I didn't.  It was quite old balls already, and I didn't really feel well with the balls.
So I lost my serve.  She was still playing very well, and she was still leading.  It's never easy when you are still serving to stay in the set and stay in the match, for example.
This time I was just really, how I said already, my serve helped me a lot, and then I was still believing in myself and that I can really break her back, and I did it.  I'm just lucky and happy in the end that I won.

Q.  (Through translation.)  In the highlight of our newspaper today, the title is "Four Beauties Advancing to the Semifinal."  So tomorrow you may play against Eugenie Bouchard or Caroline Wozniacki.  So between the two, who do you think is more beautiful?
PETRA KVITOVA:  I think we need a man to discuss this (smiling).

Q.  When is the last time that you arrived at a tournament believing you could win it?  Not maybe, but that you truly believed that from the beginning of the tournament that you could win it.
PETRA KVITOVA:  It was good that I had time to think about, but still, I don't know (smiling).
You mean from the first round or before my first round?

Q.  Yeah, like if your form was good or confidence or whatever it was, you arrived and you thought...
PETRA KVITOVA:  No, for me it's very difficult to say that.  I don't think that my confidence is that high.  So, for example, I know that I practice well and I did everything what I need, but every time I'm going to the tournament and before the first round I never know when it's going to be there.
So for me it's very difficult to just say like before my first round I'm like, yeah, I'm going to win it.  Of course I have like wishes to do well and go like semifinal or something like that, but of course that I want to win every tournament I'm playing, but it's something different to know and to wish.

Q.  Could you talk about possible finals matchups against Bouchard and Wozniacki.  And specifically Bouchard, if you play her, do you think she'll fare a little better or come out a little better than she did at Wimbledon?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Actually, I don't think that she was weak in Wimbledon.  But, yeah, I think it's gonna be nice to play Genie in the final, that we have a repeat match of the final at Wimbledon.
My first practice was with her, so it's quite funny, and it's always nice.  Both of them, they are trying to qualify for Singapore, so I think that the semifinal is going to be great battle, anyway.
If I gonna play Bouchard, I know what she's going to play.  I think that she's very good mover and she's very playing very aggressively from the baseline.  She's trying to take balls very early and she's returning very well, so that's something what she does great.
Caro, I think that she's playing in very good form right now.  From the U.S. trip she's playing really well and she has great results, final of the US Open and final of Tokyo, right?
So she's, I think, a little bit better mover than Bouchard and a great backhand of her, for sure.  I think ‑‑ with both of them I think it's going to be a little bit longer rallies.
Yeah, but still, I need to keep my game and going for the winners.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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