|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPOREOctober 30, 2016Ekaterina MakarovaElena VesninaKallang, Singapore MAKAROVA-VESNINA/Mattek Sands-Safarova 7-6, 6-3 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Congratulations on your win. This is your first win against Lucie and Bethanie. What was the difference in today's match? ELENA VESNINA: We always had tough matches against Lucie and Bethanie. We know that we lost to them last time at the US Open. To be honest, we were really tired after that trip, the Montréal Rio, and then US Open. We were feeling really tired and they played amazing there. We know that it has to be good match from us and we have to like high our level, you know, up our level of the game, because otherwise we won't beat them. It was really good quality tennis today in the final. Q. How important is this trophy for you? Now you kind of have two slams, a slam in mixed, Olympic gold, and now this one? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes, that's very important. We didn't have it, so now we have it and we really wanted -- yeah, we were coming here so motivated to have this trophy. We came so early, because two years ago we came quite late. We had just two days for practice. ELENA VESNINA: Not enough. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah, we came one week before and were ready and really wanted this trophy. We're so happy that we did it today. Q. In the second set when you guys were I think 3-2 up and you had four breakpoints -- ELENA VESNINA: Yes. Q. When you lost it, how did you keep calm and not lose your head? ELENA VESNINA: Yeah, we remember that game. I remember that game really good because all the break points were on me and I didn't win even one. But it's actually quite common situation. You know, when somebody winning all the returns and somebody just cannot return the ball. So I was like saying to Katya, Sorry; next one I will return. Sorry. And when I was returning on the advantage for them, then Katya couldn't return. So it's just a normal situation. But we knew it was quite important game, because it would be 4-2 and then I would serve and we can go 5-2. But even when we lost that game we still had our serves. We couldn't get ourselves down. I mean, you cannot -- I forgot the word. You cannot get let you're, you know, go down. In this situation you're set up and 3-All. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: We were pushing that game and leading in that game. ELENA VESNINA: Yeah, we were leading. We knew that we were very close. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah. ELENA VESNINA: We didn't letdown and we still held our serve on 3-All. That 4-3 game was very important, so we really played well in that time. Q. You've been together for few years now. What do you think makes this partnership work? ELENA VESNINA: Four years, three and a half. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes, four years we are playing together. I don't know. We just stand together to play the tournaments, and it's just from first tournament we did the final and it's just worked really easy. We understood so well without any words sometimes. We are different a little bit, but I think that is working because we are different. Yeah, I'm more quiet and Lena is more -- ELENA VESNINA: I'm talking all the time. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah. ELENA VESNINA: She's lefty; I'm a right-hander. Left-handed people, you know that they're thinking with a different part of the brain and I'm thinking with a different. So that's why we're different, but we are still together. - EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeas. But we are still good to each other. Q. Today there was world No. 1 at stake for Bethanie. You've never been at the -- ELENA VESNINA: Who stays No. 1? Q. Mirza will be, but if Bethanie could've won she would've taken. Is there a goal for you as you've been both No. 3, so maybe the only thing missing a world No. 1? Maybe? ELENA VESNINA: Congrats to Sania, by the way. She should give us some gift, I think. We still beat her in the semifinal so she's upset. That's maybe one of the things we wanted to achieve. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah, we wanted to go for it. ELENA VESNINA: Talk. I'm always talking. Talk. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, yeah. We didn't finish the year in No. 1. It's great result, and I think of course one year we want to be there. We will try to work hard and we will go next year for that. Yeah. Q. On your debut at the WTA Finals you were runner-up. In 2014 you guys went out. Now it's like third-time lucky. What are some of the lessons that have brought you here today? ELENA VESNINA: First of all, we came early to Singapore. In Istanbul we really had fun. Only four teams qualified. We came and won one match and were in the final. We did not quite understood what happened. We beat No. 1 in the world, Errani-Vinci I think on that time? EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yes, and we're losing a set and 3-1 with a break. Then in the supertiebreak we beat them, so- ELENA VESNINA: So we remember that kind of feeling to be in the final of the Championship. In that final was Serena and Li Na, and we were having the ceremony all together. We're the best from the best right now. We were like, next time we need to win the title. You know, one step more. This time we came earlier. We flew from Moscow like maybe seven days before our first match. We really practiced our doubles skills. As you know, we play singles most of the team and don't play doubles in every single tournament. If you will see our actually results, for example, we had two first round matches, yeah. But doesn't matter. We were thinking about Singapore. It was our goal. When me and Katya are both motivated and ready and healthy, we are very dangerous team. Q. Probably a bit too soon to talk about next season, but have you already inked in dates when you'll join forces again? ELENA VESNINA: Okay. I will translate. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Well, I think we didn't think -- for sure we will play Australian Open together, yeah; maybe the tournament before. ELENA VESNINA: Sydney. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: But, yeah, we didn't talk yet about beginning of the next year, because -- ELENA VESNINA: I'm trying to talk with her by the way, and she's like, I want to relax; it's too soon; I want to spend New Year at home. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: Yeah. So now we want to enjoy this moment. We want to have a holiday. She goes to Zhuhai -- ELENA VESNINA: Tonight I'm going to Zhuhai, yeah. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: -- so her season is not finished yet. We wish you will all big good luck there -- ELENA VESNINA: Thank you. EKATERINA MAKAROVA: -- same way as here. Then definitely, yeah, we will be ready for Australia. ELENA VESNINA: Australian Open, yeah. Q. One final question: Is that tough? Obviously you' celebrate in some manner tonight, but you're going to get on a plane. You've won a massive tournament and you can't really let loose and celebrate. ELENA VESNINA: Katya as well. She has an overnight flight back to Moscow. We were just talking about that. We will celebrate in Moscow. We already have a date to celebrate, so we will celebrate a little bit our Olympics because we didn't actually together -- EKATERINA MAKAROVA: We did at home -- ELENA VESNINA: -- with our friends and family. And then we will celebrate Singapore, so it's going to be huge celebration, I can imagine. Yeah, but this is tennis. You know, I have to be in the Zhuhai tomorrow for the official draw ceremony. You have to be there. Then Tuesday it's already starting first match. I need to be ready for that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|