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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 21, 2017

Angelique Kerber

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A. KERBER/M. Barthel

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How pleased were you with this match?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. I mean, it's always tough to play against a German, that's for sure. I'm very happy about my performance after Doha. I'm feeling, again, better than last week. This is, for me, the most important thing. It's good to have, yeah, one match done here.

Q. Did you feel like that was against a good opponent, she was playing quite well, that that was maybe the best performance you have had, complete match, this season?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think this is tough to say. I mean, it's a completely different tournament. Yeah, it's different.

So for sure I played a good match tonight, and it's good to have a match like this after the last few weeks, especially after the last few days where I was not feeling so well.

So that's why I'm happy about my performance and happy to be back here and playing the next match tomorrow.

Q. What part of your game were you most pleased with? You seemed quite aggressive today.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I was trying to moving good, to playing aggressive, but also bringing a lot of balls back.

So that was actually what I was trying to find my rhythm back. So that was the goal for tonight's match.

Q. You said you weren't feeling well in Doha and things. Is it the knee?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, I was a little bit sick in Doha, so I was -- yeah, I was not feeling well.

The knee, it's -- I don't know. Let's see. I mean, for the moment it's fine. It's just a protection, but I was starting it feeling my knee here the last few days a little bit, but I mean -- like, you know, that's not, like, with my game or something. It's nothing change.

Q. I know you're quite good at just focusing on yourself, but did you look at all at the other results today and saw maybe that the other top five seeds lost?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know who lost. I saw few matches, but, you know, I mean, I'm focusing on -- I played so late tonight and today, and that's why I was trying to not looking around too much, staying more focused on my match.

Q. Kind of a big one tomorrow against Monica. Rematch from Rio. Can you talk a little bit about that match, what you expect?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it's a completely new match. I mean, for sure, she's a tough player, I know, and she's playing really aggressive. I know that from the match in Rio.

But for me it's the same, like tonight. I go out there trying to play my game again, and I will not thinking too much about the match in Rio. I mean, she played unbelievable match and she won it. So tomorrow I will try to go out there and win the next one (smiling).

Q. I guess the Olympics is a very unique situation because you lost, but you still walk away with a medal and something special. Did you ever go back and think about that match and maybe play in your mind if you could have gotten gold, or were you satisfied because you still got a medal?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, she played a good match, so I think that's why I was not losing the match and I'm happy about my performance in Rio, I mean, because I still won the medal. I still have my silver medal.

So this was always a dream. Doesn't matter which one. I have the silver.

But at the end, she played from the beginning really one of the best matches I think she played. So that's why, I mean, she deserved at the end the gold one.

Q. How was the experience of the dinner in the sky yesterday?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It was nice (smiling). I'm fine with the height, so it was -- I was really enjoying it.

My team was a little bit scared on top of the skies, but no, I was enjoying it. I was looking around. I mean, they were sitting like this (demonstrating clenched arms). But I was trying to -- had a good time. Yeah, it was nice.

Q. So Torben is scared of heights?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually not, but yesterday he was a little bit (smiling). Yeah.

Q. Just going back to the match, the 26-shot rally that you had at 3-All --
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It was 26?

Q. 26. Not bad.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Okay.

Q. Was that one of those kind of points that you felt was pretty significant?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Maybe I win the Shot of the Month, not Aga again. (Laughter.)

Q. It takes a lot.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Hopefully, yeah.

No, I think this is which gives me also a lot of confidence again, because this is how I playing. And I try to, you know, bringing a lot of balls back.

It makes me happy when I win points like this, so this is for what I'm out there and for what I'm practicing every day.

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