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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 14, 2017

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Indian Wells, California

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/D. Cibulkova

6-4, 3-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You got revenge for that loss in Doha?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yes.

Q. Must feel pretty good?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, I always like to get revenges. Feels amazing, especially we just recently played in Doha and also three-set match. I felt like -- I was really disappointed, though, even though it was really good level from the first till the last point.

I thought I just didn't convert my chances, and so really happy with the way I finished. I felt kind of good in the third set, as well.

Q. What do you think was the key today? You finished with a good stat sheet. What was the key on court for you, do you think?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: The key was to, of course, be aggressive, which is my game, but at the same time, find the balance between being aggressive and not giving her a lot of easy shots, easy points, because she's great fighter, and she's always there. I know when she's down in the score, she's going for the shots.

I was trying to, like, balance all that and mixing my serve, as well.

Conditions are tough. Like, the ball is flying. It's not easy being aggressive but kind of trying not to miss and make points, as well.

So I thought I managed to do that pretty well today.

Q. I talked to your coach yesterday, and he said you have done a lot of hard work since the preseason. Just wondering, what was the mindset for you this season? Did you decide something needed to change, or...
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, I just decided, I mean, for once, can you just start doing hard work? Or can you, like, finally start practicing and be serious with this (smiling)? .

Of course, consistency of hard work, as well, because in the past I could have, like, done good work for a couple of weeks or months, but then it was like that all the time (indicating up and down) a lot of changes. I was going through a lot of changes with coaches, the base, like, the cities, everything.

I think now I'm more consistent and more serious with that, as well.

Q. Do you think it's a tricky side of having too much talent?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know. I never really think of myself as a talented player. Really, like, I'm totally cool with this. A lot of coaches before, they told me, like, Yeah, you're talented. That's why you think you don't need to work, which is, you know, I never thought I was super-talented or something. I just like to enjoy life, as well.

Sometimes it was good, and I was going in the wrong direction, I guess.

Q. Why now? Why now have you made this kind of decision to take it more seriously?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, I'm 25. I'll be 26 in July. The time is going quick, you know. Tennis life is kind of short.

I feel like if it's not now, then after it's too late. I have older brother who was really good, and I would say much more talented than me, who regrets a lot now, because he was doing a lot of bad choices and stuff.

So that also shows me that I don't want to end up like that.

And, again, I just gonna take my chances, try my best, work hard consistently, and see where it can bring me. You know, you never know. Maybe I will never achieve something good, or maybe I will achieve really good things.

I just, yeah, work and try to balance, enjoy and work hard.

Q. Can you share some words on Simon Goffin? How it is to work with him? What he's bringing to you?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, it's good. It's working good so far, and we also having fun on court and off the court. Yeah, it's going very well.

Q. Can you think of any specific matches where you felt the effects of the hard work?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: For example, I think today, you know, it's a good example, as well, that I have improved a lot. Probably last year or couple years ago, I would definitely lose this match. Maybe not two sets but three sets, for sure. Like, I wouldn't be able to hold this level in two, three sets under this heat. It's really hot, as well.

And I'm making fun of myself, as well. Like, I have no problem with this. Before, I would probably tire. After one set, I would be so tired even if I won the set.

And I think today it shows, as well, that I have improved and I feel much fitter, so the third set kind of was consistent for me.

Q. Can you give an example of, like, something -- because when you talk about choices or taking things seriously -- maybe before you weren't -- of an example maybe of something that a year ago, two years ago, you would have been, like, okay, I'm going to do that and maybe that was the wrong choice, but nowadays you would make the opposite choice?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't want to reveal too much, any secrets (smiling) about myself. But it's simple. I'm moody person, and I hate routines. I think that was the main issue I had.

Let's say, for two, three weeks, I'm, like, seriously? Same exercise? Can you mix it up? Can you mix it up? The coach is like, You have to do it. I'm like, yeah, I'm so tired of plain cross? Can we do something else? It gets annoying. Let's warm up again. Can we do something else or can we go and change?

I was always, like, moody and there was no consistency in anything before. So that probably would be the main point.

Q. Next one, Sveta. You know her well. Is that an exciting match, or, you're, like, no, no, no, I don't want to play her?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Let's see. Who knows? It's a new tournament now. Different conditions. I was like, really? I have to play her again? We are both from Russia. Sydney, Australian Open, and last two, three months. It is how it is, the draw is like this.

Yeah, I know her pretty well, and I think these conditions suit her well.

She's playing kind of this mix up a little bit of Spanish tennis, which I think is pretty good on these courts.

I kind of feel very good, as well. Yeah, let's see. Let's see. I don't know.

Q. Match against Venus in Australia, what are your thoughts about that now?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, I was very emotional after the match and disappointed, as well, because I thought it was a very close match. Again, of course, she showed some great tennis that tournament.

But again, I felt like I could have done this better, you know, so I had a lot of regrets.

I didn't feel so fresh for the match, as well, because coming from Sydney, I also played doubles there. Australian Open, I kind of felt like I was playing every day either doubles or singles.

I just arrived not so fresh. Yeah, I had a lot of regrets after the match.

Q. So is your kind of mentality these days, like, no regrets? You don't want to have any regrets on your career?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't want to, but I will have it, anyways. I think that's impossible. We all have -- I mean, either it's tennis or life, you always look back and you go, Oh, I could have done this better.

I think it's how life is. But I just feel like if I can change it, I should change it. Like, okay, maybe I have regrets, let's say, Venus match. Next time I play her, let's change it. Don't at least repeat the same thing.

Then I think that's what's important.

Q. Do you tend to have a Plan B when you go on court? Do you go to it often?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I want to think that I have, but I think now we actually also working on it. Because sometimes I'm way too aggressive, and I cannot change it.

Yeah, we're working, as I said before, on finding this balance between being aggressive and having Plan B, as well.

Q. What would your Plan B be?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Just go behind the baseline and hit spin and push, put everything in (smiling).

No, I don't know. Of course, try to move better and defend better, as well, apart from being always aggressive. Kind of have both. Yeah. I don't know.

Then honestly, I was, like, improve. I say go with the flow sometimes in the match. My coach is, like, I told you. Don't do these dropshots. I'm, like, I'm sorry. I wanted to. I feel like it was the right one.

So sometimes it's easier to say when you watch the match than when you play.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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