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MUTUA MADRID OPENMay 8, 2015Petra KvitovaMADRID, SPAIN P. KVITOVA/S. Williams THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Do I even have to say the words? Are you dating the clay now? PETRA KVITOVA: (Laughter.) Not yet probably. If I'm saying not yet, that's playing good, so that's why I'm still. I don't think it was really like the clay game or something like that. We played both very aggressively, and I knew that that's only way how I can beat her. I knew that I have to go to the returns, to the second serve, and just from the baseline playing really aggressively. And playing down the line, to move her a little bit. Yeah. Q. How does it feel knowing you got your first win over her? PETRA KVITOVA: It's nice, of course. I really take long time to beat her, so I'm glad that I have it. It's maybe weird, but I'm not really like celebrating or something because still one more step tomorrow. That's what I wanted to do, is the final tomorrow. I would like to do my best. Q. What do you expect from tomorrow's final? You had a great match last year at the French Open against Svetlana. PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, and was backfired. I lost in the end, but it was really good. I know that Svetlana plays well here. Anyway she beat so many good players. Marathons what she played and from the match points she saved. So really I think thatshe ‑‑ you know, I think that when she's playing on the clay she's just a little bit different player. She really likes to play on the clay, so I know it's going to be very difficult tomorrow. Q. Served for the match at 5‑2 and Serena broke back. What went through your mind when she broke back? Do you feel like, Oh, God, here we go; I've got to close this out? PETRA KVITOVA: Not really actually. I mean, I had 5‑2 and I knew I going to serve one more, and with the new balls. I was serving 5‑2 with old balls and was really tight. I knew that‑‑ of course you never know‑‑ but I was hoping for the new balls on the surface always count little bit more. I wasn't like, Oh, my God, but of course I would like to be out of the court soon. Actually in the end I break her serve to win the match, and that was the probably easier way. Q. You played very well. Do you feel there was any area of your game in particular that was on fire today? PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I think in the end of the second set she was trying to fight back. I think was 3‑1 or something like that. She had few break points, and I served well and played well that game. I saved my serve, which I think was very important in that moment. I think she was really trying and everything and I'm just glad that I holded and I made it to the end. Q. At one point you hit an angled dropshot and then ran to the net and hit a winner off a dropshot. What was going through your mind then? That's not the usual for you. PETRA KVITOVA: It's not the usual, but‑‑ Q. ‑‑ it worked. PETRA KVITOVA: Well, exactly, it works. I'm not sure really. I play really well. Yeah, I'm not a person who is playing dropshots, but probably in that moment it was just good idea actually. So I'm glad that I made it. Q. Also on Serena, she said she really likes you and you had a nice handshake. Is it I guess surprising how kind of warm she is compared to how people see her from the outside? PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think she's all right. We were in the locker room and I don't feel any like hatings are there or anything. We are really warm to each other, and just glad for it of course. I'm the person who can have friends on the tour and can talk with anyone, so I'm glad she is as well. It's just nice. I mean, it's always better. (Smiling.) Q. In the beginning of the week I asked you if you were back, and obviously you are. PETRA KVITOVA: Okay. (Laughter.) Thank you. Q. Welcome back. This week Svetlana has had a tough schedule with the time. Most of their games are in three sets. Do you think that physically this could be an advantage for you tomorrow? PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I thought that it's going to be advantage for Maria today. If she made it, I don't think it's any advantage for me tomorrow. We are playing later in the day tomorrow. I think that she is prepared well physically, so I don't think it's going to be any advantage for me. I know she played a lot of long matches here, but as we see, she's still on fire. Yeah, I don't really counting with that tomorrow. Q. When you took your break you said you didn't miss tennis much. Now that you're back, was it easy for you to fall in love with the game again? PETRA KVITOVA: Probably I fall in love today, but, you know, it's tough. I mean, the feelings which I had before the time off wasn't really nice. I'm just glad to be back and play good tennis. I mean, if I look back in this week or the week before when I play Stuttgart, it was terrible. The first match here and the second which I won in three‑setters was really tough and big fight from myself. So that was important, to get the first and second win. Then I felt a little bit better and a little bit more comfortable on the court. So I'm just glad that I can enjoy it again. That's what is important now. Q. It's an interesting thing you say about friends on the tour. Last year when you won Wimbledon and beat Genie, she said before in the conference that she didn't feel she needed friends. Is that a big part of it for you, that you've got a nice relationship with people outside or in the locker room as well as fighting them on the court? PETRA KVITOVA: For me, yes. I think you can fight on the court, but I think off the court it's normal we are colleagues, but opponents at the same time. So it's tough. But I have really friends on the tour and I'm really happy for it. I'm kind of this person probably I would like to talk with them. You know, we can really find good persons here. So that's very nice. I remember when I was young and somebody told my father that I'm too nice for tennis. So I'm just glad that I can be nice off the court and fighting on the court. Q. Going back to an earlier question, obviously beating Serena was a big milestone for you. How is that compared to other milestones? First WTA title? First Grand Slam title? Is it on the same level, or is it a very different feeling? PETRA KVITOVA: Well, it's quite tough question. I think it's not really easy to say what's on the higher level. For sure winning Wimbledon is much higher, so that's what I should say. But if I am going to beat Serena in the final of the Grand Slam, that's going to be a little bit different story probably. Q. Do you think beating Serena today is the biggest mental peace you've had for a long time? PETRA KVITOVA: For sure I play good, so that's what was important. I mean, to beat Serena you have to play well and to find the game. So I hope I did and I still have to continue tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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