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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2016

Angelique Kerber

Cincinnati, Ohio

A. KERBER/C. Suarez Navarro

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. After you were broken very early in the second set, you just seemed to take off and really control the match from that point on. What was going on for you, I guess, to turn things around there in the second set?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think I change a little bit my game in the second set. I mean, I was trying to go for it when I have the chance and to making the rallies a little bit shorter.

Yeah, and of course, I mean, I was still thinking that I can turn around the match after the second set that I lost and also the break down what I was in the second set early.

So I was trying to staying positive and trying to change a little bit my game in the second set.

Q. Carla just pulled out of doubles with a thigh injury. Did you notice anything wrong with her, especially in the last set that you won so easily?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Okay, I didn't know this. I was not noticing this. I was trying to focusing on myself because it was not so easy.

It's really hot out there when the sun came out, and I was trying to staying positive and just thinking about my side.

So I didn't saw nothing.

Q. It was a hot day, but how were you feeling independent of the heat today? The fatigue kind of catching up? You looked at times a little bit flat.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's was not so easy. I mean, was really difficult to go out there. I'm playing like I don't know which day. So I'm like just playing and my days every day, it's the same. When I'm waking up it's the same routine I have.

But still, I mean, it's really good that I am here in the semis right now and I was trying to turn around the match. It was really hard because I know Carla is fighting until the last point.

Of course it's really hot out there, and I will try to have rest and just get ready for tomorrow as fast as possible actually. Just going back to the hotel and try to relax a little bit before the next match tomorrow.

Q. Where are you pulling from, the reserve, the energy? Is it now at this time just a matter of this is what you've done your whole life and you're in a zone?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think I'm really trying to staying in the moment and not thinking too much about the things around me, about the weather, about that I'm playing like every single day, and every match is really tough.

Also yesterday we played two hours for two sets, so it's not so easy. I knew I'm really fit and I worked a lot in the last few months and years to go out and try to play matches like that.

Of course when you win the matches you have much more confident and you can do it and turn around matches and go for three sets after you lose the first one.

That gives me for sure more confidence also for the next challenges.

Q. Ten double faults today. Was she giving you different looks? You going for more? Just a struggling day serving?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I think my serve was not the best today. It was up and downs because I think I also served a few aces, so it was up and down.

I was trying to not thinking about the serve. You know, I was trying to playing the rallies because I know sometimes my serve is better; sometimes not.

Today was not the best day for my serve, but still okay.

Q. You have talked about this a little bit before with the ranking on the line this week. Do you feel more pressure as the matches progress obviously to win to get that No. 1 spot?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I'm not feeling more pressure, to be honest. I mean, I'm here to really playing every single match. I learned a lot from last tournaments and last matches about pressure, and when I put the pressure too much on myself, I mean, that's not the way I would like to play my tennis.

So that's why I'm not thinking about this. Of course everybody is asking me this question, and, yeah, let's see what's happen in the next weeks or next days. When the time is ready, maybe I can reach the No. 1.

Still, it's a long way. It's closer than few days ago when I sit here, but tomorrow is a new day, a new match, and another step to going forward.

Q. Between that first and second set, was there anything that you were thinking that helped you, or did you just let your mind go blank?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it helps that I am really trying to staying positive and not thinking too much about the first set and about the weather.

Because it was really hot when the sun came out, and I was just trying to tell myself to go for it when you have the chance and try to change a little bit your game and not running for every ball.

When you have the chance, make the rally a little bit shorter. So that was actually in my mind. Only thinking about the moment right there.

Q. You've always been fit, but have you had to change any aspect of your training because you've been going deeper and deeper in tournaments?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I mean, of course I had to change a little bit. I mean, I'm not practicing now twice like few months ago when I went to tournaments. I'm trying to go out there practicing really good practice once because I have not too many days before tournaments right now.

But actually this is only the thing I change. I mean, I try to do my things every day. And also like my treatments, I mean, that's the same.

But of course mentally it's change a little bit to being ready every day for the matches.

Q. Switching gears a little bit, there was a match in 2012 at Wimbledon with you and Sabine Lisicki, an epic match from both of you where there was a lot of interaction with your box. I feel like you're kind of more in your own zone at this stage of your career. How important is it to be able to see your box on the court, to be able to interact with them? If you couldn't do that, do you think it would affect you on the court?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. For me, it's important to have my team around me and also to look at them if I win a great point, but also when I loose a point and they are trying to supporting me and just giving me the energy from the box.

For me it's important to have like people in the box that I know and they know me, supporting me, and I can trust. They are with me like actually 24 hours on tour. So this is what for me is really important.

My team is not the biggest one, so this is also for me really important to have good people around me.

Q. Is it easier to be in a situation where you're playing every day, you're going deep in tournaments, you hop on a plane, you fly, play. Then when you lose early, you get to a tournament, you have a few days to kill. Going through that sort of rhythm as opposed to what you're doing now, is this actually easier?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I mean, I prefer this. (Laughter.) I prefer for sure these things. But I don't know if it's easier. On one stage it's easier because you do the exactly things every day and I am not thinking too much.

At the other side, of course when you have like more days you can get rest. You can really focusing on things on the court to improve. Yeah, just try to make the days a little bit easier.

But, yeah, when I can choose, I prefer this thing: tight schedule, waking up and playing matches every day.

Q. Tomorrow you could play Simona or Aga. You lost to Simona in MontrÃ©al. Talk about both of those matchups.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it will be a good match from both of them today, and I will watch the match on TV.

But let's see who will win. Both are playing good tennis and it will be another long match. Doesn't matter against who I am playing because the rallies are always long and always tough matches I had with both. So let's see against who I am playing.

At the end, for me, like I said also before I came here, next round, next step, and playing my game, trying to focusing more on my way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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