	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AEGON INTERNATIONAL

June 16, 2011

Daniela Hantuchova

EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND

D. HANTUCHOVA/V. Williams
6-2, 5-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You must have enjoyed that today.
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yes, I did. Obviously a great win and just nice to be able to continue from a good form from Paris and Birmingham, as well.

Q. You're having a great run.
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Uh-huh.

Q. Is this the best you've felt in quite a while?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yeah, it is, but I still feel like there is a lot of room to improve. I'm not there yet where I want to be, but I feel like I'm on the right way.

Q. Did you feel you had to beat two opponents, the wind and Venus?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yeah, it was unreal. It got really ugly for both of us. It was difficult to play.
I felt like I started off well before the wind came. First set I was hitting the ball as good as I could, and then obviously it got very difficult.
So it was really mentally important to try to stay in the points and not to fight against myself and just try to play every point as it came.

Q. Mentally, you played her 10 times. You haven't done too well against her in those matches. How do you go into the 11th match?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: I was not thinking about it absolutely at all. I was just really trying to focus on my game.
I had a good win yesterday and wanted to build on that. Again, you know, on grass it's about trying to improve every day. Especially before Wimbledon I just want to give it my best in every match to feel good into coming for the next two weeks being ready as good as I can be.

Q. What do you think of her comeback?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Well, it's obviously nice to see them both back. I think they're great for the game. I was really looking forward to the match today and really pleased that I was able to win.

Q. You have obviously been playing really well the last few weeks and months. What's made the difference?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Like I said, just trying really hard with my coach and fitness coach trying to improve every part of my game.
I'm really enjoying my tennis, enjoying the time out there when it gets tough. That's what I'm looking for to try to find a way how to get through the matches. It's really exciting times for me and I'm really having fun.

Q. Why do you think you handled the wind so much better than she did today?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Well, it was the same for both of us, and I just tried to move well and tried to get under the ball.
Obviously I think having so many matches behind me helped myself much more than -- you know, when you're coming off a break like she had, it's never easy with the timing as well.
But I felt like I did make her play on her serves, and when I needed to, I stepped it up and that was the difference.

Q. Do you feel you're in as good of form as you've ever been entering a Grand Slam?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Definitely I feel very good about myself, but in Wimbledon it starts from the first round. Nobody's going to give me anything. So I know I will have to fight, but overall I'm feeling very good.

Q. Your next opponent is Petra Kvitova. Not an easy match.
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Of course not. She made the semifinals of -- I don't know, the last year in Wimbledon. And obviously she likes grass. She's got a huge serve and big game.
It will be a very difficult match, but I have nothing to lose. I already beat three great opponents and had a great time on grass so far.
So I really will have no pressure tomorrow. Just gonna look for -- try to improve few things here and there and have fun out there. Hopefully the wind will be better.

Q. Venus told us she gets in the mood for matches by singing, Blondie and things like that. Do you have anything that you do to prepare yourself for a match?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Of course. I've got my routine that I like to do, but no, I just really get excited once I'm on the court.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297