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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

September 28, 2016

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Wuhan, Hubei, China

S. KUZNETSOVA/V. Williams

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The perfect match today. You looked completely comfortable out there, going for your shots and everything.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It was a good match. I don't think Venus played her best game. But I've been confident and I've been playing well.

I didn't use couple of my chances in the second set. But, yeah, I still could finish it 6-2.

I felt like Venus started to play better in the end and it was really important for me to keep the momentum.

Q. How relieved were you with the wind, the roof closed, not to play in that?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Actually, I prefer to play open air. I was saying, C'mon, wait, wait, maybe it will stop. In the end when they closed the roof, I say, at least we didn't have the wind. So, yeah, it was much better.

Q. What were the conditions like under the roof?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It was great. It felt more empty, the court. It was not empty, but it felt more empty with the open roof. I have no idea why it was, but yeah.

Q. You have a potentially difficult match against either Aga or Caroline. Talk about the challenge of playing each one of those players.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, quarters is never easy against any player because they each reached fourth round.

Aga is a great opponent. We played many times. The same as with Caroline. Both of them, they're playing great right now. Caroline winning Tokyo and playing semis of US Open. I would love to take a chance and try to get revenge for that. But, I mean, she's playing great.

Aga is a very tough opponent. She has great game. It's always tough to play her.

Q. As we all know, there's now a new No. 1. Serena's dominance has been broken. How different do you think it is for women's tennis now that there is a new world No. 1?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I mean, I was thinking, you know, I didn't expect to get this question, but every press I do I get this question. I've been reading articles what other players were saying. They say it's a new face, it's kind of cool.

I mean, I don't feel on myself any difference. But definitely brings a confidence to other girls, that they also can do it. At some stage Serena looked unbeatable. Now when Angie got No. 1, past year, she was a good, confident top-10 player, but nobody expected, people who know tennis, to rise that fast in one year, just quickly change things, get to No. 1, win two slams, get to finals of Wimbledon and finals of Olympic. It's incredible jump. My congratulations to her.

It's a good example to other players that at this stage of their career they still can switch things around.

Q. Do you think it's different for younger players coming up, versus someone like you who has great experience behind them?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: You know, a lot is about being No. 1, lots of things like that. But it's not a huge difference. 1 and 2 is close. Sometimes it's just by one match. My friend, Anastasia Myskina, she was match point up against our close friend, Elena Likhovtseva, one match point. If she would win that match, so would turn No. 1. She lost it, she never got to No. 1.

You see, that's really small difference there. In tennis everywhere, every huge news, it's one step. Every time it's way closer than we all see it. It's good to know. I think it's good for players to know that.

Q. Sometimes people look at Serena and they say, She's so talented, I can't be as good of a tennis player than her because she is a more gifted player. Kerber, the word that people use when they talk about her is 'work ethic'. She's a hard worker, has been able to maximize her talent by working hard. What is the example you think people can look at? They're two very different No. 1's.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: You know, it doesn't matter what people say, first of all, because it's important how many matches you win.

Angelique, she's fighter on the court. She defends a lot, and she is consistent. Like workaholic, I see many other girls that work so much in the gym but they're not even close to top 10, but they're workaholics.

They say about me that I'm talented, that I work a lot. It doesn't matter. It's important to win matches, to win important matches. That's what Angie did this year and she did it great.

She was one match point down or some match points down in Australian Open. It could have twist whole year. She lose first round, she get down in her mind, as it goes always in WTA Tour. You never know. She was one step to go out of that. It changes everything.

Some girls, they're playing unbelievable. You like, Why the hell you not in top 20? They're 40, 50, 60 in rankings. You amazing player, but in the end they don't win matches. It's really mental, I think, as well.

Q. Can you see Serena coming back to the No. 1, given this year? Physically it looked like a bit of a struggle for her most of the year. There was always something going on.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I see her getting to No. 1. Why not? I don't believe that it's so much. I don't know about her. Overall, it's not about your body. It's about the motivation. It's more question how much motivation she has to do that probably. If she has motivation, she could get it, no doubt.

Q. Does the motivation change as you age?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Motivation changes all the time, probably all the time. Probably each player knows herself better. But they would never tell you when they're low in motivation. It's no way any athlete will tell you.

It's something you cannot control. You just have to learn yourself and try to deal with yourself, convince or do something or set your goals or do whatever which helps to work your motivation.

Q. You are in the Race for Singapore. You stand a chance of making it to the WTA Finals. I think it's been seven years since you last made it there. Does the prospect excite you? Are you amazed yourself that after seven years you're back?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean, I've been struggling with my ranking. I was 20, 25 for past years. Yeah, this year went quite good for me. Now the possibility to be in Singapore definitely makes me feel better, gives me more motivation, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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