	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2017

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

S. KUZNETSOVA/J. Jankovic

6-4, 5-7, 9-7

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty epic battle out there today. How does it feel to come out on the winning end of this win?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean, it was crazy. I was up set and 4-1, and then was double break. Then I found out that I'm 3-Love down and 15-40 on my serve in third set.

So it's been a bit insane, but it's a tennis match, anything can happen. I was just, in the third set, I felt like Jelena was in total control of the game, but, you know, it's never done until you shake the hand.

So I was trying to fight and stay in there. I was not playing my best, but I fight hard and in the end I won. So I'm pretty happy with that.

Q. You guys have had a lot of matches over the years. You know her game really well. Were you bothered at all today by her getting some coaching in the stands, or she was...
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: You see coaching, right? That's what you see? You said that; I didn't say that. (Smiling.)

No, I mean, tennis game is one and one. You face your opponent. It's a bit frustrating. She was talking to her coach and hitting partner, and each one of them was sitting different sides. It's a bit frustrating.

I'm not saying she was getting coach. I have no idea what they were talking about.

It's consistently high, like, talk was a little bit disturbing. But, I mean, I was trying not to react and just play my game.

Q. Did the Schiavone match from a few years ago come into your mind at all today, as this match went long?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, a little bit. A little bit. I didn't think about the result. I was, you know, I was down 3-1, as I said, 15-40 in the third set, and I already came back from that. So being down 6-5, whatever I was at, it didn't bother me. I knew I would hang in there and play every ball. Well, if she beats me, okay, good for her.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with Qiaodan, your clothing company? Did they let you collaborate with them on different styles and designs?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, yeah, Qiaodan. I have been with them for four years. It's a little bit difficult language-wise, because I'm not getting understood every time the way I am trying to say.

But the guys are great. They are doing the stuff. I love the collection for this year. They let me get involved, and they do a lot of stuff what I ask and I request, so I really appreciate that.

And I'm trying to get collaboration with some designers from Russia to work on my future collections.

Q. Did they design your sweatshirt? Is that special one for you?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: They always make something special for me. That's how I sign with them, because I have no idea what brand was that. I was just coming back from injury, I was No. 80 in the world, six months off with my knee.

I was coming to Australia, I was like 80 in the world so I had to play quallies everywhere.

My agent said, Look, this offer we have here. I said, What's the company? And he didn't remember the name.

So he gave me -- I said, Okay, let them send me some samples to see. I cannot sign with somebody who I have no idea to see what quality, because I want to look good. It's not priority to get a lot of money.

And then they send me some samples, and what I love the most, they made a special logo for me, and it was, like, SK with butterfly. And it said in China it's like butterfly, symbol of rebirth, kind of comeback, and I thought it's really special and they will take me special, treat me special. I thought it's important for collaboration.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297