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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 10, 2017

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Madrid, Spain

S. KUZNETSOVA/Q. Wang

6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Walk us through the match. How do you feel you played out there?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I was two breaks down. Each set I was a break down. I mean, to me, as I said to my coach, I was just with her in a chat right now. I said, Look, it was kind of important match. It's huge event. It's third round.

But playing outside court to me it felt like I was playing quallies. It was really hard to balance, like, the thing. I knew, like, it's important, but somehow I have not played a top player. I'm not playing a top player. I know she's been great and she plays good and everything. Still, it was really strange.

I'm happy I made it through.

Q. How much is the confidence coming through for you in those moments where you are down, the matches get a little bit tight, your game leaves you a little bit, with the way you've been playing over the last few months? Do you feel you can tap into that?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I definitely feel it. I feel like with confidence I know when to step in, and still have a chance. I'm confident I can make it. It changes a lot. Many balls which I would miss or which could turn around before, like my game, now doesn't do it to me. I still know I can get it. It does really help a lot.

Q. What have you been happiest with with your three matches so far here this week? Is it being able to bounce back after being down in sets? Just in general what have you been most comfortable with?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think the first match I think I was all the time not lost my serve. The match against Riske, I was positive mentality. I really like how I change things around.

I was a little bit, like, slow, a bit conservative, tight in the first set. Then the second, I saw that if I wouldn't change it, if I wouldn't raise my game, step up, I wouldn't be having chance to win. So I had to do it. I played so much better the third set.

So this helped me for today's match, as well.

Q. Angie or Genie next. Talk about them separately.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, both of them are playing great. I'm looking forward for both matches. I have not played Angie or Eugenie for a while. I'm just looking forward. It's going to be very tough match.

Q. Did you catch any of the match with Maria and Bouchard the other day? What were your thoughts if you did?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I did see it. I cannot really give a good thought because I have to see the full match. I didn't. I see like match points and some key moments in the third set, because I think I was playing doubles or something.

I think they both was hitting the ball very hard, stepping up. But I don't think Maria still, like, getting all her game back, but she's doing much better. But for me she was playing better in Stuttgart.

And Genie, definitely she's playing much better than past months.

Q. I think Genie painted a bit of a picture that in the locker room there was support for her before the match. Is that the vibe you're getting from the locker room, that some are pro Maria and some of anti Maria?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No. Actually, first of all, I didn't see Genie talking to players. I mean, Genie doesn't talk much. That's the way she is. She just go, does her own thing. I think she also changes in different locker rooms. So I didn't even see her. I think I see her maybe once overall.

I don't think the players, at our locker room where I change, nobody talks about it. Like everybody is over it, you know? We had asked so many times, Maria, Maria.

I'm happy she's back. I'm happy she's playing. I'm happy she's doing great. I think the topic is already out. It's been too much of talk. I think she just has to have her time and her comfort zone to work on her things and do.

We should also play our game and not kind of talk about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. How do you feel about the losses of some of the favorite players in the draw?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, favorites in paper, but after that on clay, many players were not favorite. Some of the players don't feel very comfortable playing on clay.

There are other players that are playing really well. They have a very good game. I think a lot of players are doing it really well.

Q. Last year you were out in the first round, but now you've made it to the fourth round. What is the difference between last year and this year?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think circumstances are completely different. We play a lot of tournaments. Last year perhaps I wasn't prepared for this tournament, especially because I came from Prague. It was a completely different tournament, different ball, the altitude. The circumstances were completely different.

This year I think I have a little bit more confidence. I've changed the tournaments I played. For example, last week I trained. I had more time to train and to get used to the altitude.

So I think that I have more confidence and am more used to the altitude. I think I'm going to do better in Madrid because of that.

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