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QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 23, 2016

Andrea Petkovic

Doha, Qatar

A. PETKOVIC/M. GASPARYAN

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Andrea Petkovic, please.

Q. Seemed like it was a slow start to the year for you, but things are improving at the moment?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I changed my team in the offseason. I have a new couch, a new fitness coach, a new physio, everything.

I was playing really well in practice in the offseason and during Australia, but I just wasn't able to transfer it into the matches. I was still maybe lacking a little bit of belief. Everything had to come together with the new team and working on new things.

Now I feel like I'm -- I have been feeling like I'm on the right path, but I feel like it's showing now in the matches. I'm also finding my match mental state that I was lacking. In the last maybe four or five months now, I know how to win matches, even when I'm not playing so well, like today maybe. I've been just all in all on a really good path.

Q. What made you make those changes? Did you feel you just needed a fresh start?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, I think, you know, I'm 28 now, so you know what you need to do in order to be better. I just needed fresh voices, I needed new perspective, and maybe also just a little spice. So that's why I decided to change my team.

And also I always took a lot of responsibility on my own back, and I really wanted to enjoy the last years that I have on tour and maybe give the responsibilities to a coach that I really trust in, and I found that Jan de Witt.

I'm really happy with my surroundings right now.

Q. With your new team, do you think you're going to become a bit of a different player or do you think it will still be the same Andrea we've seen before?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, I don't know. I hope a better player. I don't know if a different player, but I just hope a better player.

Definitely can see the improvements I have been implementing on court. It's really nice to see. Also, I feel like I've been thinking less off the court about tennis. I just sort of trust them so much that I leave it to them.

I listen what they have prepared as a game plan for me and I trust them so much that I don't go myself on YouTube to spend hours of watching and making a game plan for myself.

So I think I'm just saving a lot of energy off court and that's been a new feeling and a great feeling.

Q. Just one question in general about your career. If you were able to go back and replay one match that maybe feel you didn't play as well as you could have done, which one might that be?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Oh, definitely the match in my semifinals in the French Open against Simona Halep, because I felt like I could have beaten her, or at least won a set, but I didn't believe in myself.

I wasn't ready for being in the finals of a Grand Slam mentally, but I was ready with my tennis game. I lacked belief and that's why she beat me. She might have beat me in the third set, but I thought I could at least win a set and make it more competitive.

That's the match I would like to replay now with the knowledge that I have and experience I have now.

Q. And you feel if you were in that situation again, you'd give, what you would consider, a better account of yourself?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, I just believe that I would be able to play, to just put out my best performance. If I get beaten, that's fine.

At that point, I was just struggling mentally with where I was. I didn't really believe it was a semifinals.

There was a lot going on. I think the next time I would be able to just put out a good performance, or my best performance that's possible on that day. If I still get beaten, that fine. Just to not make it a mental thing, but a performance thing.

Q. How do you find the conditions here, the conditions and the wind?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: I actually love it here. I think the court is great because it takes all kind of spins on the ball. You can play slow or you can play through the court. You can play slice.

Today, it was very windy. Obviously, today was very difficult to play. It did slow down later on in the afternoon. But especially when we warming up, it was very difficult to serve. And also it swirls around. It's not easy to get used to it.

But in general, the courts, with the late starts, it's really beautiful to play. It's never too hot. It's always a nice temperature and the courts really favors all types of players. Really nice to play.

And I think always the best matches also -- when the Masters was here, I thought the best matches were played here in Doha. They were always incredible matches because it does take all spins of ball and favors all the types of players really.

Q. How far are you looking at or do you go step by step, as they always say?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, it is a cliche saying, and I will pay a dollar in the jar for another cliche, but I do try to make it step by step. I always just know the next opponent.

After I won today, I didn't know who I was playing next, so I tried to really focus on the moment and on the match that I have to play. Try not to get carried away with thinking of something.

Yes, now I'm going to enjoy my win for today. Then later on, I will think about tomorrow.

Q. Wish you all the luck.
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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