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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2017

Angelique Kerber

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A. KERBER/C. Witthoeft

6-2, 6-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You looked frustrated at the end of the second set. Was it the conditions? Was it not finding your game, or...
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, you know, I was doing I think a lot of mistakes like in the important moments. But at the end, I'm happy that I won the match. It was not so easy. The conditions were, like, also a little bit difficult today.

At the end, I won, and this is all that counts for me.

Q. What do you think the conditions, how did they impact the way they were able to play today?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I mean, of course it was not so easy, especially also with the sun from the one side. But at the end, I was try my best. I'm through the next round, so, yeah, I'm looking forward to being now in the third round.

Q. Does it matter you had to go to three sets in both rounds or do you turn the page and...
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, I think I'm fit. I am prepared for playing, like, two, three hours, so that's not a problem.

Tomorrow I have a day off, so it's not a big deal.

So I think I will be fine.

Q. You have always had great pride in kind of your fitness. Today, in a time when maybe your groundstrokes weren't working as best as they could, especially in the third set, with as that something you felt, like, okay, I'm going to run and she's going to have to hit through me? Was that kind of the thinking?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I mean, I'm trying, you know, to playing more aggressive. But today, I was, yeah, doing few more mistakes.

I was not finding my rhythm from the first ball. So I know that I can trust my legs and can run for, yeah, for hours.

Yeah, that was, yeah -- when the other things are not working, I know I have to run for every ball.

Q. Any plans for your birthday later? Anything special tonight?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think we will go for a nice dinner. I don't know yet where, but it will be nice.

Yeah, just -- I know that I have tomorrow, day off, so that's good to maybe sit there with my team and friends and just relaxing a bit.

Q. You're playing Kristyna Pliskova next. Is it uncommon to have to play twins? Is it kind of weird sometimes? You have played how many times you have played Karolina, too?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know if it's weird. I mean, the one is right and the other one is left-handed. So this is the difference.

But I played once against her, I think, like few years ago, and I know that she has a great serve, as well.

Yeah, I will looking forward to play against her.

Q. What's it like to constantly have to celebrate your birthday away from home?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's always like that (smiling).

I just remember that I will celebrate my 18th birthday at home, so that was a big party. But the rest, I was always here. It's nice.

I mean, I'm feeling here like home, so it's great to be always in Australia for my birthday.

Q. How has the day on/day off kind of rhythm been for you here at the tournament? I mean, during your off-days of practice, has it been light practices? Has it been a little bit more intense to try and get your game feeling more comfortable?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, it's more light practice. I mean, the rhythm. It's, again, like tournament rhythm, and I will just practice once, like, just maybe 45 minutes or 60 minutes, just have the rhythm back, and that's it.

Trying to resting, having treatments, and, yeah, waiting for my next match.

Q. You said earlier that you couldn't quite get your rhythm going today. Do you know why that was? Did you do anything differently in the leadup to your match? Or do you perhaps look to do something a little bit differently next time to make sure it doesn't happen again?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I mean, I think that I was not -- I mean, I was a little bit too defensive today, so I think that was the problem. When I was trying, I did, like, few more mistakes.

So, yeah, I mean, I will try for the next round to really focusing on playing consistent from the first until the last point and not having too much up and downs during the match.

Q. You said you had a problem with the sun. I know right-handers have problems around 12:00, 1:00 from the southern end of that court. As a left-hander, what was the problem you were having?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it was the same problem like right-handers have. The sun was there. It was not so easy. It was really difficult, especially, like, for few minutes, few games on the one side.

But, yeah, I think, yeah, it was -- I mean, I was try my best.

Q. From the president's box end?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, the other one.

Q. Have you been asked about who your next opponent is?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yes.

Q. Then we're good.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Okay.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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