home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS


October 22, 2012


Petra Kvitova


ISTANBUL, TURKEY

THE MODERATOR:  Questions for Petra.

Q.  You won the championship last year.  How special is it for you for your career?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Yeah, I mean in the end of the last season was great to be here.  Always it's honor to be in the top eight players.  I mean, I had incredible season last year, and in the end here was amazing for me.
I had great memories from last year.  I hope that when I step on the court again it will be everything back.  I try to have nice memories from this year also.

Q.  You play very well here and also at Wimbledon on grass, which are both very fast surfaces.  Would you like to see surfaces get faster at more tour events?
PETRA KVITOVA:  For me, yes.  (Smiling.)  I mean, yeah, I prefer a little bit faster surface than normally.
But good players has to play on the slower surface also, so I'm trying to really can play on the all surfaces.

Q.  This year and last year obviously are a little bit different.  Last year was sort of your breakout year.  Talk about winning Wimbledon last year, winning here, your rising fame, and what you've had to go through this year.
PETRA KVITOVA:  Yeah, I knew this season would be very tough for me after the breakthrough last season.  It's always going to be a little bit different and difficult every season what we are playing.
I mean, it was great to play really solid this year, more solid than last season.  I had some injuries and illness, so it was tough to still try play from the beginning.
So I'm really glad the way how I played this season.  This means a lot to be here again.

Q.  Do you feel like you've actually improved since last season, and do you think that's come through on court?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Yeah, I hope so.  I mean, for sure I had to improve some things, because I'm here without winning Grand Slam.  So I'm really proud of me that I'm here again.  That's mean something.
I hope that I put a good base for improve in the off‑season to the 2013.

Q.  We have different names this year, like Williams, like Angelique; do you think it's going to be harder this year?
PETRA KVITOVA:  I don't think so.  I mean, every year when we are here, top eight players, it's always very tough.  I think this year will be again like this.
I mean, last year I didn't think that I can win this Championships.  I just played every match for 100%; will be same this year.  I will fight of course until the end.
We have a great players here.  All eight are very close and we are playing so, so well.  We have a good game, so I think we can look forward for the great tennis.

Q.  You're in the same group as Maria.  You played each other quite a bit this year deep in tournaments.  When you look back at you Australian Open semifinal, it was a tough, tight match that could have gone either way.  Do you think if you win that match that maybe your season is a little bit different?
PETRA KVITOVA:  You never know.  I mean, this match was pretty close and I had a lot of chances.  Unfortunately I didn't make it.  I lost against her this season two times or I don't know, so I hope that the right time will come this week.  I'll try my best again.
I think every match I will play in the group will be very tough.  I'm looking forward every match.  You know, beginning of the season, Australian Open, I didn't practice before in the off‑season.  I was injured again.
So the semifinal in the Australian Open, semifinal in Sydney, and won the Hopman Cup, was a great start to the season.  I don't think it's really a big difference.

Q.  A lot of players have been talking about how this is their last tournament of the year, and after this they get to go on vacation.  You have the Fed Cup final coming up next week.  Does that make your mindset a little bit different than the other players knowing you have to keep going after this?
PETRA KVITOVA:  Maybe.  I don't know how they are thinking.  We are still playing final in Prague, and that will be something special for us, for me especially, because I will play in the home crowd.  It will be very nice, and I'm really looking forward to be there.
Yeah, it's not the end for me this week.  Doesn't matter.  I mean,  it's great to have one week more to play in final of the Fed Cup.

Q.  Who, in your opinion, has been the best player this year?
PETRA KVITOVA:  It's tough question actually.  I think that first three girls play so well this season.
Vika start so well.  She was unstoppable in the beginning of the season.
Then Maria became No. 1; she won the French Open.
Then Serena had amazing summer months to win the Olympic Games and Wimbledon and US Open.
So, I mean, it's hard to say only one name.

Q.  Outside of yourself, if one of those three wins here, do you think they're maybe the player of the year?
PETRA KVITOVA:  I think so.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297