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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORP

January 4, 2017

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

S. KUZNETSOVA/D. Aiava

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Always tricky to play not just a player you have never played before but a very young one. What did you think of her game, and how do you think you were able to handle it cleanly?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I said to my coach, I have double age as hers. It's crazy. I used to be the younger one. I remember playing, like, Isa Guillama (phonetic) and girls like that. I always was like, Oh, I have so long to go ahead.

Now I'm like, Okay, I look back and it's, like, many good memories.

But, yeah, it's strange, you know. It's always not really comfortable to play someone you have no idea what to expect. But Carlos watched some matches, and, I mean, I think she has good potential.

Very important what she's gonna be doing next years, but definitely she has lots of power and athleticism in her.

Q. The inside-out forehand she has, which one -- do you think she has a shot she can build a game around?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, I mean, both her shots, forehand and backhand, they are really intense, you know. Serve, she can serve really well.

But, for sure, she struggled with consistency, and she has to play matches on the high level. I mean, that's normal what happens to juniors when you play the same high level, what happen to me also before.

Q. She showed her body language, too. She showed she was a bit down. I suppose she has to learn not to portray frustrations. Did you feel like she was getting a bit frustrated with her game?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I sense many things. I have been here too long not to sense anything.

Of course I play a lot with that, and I feel opponent a lot. She's young one, you know. So I have experience. I have to use it in my advantage.

But for sure she didn't believe it 100%. You can also sense that. She has potential, you know. That aside, many girls have potential. The importance is next few years to work on it.

Q. Just curious about when we talk about body language, and, you know, showing negativity and things like that, certain players are told, Oh, you can't do that. There seems to be an idea that players are supposed to be always calm on court. I'm curious, from your perspective, what do you think about that? Do you think that you should never let the opponent know what's going on with you?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think everybody is different. Everyone, each of us has to find our own way. I have my way. I respect the opponent. I respect myself. I want to look good on the court, and I want to perform good.

I should let as less possible opponent know what's going on inside of me. I have some girls tell me, You nervous? Are you getting, any day, nervous? Like, I don't look like that.

I don't know. My body language, I try always to be positive. Not only in my body language but in myself, inside.

But some players are emotional, and that also helps them. So they have to balance really the way they want to be.

Q. You said before you have been around a long time. You turned professional in 2000. Same year Destanee was born, I think. Anyway, the start of a new year, what keeps driving you in tennis? Do you just love it that much?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I mean, I was, for three or four, I don't know how many, since 2010, five years I was out of top 20, so I got couple times in top 20. Now I'm top 10. That is what is a drive, big drive. It's a huge engine.

But I love to play. You know, I love to work hard, and I cannot imagine so far me without working, you know. I love preseasons. I enjoy.

I found myself enjoying these things, you know. In the start, you're young, you don't know what's going on, what's coming.

Now I learn a lot about myself. I know what I should do better, what I should do less. I have to just, like, balance it.

I love to play matches. I don't know. Probably that's it, but it's the most important things.

Q. So you're into the quarterfinals. You play GarbiÃ±e. You played just a couple months ago, very different circumstances surrounding that match. Can you talk about the prospects of facing her this time?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean, of course this match is not the same than to play Championships, but it's still another match. It's a great match.

GarbiÃ±e is top 5, I believe, in the world. Doesn't really matter. But it's a great matchup for the tournament and for both of us to have such a good match on the start of the year.

I'm looking forward to face her and to try to make a good game.

Q. Did you watch her match last night against Dasha at all?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. I was so nervous, I couldn't watch it. I was changing to other channels, because I was getting so nervous. It was up-and-down match. It was great match.

Q. If you put your commentary hat on and you look at that match, or your analysis of it, where did it kind of go, not wrong, but what was the difference, do you think, for Dasha?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think that GarbiÃ±e believed that she's better. But Dasha still has a lot to learn. She's also young and not so much experience, but she will be really good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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