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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2017

Dominika Cibulkova

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

E. MAKAROVA/D. Cibulkova

6-2, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the difference there in the final set? Looked like you were starting to gain control over it.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yes, exactly. You know, maybe I will feel a bit better if I would lose the second set 6-1, and I could just say, you know, it wasn't my day.

But this loss is just the one that I will think about few days, I will have in my head, because I was really -- I really felt, you know, that in 3-All and the second or third advantage, I had the match, I was having the match under control, and I knew this is the moment where I want to break her.

And to just, you know, I really, really felt that this is the moment where I really, really want to break her. I can win this.

So I was down the whole match, and then finally I could -- I felt like, okay, this is my moment. And I didn't make this two chances. Okay, one, she made an ace, and then I didn't make my two chances.

I was still 40-15 up with my serve, and these two games, you know, just broke me in the third set. And it was -- it was all in my hands. I feel really disappointed about the third set today.

Q. Do you think the stress to come back from Love-4 in the second set could have some influence on that? You were not so lucid at that moment.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I mean, actually, I was freely -- it was really good. I came back from this, from this score, because I wasn't feeling -- I wasn't feeling my rhythm today on the court, you know.

From the beginning my serve wasn't working. I mean, I was doing too many mistakes. I was just -- I was just not really feeling good, you know, playing-wise in the court.

But somehow, through the fighting and, you know, through everything, you know, I think she even had advantage to go for 5-Love. You know, I could turn this match around, and, you know, I really, really realized it in the third set.

So, you know, sometimes you lose match like this, and it's just -- you just really want to go back now, 45 minutes, and I will do things maybe differently. I would really want to change it, but you cannot do it anymore.

Q. My question was exactly if the stress to come back may have influenced the fact that later on, in the third set, that you were not so -- I mean, even mentally you can be tired sometimes.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, you're right, but I don't know. I don't think this was the -- I don't think this was the problem why I lost the third set, you know.

I just think that I didn't do a good decisions. I was on these two break points, you know. I was, like, should I do this and this? I wasn't convinced, you know. I should go after my tactic and to do what I was doing, actually before, why I came back.

So, no, I think -- I don't know. I don't think. I think it was just I didn't set my mind 100%. There was 1% me not sure about.

Q. Do you think maybe some of that comes with the concept of match fitness, playing enough matches? Really making sure that the decision-making is as smart as it normally is, maybe sometimes three months into the season, six months into the season? You know, it's so early.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, it can be, you know. It was just... for me personally, no, I cannot be 100% sure. But I'm 90% sure that I would make that game, that I would close this match. You know, it's hard to tell that this one ball could make a difference, but it really did.

But still, it didn't break me down. I was 40-15 up, and on my serve, and that game, maybe I just wanted to go for too much, and I made maybe two easy unforced errors.

So, you know, I don't know. Last year I won so many matches like this, so now I'm a little bit frustrated. But you cannot win all the time such a close match. I really felt like this one can go my way in the end.

Q. On TV they were discussing the medical timeout that she took early in the third set. Did that put you off at all?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: No, I thought she's -- I think she was cramping a little bit in her hand. Maybe not. I don't know. I didn't really think about it.

But, yeah, it was something that I don't want to say that I don't like, but, you know, when I go and I'm in my rhythm, I just, you know, go, go.

This break was -- yeah, it broke my rhythm a little bit, but it wasn't -- it wasn't something that why I would lose today.

Q. You probably will play Fed Cup, I guess, because someone, the captain is someone related to you?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: He's my coach. The captain is my coach.

Q. So what do you expect? I mean, you have to play Italy, and I'm interested to know...
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: About the Fed Cup, I still didn't make my decision. So I will let them know in the next days, I will let the captain know. We already discuss the schedule, and I will let them know in a few days if I play or not.

Q. If the coach is the captain, I guess, it would be difficult for you to say to him, I'm not coming.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: I mean, no, I did it a few times. He's, first of all, he's my coach, you know. He knows that it will be really tough to go on clay, especially for me with my body and with everything.

So, I mean, he will accept anything -- I mean, he knows I'm representing my country for almost 12 years, so, you know, it's up to me. It's my decision, and we will still talk about it, and I still didn't make my decision if I'm coming.

Q. And even if you don't play, what you expect? I mean, Italy playing Slovaks and with Cepelova and probably Tereza Mihalikova?
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, you know, it's hard to say. I don't know. But Italians, they had advantage to choose the surface, and they choose clay.

Q. Because of you.
DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yes, I know. So I don't know how the -- but our girls, they are -- I think, the clay is, for them, the best surface, I think. So with me or without me, I think it can be a fight.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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