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ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2015

Svetlana Kuznetsova

PARIS, FRANCE

F. SCHIAVONE/S. Kuznetsova
6-7, 7-5, 10-8

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Tough match. How does it feel to play such a long match, so much longer than you're used to playing? You played her in an even longer match before, but how different is it to play three-and-a-half hours compared to one or one-and-a-half?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's longer, it's like longer, more possibilities, more chances.

Q. Is it hard to just keep up the stamina, or can you play just as well after three hours as after one?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, you just become a little bit slower in the mind, I guess, with hours. But, I don't know. I felt okay.

Q. On the match point, do you think about it after this match? What could you have done it better or...
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I mean, she went for it. She played unbelievable shot. She played the deeper ball on high bounce to my backhand. I played good angle. For one-handed backhand to play it like that down the line, she totally went for it and all credit to her. She played unbelievable point. It's nothing I can do, you know. It's many more other opportunities I have to think about on my serve, which I didn't serve well. I was not too sharp today for me.

Q. We can't separate you because after the Australian Open with 4 hour 44 minutes and today almost 4 hours. Did you think about this match in the Australian during this match today or no?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, that's for you guys to think about, hours, minutes and whatever it is. I just think about the game. I was trying to kind of hold my serve, and I was not able. So it was a little bit frustrating fork me, because I can serve well, but I was getting tight and I was not serving the way I should.

Q. Do you feel when you're on court with Francesca a certain sort of connection with the way your styles work with each other in terms of these long matches you have had? When you're out there, does it feel like a special sort of matchup for you?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I mean, I feel when I'm sharp I can get important points and I can hit the difficult shots and I can make more pressure on her like in Dubai, for example, after I played Australia I played her in Dubai and I just played better. The court, when it's a little bit faster, it suits better my game. But when I'm sharper, I feel like I'm more in control of the game, and when I'm like that, it's like more equal. It becomes to equal like this. It's like, I don't know, it's very close match. Either one can win. That's it.

Q. You have played probably hundreds, thousands of matches in your life. So has Francesca. You could see there were nerves on both sides. How is it that that never goes away, the nerves can come in to play in a match even though you have been in that experience so many times before?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think it's even more the older you get kind of you realize it more. When you're younger you don't think about it. You just go. Everything new. You know, it's lots of things to achieve. And when you like you realize how much you work for it, how much it's for you, then you get nervous and tense. It's fine. You have to work with that, and the best one who holds the nerves normally wins.

Q. Is that because you feel like time is running out or because you realize all the hard work you have put in to get to that place?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, the second one.

Q. Both?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: The hard work.

Q. Hard work.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Hard work. I don't think about the time.

Q. You don't think about time.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No.

Q. You said you're not thinking about the time. She's still playing. She's one of the oldest players still in the draw, maybe the oldest. Do you see yourself still playing in your early 30s, mid 30s?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I don't know. You never know how it's gonna go.

Q. A different question. Andy Murray was talking about he used to practice with you at Sanchez-Casal. What are your memories of practicing with Andy? Were you surprised to see he has grown up into the player he is today?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I mean, it's amazing how he could develop, you know, the game and how he can change the pace and how smart he can play. It's great. I remember Andy, and he always was with Dani Vallverdu, the guy who used to coach him. We were not kind of in one group, you know. Weren't like close friends, but I do remember Andy and Grigor. It's great, you know. He was working with Pato Alvarez, I guess. I remember some points, of course.

Q. Were you surprised to see him practicing so well on clay, because he would have been practicing on clay, I guess, out at Sanchez-Casal?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's a mistake what you guys say, everybody say, like you go Spain and you play clay. Sanchez-Casal was 17 hard courts, 10 clay. I mean, you learn this game and you learn these tactics and stuff, and everybody develop the game wherever they train and wherever they base to play. On my games, it's more clay than his. And for me, I remember he played couple years ago here, watching him play Rafa, and he totally had no chance. So, I mean, he learn how to play on clay and he got much better physically, but it happened like couple years ago. It's not back when he was at Sanchez-Casal. He developed the game much later.

Q. You're obviously a Grand Slam champion. At this stage in your career when you come to a Grand Slam, do you still believe you can actually win the whole tournament, or do you come in with the idea, well, I'll win a few matches and that's probably...
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Talking about time. Now you're talking about winning Grand Slam. It's like a little bit negative, first of all. And second of all, I mean, when I was 19, nobody believe I could win it. When I won it in 2009, nobody believe I could do that. And who else if not I believe in that? So here we go, the question. That's it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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