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APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY

January 9, 2017

Dominika Cibulkova

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

D. CIBULKOVA/L. Siegemund

6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did this one feel compared to, say, your matches in Brisbane? 6-2, 6-0 looked very dominant, but it was pretty tight. How did you feel about that?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, I was feeling pretty good out there today on the court, except the sun, on one side, it was really, really hard to serve. I played here many times, so I know this is the exact time when the sun is really hard on my serve, but I think on everybody's serve. We had both the same conditions.

I just felt pretty good, you know, overall when I practice here, and of course match and practice is different story, but I was ready. I was ready to play against her today. I knew it was going to be tough, but I had very good answers for her good shots. I was really solid, and when I had the chance, I was going for my shots.

You know, the chances I didn't take in Brisbane against Cornet, today I took almost all of them. So sometimes it's like this. I really appreciate this performance I had today.

Q. Is there anything in particular that you're looking to improve upon in the early part of this season?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah. I mean, I will work on my game overall. As I said before, also, I have to work a lot on my serve, because it's not my natural shot I would feel very comfortable with as my forehand and something else. So my serve we work on a lot, and we always try to improve it with some adjustments. And, yeah, a little bit more of variability in my ability to use a slice.

But these are the things you practice, and you go on the court and you stick to your old things. But, yeah, overall we will work on different things, yeah.

Q. Was that the case today with your serve? Did you feel like it was better?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Actually, as I said, today was really, really hard with the serve, because from the one side I could only serve -- the last game I could only serve properly with the toss, so the sun wasn't there anymore.

And from the other side, it was okay. I mean, I wouldn't say I won the match today because of the great serve. You know, I didn't need to serve great today, and that helped me. I was actually really returning really well.

Q. Would you say you've carried your form through from last year's finals to now? It was such a high level last year. Do you feel it's comparable?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: It's really hard to tell, you know, because on the one hand it was good that I had two months and there was no other tournament after Masters, because it was really so much emotions and it was just really, really crazy.

But, you know, you cannot really stick to this momentum when you're not playing, for two months, a match. So it was totally different conditions, and after such a great year, it was, like, the last one for me. I was really, really confident.

When you start a season, you always start with some, not doubt, but you always need to get into this match rhythm. It's not easy. Like, if I would expect myself to play, like, in the final against Kerber, I think that would be too much expectation, and I wouldn't even make it through the first rounds, for sure, because with the conditions, we are on a completely different place. So it's, just, you cannot compare these two things.

Q. Have you carried any of the confidence through, though?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yes. I mean, the confidence, yeah, for sure, but also the experience, you know.

I, you know, through the whole year last year, I was doing certain things right, and I was, as I said before, I was working with my mental coach. These are the situations where I try to put, again, I just have this experience that this was working for me, and I have to do it again and again and again. And this is the time of the year when you just have to warm up yourself in the matches.

Q. Genie is next. You guys have quite a rivalry, have had some great matches. I think she leads the head-to-head 3-1. What are your thoughts on facing her again?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I mean, yeah, she's a good competitor, and I know it's gonna be a tough one. But here, this draw, it's always very tough, so you cannot choose opponent.

I hope to be ready for tomorrow. I, for sure, will learn some mistakes I did in our past matches, and I'm just really looking forward for this match. She's a good player, so let's see how it's gonna go tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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