	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2017

Petra Kvitova

New York, NY, USA

P. KVITOVA/G. Muguruza

7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you were looking forward to the test of playing a top-10 player again. How do you feel about that test, how well you passed?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, how I can feel, right (smiling)?

I feel great obviously, of course. I was happy that I was managed to win the match. Over the last couple of points, I got a little bit tight. You can just dream about, but when you there, it's just different. It's about experience again.

Was great fight. I mean, I struggle a little bit from the beginning. I was little bit probably, you know, rushing from the beginning, so I just need to really try be a little bit more calm, play some rallies.

It wasn't really nice when I couldn't serve the set. That was really big game from my side 6-5. Didn't start well in the tiebreak as well. I was glad I was just trying to stay in the rallies.

Won the first, which I think was kind of the key of the match afterwards.

Q. How do you think your game stacked up well against her tonight to get that win in straight sets?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I beat her last time in Beijing, so I little bit knew what to expect. I think I have a good game to beater her. I mean, I'm playing aggressive, as well. I think that my lefty serve is helping, as well, right from left.

I think, you know, I really have to push her the length of the court, and that she doesn't really have the space to go for the shots as normal as she does probably. That's probably it was.

I struggle a little bit with the serve. I made some double-faults. But sometimes the serve helped me, as well, a lot. It's up and down still.

Q. At the French Open you started the first match that you played with a forehand winner. Afterwards you said, I'm surprised by that. How often do you still during a match think, I'm surprised by how well I'm playing?
PETRA KVITOVA: I missed that feeling for couple of months (smiling).

I'm not thinking like that any more. I think maybe it's a bad sign sometimes, that I should still be more appreciating than I am probably. But sometimes I just really feel that it's, you know, the touch is there, the strength, the aggressive kind of game plan of it. It's there, which I'm really, really appreciated for that. Took me while to find it. Luckily I find it in a Grand Slam, which is nice.

Yeah, I wanted to say something real special today, I was working on it, but I didn't. I think it's about the mental side as well. I just need to have everything together to click. It's how it is. I mean, it's taking some time, some practices, matches and everything.

I'm glad it's still there.

Q. You talk about how New York is a loud, tough place for you, and Wimbledon is quieter and easier. Now it's three years in a row that you've done better in New York than in Wimbledon.
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm trying to like it more probably then (smiling).

Q. Have you gained a comfort level here, now winning a night match on Ashe. It's pretty loud. Wouldn't always be a very comfortable place for you.
PETRA KVITOVA: That's true. I should change my perspective about it. Maybe that's why I didn't ever have any expectation to play well here. That's why probably I am playing more relaxed and more free maybe. I don't know.

You know, always putting little bit of pressure in the Wimbledon because of the titles, I do have them. But I'm trying to find, like, a rhythm of the US Open. I'm not going on-site the day off. I'm staying by the Central Park which is pretty relaxed.

I do feel that the courts are little bit faster maybe than the past years or last year. And, you know, I do remember from last year I played a fourth round with Angie on the night session and I lost. I was like, Uh-oh, hopefully will not be the same this time. I didn't start well, so it was little bit there.

On the other hand I think the crowd was just amazing. When I had a match point or pretty close game, they were just really crazy. Was just unbelievable to play on. So it was just great experience again.

Q. Without Muguruza, it is possible a new winner of a slam, different from Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. What do you think about this?
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't think anything. I mean, the women's race is still very, very open. Of course, Garbine was one of the favorites to win the title and be No. 1. I'm sorry I'm not sorry I beat her (smiling). I'm still happy that I'm in the tournament.

But, I mean, anyone from the draw can win the title here, so it's very open. It's just nice to watch women's tennis, I think.

Q. It hasn't been humid at all this year. How much do you think that's helped you compared to previous years?
PETRA KVITOVA: I still sweated a lot actually tonight. And I thought would be a little bit cooler because from the morning was pretty rainy and everything. But so far I'm pretty lucky with the weather. I'm not complaining at all. I played some first rounds, then I played later in the day. I think the weather was good for me so far.

Q. Can you look ahead to Venus.
PETRA KVITOVA: I can (smiling).

Q. Good.
PETRA KVITOVA: I watched little bit when she played today with Carla. I think that she really played great. I think that she's playing amazing on the majors this year. I mean, she is really playing very, very well on the big stages. She played the final of the Wimbledon. She's a champion. It's what we all know.

Will be a great match for me to step on the Ashe again probably and play there. I mean, we always had a tough battles. But I will try my best. I mean, she has a big serve, big server of course. She has something special which the other players doesn't have. That's what I will try to play again probably, similar game as today.

Q. You said you got a little bit tight towards the end there. Why do you think that was? How did you get yourself to calm down?
PETRA KVITOVA: You know, it was kind of moments when I dream of to come and play again on the big stages against great players on the tour. That was kind of one of the motivation to be back for it.

So probably in my mind was just there, think about it. I'm there and I do have -- I'm getting pretty, pretty close to win that match. Probably that's why.

I didn't really, you know, play the kind of great players so far in the season when I came back. It was something really special for me. I knew how everything was just so tight and very close, every game what we played in the end of the match. I just knew it would be about the few points. That's probably how it look in the end. I knew I was a little bit tired, but my serve helped me a lot in the end.

Q. You were saying getting a chance to play a top-10 player, getting through it, you're going to play obviously Venus next, and we've seen through this tournament with Maria when she played Halep that top players, regardless of the ranking, doesn't matter, when you play against each other, everybody gets up for it. Why do you think that is?
PETRA KVITOVA: We have hormones (laughter). But I see on the men's side they have it too, a little bit. It's not about the woman's only.

You know, it's funny of course, because you just wake up in the morning. You say, Oh, boy, is terrible day today. I just don't feel well. On the other hand you wake up, see everything relaxed, just easy.

Sometimes I do feel the favorites of the matches are little bit tight, do feel a little bit pressure on the back as well. The other ones just play more relaxed, just went for it. That's how it is, I think. We are not robots. Sometimes it's just how it is. Everyone have ups and downs. Doesn't matter who is she. Even Simona, she play really great match or whatever.

I don't know. It's just probably fun to watch for the fans. I don't think it's pretty fun for the top players. But I think it's very open, as well, that everybody is just getting better and better. I think from top 20 to 30, everybody can play with everyone. That's how it is.

Q. Do you think there's a difference, even though you're not in the top 10, you're Petra Kvitova, two-time Wimbledon champion, you take on another top player like Muguruza or Venus, do you get up more for it?
PETRA KVITOVA: I do, yeah. I do, especially after everything what happened. I do feel little bit pump, of course. I don't really have a best ranking, but on the other hand I know I can play well, which I showed today. That's how it is.

I mean, everybody just need to expect the tough matches every round of the Grand Slam, of course, especially in the second week. I just like to play on the big stages against the great players on the tour, so...

I like those challenges.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297