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U.S. OPEN

September 4, 2016

Roberta Vinci

New York, NY, USA

R. VINCI/L. Tsurenko

7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is your physical condition at this stage?
ROBERTA VINCI: So-and-so. I have some problem, but I'm happy that I won today. I don't want to think about my injury. Try to recover today and tomorrow and focus for the next round.

Q. Without thinking about the injury too much, what is the injury?
ROBERTA VINCI: I have some problem with my tendon, left leg. That's it. A little bit pain on my back. A lot of pain, but I don't want to think about this injury.

Q. What was going through your mind in the tiebreak? How were you able to dig it out?
ROBERTA VINCI: Eh, on the tiebreak a lot of pressure. But I said, I have to win this set, because I think the key was to win the first set.

I was tired; she was tired also. So 7-6 for me, and then I won another great game, 1-0 for her, 40-15. I won that game, so 1-All, and then I was starting to play much better than in the first set.

I think she was tired at the end.

Q. You'd obviously rather not be injured. Is playing through a little bit of pain somehow making you play better? What do you make of that?
ROBERTA VINCI: No, is not easy to play with some injuries. Yesterday I practiced seven minutes; this morning four minutes. Just warmup with my coach. Is not easy to go on the court and play and don't think that you have some problems.

But today was tough. I tried to stay focused only for the game, not for the other condition.

I fight a lot, and important thing was to try something and stay positive, stay focused for the match.

Q. You're in your fourth quarterfinal at the Open. I'm curious, you know, why you think your best tennis happens here, and have you always been feeling good on hard courts even growing up?
ROBERTA VINCI: I don't know why I'm always playing good here. Maybe -- really, maybe the courts, maybe the atmosphere, maybe the crowd. I always play so good here.

Maybe also because this tournament is almost at the end of the season, and I always playing good this part of the season.

I don't know why. Really, I don't know, but I love to play here in the States. Such a great result last year, but also years before.

I don't know.

Q. So you feel like because you have had so many matches...
ROBERTA VINCI: Probably.

Q. So much experience coming in, this is when this tournament...
ROBERTA VINCI: Probably. Yeah, probably.

Q. Talk about playing Kerber or Kvitova next. Will you watch the match on-site, on TV?
ROBERTA VINCI: No, no. On-site, no. Probably on TV. Well, tough match. Quarterfinal. Play a lot of times against Petra. I don't know how many times I won. I don't know.

Both left handed. Kerber is playing so good. Almost No. 1. We will see. We will see tonight. Will be interesting match tonight. Doesn't matter for me. I'm in the quarterfinal, so I have to play just my game and try to stay better with my body. That's it.

Q. The game has been so competitive at the top lately. The change of the No. 1 ranking could happen with Angie Kerber. Would that be a good thing, do you think, for the game, to have a shuffling of the No. 1 ranking?
ROBERTA VINCI: Well, is interesting. Kerber may be No. 1, but is tough. It's tough to be No. 1. Serena is still here. I saw her yesterday. She's on fire. We will see. Not easy to be No. 1, eh?

Q. Hasn't happened yet, you mean, or it's not easy to get to be No. 1? Or it's not easy once you are No. 1?
ROBERTA VINCI: Is not easy to be No. 1 and also to go. So the points and pressure, we will see. But Serena, I saw her. She played so good yesterday.

Q. How did it affect your life, what you did here last year when you played Serena and also had that charming interview after the match?
ROBERTA VINCI: Well, great memories. Is always on my mind.

I know it's tough to repeat again the same results of last year, but I'm in the quarterfinal. I have won four matches here. I don't want to stop. I want to continue.

At the beginning of the tournament I didn't expect quarterfinal, because also my body wasn't so good. But I'm really happy that I'm still in tournament.

Well, last year was an incredible moment for me, and I want to try my best also this year.

Q. You said it's always on your mind.
ROBERTA VINCI: Yeah.

Q. In what way is it on your mind all the time?
ROBERTA VINCI: Is always in my mind. I remember everything. That match was for me an incredible match; the best match of my life for sure.

Q. Last year, this year, years past, you always do so well here in New York City. What do you think of the idea of going to the WTA and saying, Hey, play all the tournaments here in New York?
ROBERTA VINCI: Why not? (Laughter.) It's a good idea. Yes, why not? Good idea.

Q. You come from this great generation of Italian players. How much did you push each other through your careers, and what do you make of how you may have inspired the next generation?
ROBERTA VINCI: Well, we are great friends. We tried to help each other. It's important to have some great players, great friends around you.

I don't know in the future, but for me it's been important to have them around.

Q. What was the crowd like today? Do you remember any particular comments they made for you?
ROBERTA VINCI: The crowd? The comment of the crowd? Today?

Q. Today.
ROBERTA VINCI: No. Any particular, no. But the court was almost, almost full, and the crowd support me more than Tsurenko. That's always nice for me, nice to hear a lot of person around.

No. Any particular comments, no, but a lot of person come to watch me. I was happy.

Q. Have you talked to Flavia this week? If you could share...
ROBERTA VINCI: Yes, yes. I saw her, but just one time. We had a picture. She's happy, and that's it. She's happy. Yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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