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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2017

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

PAVLYUCHENKOVA/S. Kuznetsova

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well played. How does it feel to get to the quarterfinals?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Thank you. It feels amazing. I'm really happy with my first quarterfinal here in Australian Open.

Q. It's quarterfinals at all four majors now. How does that sit with you?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I take it. I mean, it's super exciting. I'm so happy. Yeah, I was always wondering why I could never have a good start here in Australia after good preseason, good offseason, and a lot of practicing.

But now it seems like I found a way, and I'm super excited to still be in the second week here.

Q. What does it mean to you to play so well and have some tour level success at the slam where you won your first junior Grand Slam?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Definitely, yes, I have a lot of memories, because I, yeah, won it twice in juniors and was showing some good tennis, as well, also in the pros, but never achieved something, like, big here.

Yeah, it's one of my favorite Grand Slams. I'm super excited. But I'm also happy now, same time, looking forward to the next one and I want to do even better.

Q. I first saw you when you made the final in Brisbane in 2013 against Serena. Can you tell me about the journey you have had since then? You were obviously a better and more experienced player. Is there something that you've done?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, I was super frustrated, actually, for me here, because we have done preseason together with Serena in Mauritius. We have played finals in Brisbane against each other. I was in such good form, and I felt so good.

So I was looking forward for Australian Open, and then I arrived here and I was so strong, and I lost to the girl I had beaten in Brisbane. That was super frustrating for me. I think I didn't handle it as well. I was really down, as well.

The next couple of tournaments and couple of months didn't go so well, because mentally I was just not there.

That was pretty much my mistake before. I think I could kill myself after one or two matches, and then just kind of skip the rest of the tournaments, the next ones, where now I'm trying to work hard, show good tennis, enjoy, and, you know, don't take it so, so serious, each match. Maybe that's the key, also.

Q. You were asked on court about making the quarterfinal here and what you did differently. You made the quarterfinals in Wimbledon last year. Is that something that happened the last 18 months? A more relaxed mind you're talking about?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I'm also older, yeah, couple years older. Maybe that makes a little difference, as well, like mentally I'm just taking it differently. I'm more serious, I would say. Of course I'm working hard, but I have been working hard before.

Yeah, I guess I just feel more ready now mentally. Maybe that's why. Trying to enjoy and believe in myself more than before.

And I think just tennis-wise, I think I'm playing better tennis now than I was before, even though I know everyone was telling me, Oh yeah, you're capable of doing this and that. But it's just words.

Of course I had a potential, but I just feel like now I believe in myself more.

Q. You had such early success in your career. You have been on tour for a long time, but you're still not older. I don't know if you're a veteran or not. How do you feel in terms of your experience and your age at this point?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, it's, like now I think it's a perfect middle. I'm not so young, but not really old at the same time.

So, like, I'm now perfectly in the middle. It feels good. I feel much fitter, as well. And again, I repeat like I'm enjoying a bit more, like I take it a bit differently now.

Yeah, I feel like I'm showing some good tennis at the same time, as well, and so just trying to put everything in pieces.

Yeah, but again, I'm not going, like, super excited about it. I just take match by match, and, you know, I want to do even better.

Q. When you have your age and experience as an advantage, if you play someone like Venus who maybe has ten years on you, how much is her experience and age a factor, or do you feel you've been around long enough that you're more or less level?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I definitely feel like I've been long enough on the tour, but at the same time I can't compare myself to Venus and Serena, because they have been there, feels like -- I was, like, I remember I was a little girl holding -- the racquet was bigger than me, and they were ready to play in finals of a Grand Slam. So, of course, I can't compare myself to them, but at the same time I kind of also feel experienced.

We have had some matches with Venus before, as well. I played her before, so I know how it feels to play against her, but, I don't know, they are still playing. Let's see who's gonna win.

Q. This is your fourth quarterfinal of a Grand Slam. You have done it at all four. Going one step further, what does that mean to you in the next match?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, definitely. I want to do my first semifinals of a Grand Slam or maybe a final, you know.

I would love to. That's why I have been working so hard for this moment now. But I have to, you know -- I have doubles tomorrow, as well. I take it as a practice for the next match.

I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and not thinking too much of what's gonna be ahead of me. Just take it match by match and try to do my best.

Q. What do you remember about Venus when you were watching her on TV with the enormous racquet?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: No, the racquet was normal (smiling). It was intimidating watching them, to be honest, as a little girl, but then I have beaten her twice, you know, after. So it was, like, Wow, you know.

I mean, there is not much I can say. Everyone knows that both Serena and Venus, they're like legends in tennis. Not much I can say about.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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