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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 12, 2017

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Madrid, Spain

K. MLADENOVIC/S. Kuznetsova

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough semifinal today. Can you talk us through the match. Kristina said in terms of intensity, it was a bit of a weird match, it fluctuating a little bit because you're doubles partners, not showing fist pumps, that sort of stuff.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I think overall the match was, like, Kristina played really well. For me she's really confident at the moment. You can see that she win many matches this year. You can feel it on the court.

She played smarter than I did. My balls was a little bit too short. Yeah, I mean, it's really small moments which change a match a lot.

I mean, it's not the same. Like, I was not very pumped up as I should have been. But, yeah, I got to do my homework.

Q. Many years ago you were saying you came to Madrid to play the WTA Cup. You said, Madrid, the altitude. Now you have a good curriculum. Have you changed your game or was it mental at this time?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I improved. I improved over the years, for sure. But it was indoor. I didn't know so well the indoor game. But now, as I live in Moscow, I think I improve a little bit because I train a lot indoors. I won two Moscow Cups. I played better in Singapore this past year.

Yeah, I'm working on it. I'm playing better with the height, with altitude. But yeah, I mean, it's just different. With age you understand better how to manage.

Q. You struggled to get breakpoints and looks on her serve. Was it something where your return was letting you down? Was she serving particularly well tonight? How did the matchup go on the serve?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: She was serving smart. Her serves were low. I was a little bit too far. After the match I just start to think I should have changed something on my returns. The balls was extremely heavy for me. I think my return was short, so she could manage just to go with her forehand and dictate the game. Then I was in trouble.

Whenever my return was deeper, it was different game. I think this is where everything changed.

Q. Kiki is without a coach. The results are speaking for themselves. Stuttgart final, this final. What do you think her chances are for the title tomorrow?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, it has nothing to do her chances and having a coach. I think she's very confident. It changes a lot the game. When you swing the ball, you know it's going to get in, it's different when you have confidence.

Kiki, she's really smart. She watch a lot of tennis. She analyze and have good tactics by herself. Perhaps she can do without coach. Good on her.

I mean, tomorrow is going to be tough final. I don't know. I don't want to say. I don't want to call anything. I'm normally terrible in my calls. Let the best one win, that's it.

Q. You called Carlos down at the end of the second set. Unless my Spanish is off, he told you to go with more depth on the return, try to place the ball deeper. Do you feel that was one of the issues that when you got depth, it was out wide, she's very good on the return on the run?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Like, we were trying to figure out where should I put the ball on the return. In the end, the main thing was to put the ball deeper. My ball was just very shorter.

She's good on the run. I can move well and do that. But the situation changes when she goes in and I go out. This is like a chess game, you know.

Q. Talking about her dropshot a little bit. You're a quick player, especially moving front to back. Is there something where she disguises it pretty well? You know it's coming but it's just hit too well? What makes it so good?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's a great quality she has, good hands. I knew it was going to go a lot of dropshots. Yeah, when I play on clay, I'm perhaps a little bit too far back. She saw that. That's why she was doing many dropshots. In the end I started reading it better.

But it's a good quality, though.

Q. In general, your career is great. What else? Perhaps Wimbledon, a few more years? You're 31, but you're young.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, look, any Grand Slam would go good with me. Doesn't matter whatever the name is. The Grand Slam already sounds good.

No, I mean, to talk seriously, I enjoy playing and being in top 10. It's great. You know, many years in top 10. I really enjoy the game. To be in top 10, you got to win lots of matches. You get confidence.

Actually, I don't know what else to do in my life, you know (smiling). Of course, I can find. I really have fun outside of the court. But still this is my main thing I always did for all my life. Why leave it if I enjoy it and if I'm doing pretty well?

I also earn a living, you know. It's not bad. It's not bad, so... I will have time to spend with my dog later.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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