INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

September 17, 2020

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Press Conference

S. KUZNETSOVA/A. Kontaveit

4-6, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Two very tough wins to start Rome. Can you talk through today's match and what was the key and how did you read the match?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, I think that Anett has more matches under her belt, so she was a little bit more confident in the start. I just was thinking that I have to hang in there all the match and do my best, and I will have my opportunities to come back. And in the end, I had. I started to play better and better with the match going on.

Q. In terms of your ability to fight back both in the last match and in this match, what do you think has been the key there? Because like you said, you haven't had a lot of match play. But you have had some but not a lot. Where is that ability to come back coming from at the moment?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, it's the only opportunity I have, is to fight back, because the girls play more confident than I do for the moment. I just need to play matches.

I was unlucky Istanbul, but still, I had that match. Here it's different circumstances to play. The court is much, much, much faster. I just play and try to enjoy the game.

Q. What's your preparation been like? What's your seven months been like for you? Has this been an enjoyable time, aside from the reasons why it's a shutdown? Has it been stressful for you?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, I enjoyed a lot. I enjoyed staying at home, being with my dog, with my family, with my close people and sleeping at my own bed. That was amazing.

And then I prepare few weeks my fitness condition, and I was really happy to prepare like that. I think physically I'm pretty good. But it doesn't matter, because you still need matches. It doesn't matter how good you are. Nothing replaces match preparation. That's why I'm playing tournament and trying to fight for every ball.

Q. Did you train mainly in Moscow, or did you end up going to Spain to train? What was your whole rhythm?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, it's really hard with moving around. That's why I didn't go to US Open, because I couldn't get my team together on time.

In order to prepare to play Cincinnati and New York, I would love to play there, but it was dangerous. And plus, I couldn't get my team together. It took me ten days to get papers, or maybe two weeks to get papers for my coach, Javi, to coming to Russia from Spain. I had my team, everybody in Moscow physically, but coaches, I didn't have nobody, so it took a while.

Q. Now as you restart the season, what does it feel like? Can you have expectations as you play this clay season, or does it feel very different than coming out of a restart in the past?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think I'm done with expectation for my career. I just want to play, and expectation do nothing and bother you.

I just want to play and do my best. It's not easy to sit six months and then to go and play, especially some girls had more matches than I did. But anyway, I'm just looking forward to do my best, whatever it has left from the year.

Q. You face Svitolina next, another tough opponent. Can you talk about what you expect in that match? You said the courts are playing fast. They are playing fast on every court or just the courts that you have been playing on?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I find every court different, but as long as I have already two matches, I feel a little bit better.

Again, no expectations. It's gonna be very difficult match. She's amazing player. I'm just gonna try to play and to fight.