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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2018

Angelique Kerber

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A. KERBER/D. Vekic

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you get yourself fit for an occasion like this kind of weather?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, you know, I don't know if you can prepare for something like this. I mean, it was really tough out there. I mean, it was really hot.

But I was just trying to starting the day with drinking a lot of water and also taking the ice towels between the breaks. So actually I was, yeah, just trying to playing point by point and not thinking too much about weather conditions.

Q. Does it help taking the amount of confidence that you must have, now after sort of not having lost a match this year, does that help you to sort of stay centered and grounded?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, you know, in Sydney it was quite the same situation in one, two matches that I had. I think it was good that I had it, like, last week, the weather condition.

But of course, I mean, I have now a lot of more confidence than, like, few months ago to going in a match like that. I'm playing good. I feel the ball. I enjoy my tennis again. I think this is the most important thing for me.

Q. You're playing Maria Sharapova next. Tennis fans are already getting excited about that matchup. What are your thoughts on that?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, it's another tough match here. I mean, we both played in the past a lot of good matches. I mean, you know, I know that I have to play my best tennis again. I think it will be a good match. She played very good the last two here.

I'm just looking more about me, like how I will prepare, just playing my game from the first point, just of course trying to do my best.

Q. You have a Belgian coach now. Do you follow the Belgian players a bit more now?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually, a little bit. I know that Mertens won last night against Gavrilova. I think it was a really late match. This is all I know.

Yeah, like, few players I follow a little bit more, but also because we played in Hopman Cup against them.

Q. What can you tell me about her? She rallied last night or this morning from 5-Love and saved eight set points in the first set.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I played against her the first match this year. It was a good match from both of us. I think also she's, like, really focusing on what she is doing. Yeah, I think if she continue to play like this, stay full course, she will play good in the next few years.

Q. Like you, she brings a lot of balls back, has a very good physical ability. She's calm in the head?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, and she's young. She needs a lot of matches. For sure, if she's playing like this, she will play good.

Q. Do you think you found your best tennis in the previous 10 or 11 matches you had this year? Is there still some more to come?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, I think it's just still the beginning of the year. I mean, I had very different matches in the last few weeks. I mean, also matches how I played here against a German which is mentally a little bit tougher, and against lefties.

You know, I think, yeah, it's just the beginning of the year, but I'm feeling the tennis again. I know what to do on court. It's, like, in my mind just similar to 2016 than to 2017 (smiling).

Q. You said how much you like playing here. Is it partly because you celebrate your birthday here?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, every year I have the birthday. This is what I enjoy actually. I love Australia. Since I'm here like, I don't know, 15 years ago I came here first time, I get in love with Australia. I love the people. I love the weather and everything here.

I played good. I won here my first Grand Slam. Yeah, I really enjoy the beginning of the year and of the season always to coming back here to Australia and playing here good tennis.

Q. Is there a food you like for your birthday?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually I like a lot of restaurants here. I think maybe we will go somewhere on the beach or something. But I don't know yet. I mean, now I have to finish everything. Then we will decide what we do. There are a lot of restaurants there.

Q. You're someone who never gives up. What is your biggest comeback? To rally from 5-Love in a set and saving eight set points, did it ever happen to you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I know I won a lot of matches where I was match points down. I don't know if I was like this.

Yeah, I mean, tennis, you have to play until the last point.

Q. You turn 30 tomorrow. Do you feel like you're entering a sort of second phase of your career?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, getting older. I was waking up this morning, I say, Okay, the 2 is gone right now (smiling).

I think, yeah, I'm looking forward to the 30s. Also, you know, I mean, I'm feeling the same like yesterday. I am feeling healthy. I'm still fit. I still enjoy my tennis. I'm not looking too much about the age, just how I'm feeling. I'm still feeling young.

Q. Do you take inspiration from what some of the older players have been achieving lately?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I think right now there are lot of good players there right now. They're in good shape. I think it change a little bit in the last years. I mean, yeah, the experience also is really important in the tennis game right now.

Q. The 4-2 game in the first set, there were a lot of dropshots. Talk about the texture of those points.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, you know, she was fighting. I know to expect. I was expecting this, that she is playing good tennis. I was also expecting that she will play a lot of dropshots.

But, you know, the conditions out there, it was really hot, to be honest. It was a really important game. But at the end I lost it. I was just trying to, yeah, stay in the match. Nothing happened because I breaked her earlier in this match. I was just trying to, yeah, stay focused.

Q. Was it weird playing and seeing Torben...
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I was not looking in the box.

Q. Were there any patterns she had that you felt, he knows your game very well, that were going after certain spots that might have been soft on your side?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I mean, first of all, she was playing like she plays. She's always the player who is really hitting the balls hard. Also serving good. I mean, I was trying to not thinking about her game.

I mean, I was just trying to focusing more on my game because I know if I will overthink everything, I know that Torben coach her right now, so I just stayed on my side in the court.

Yeah, I think it was a new situation for me. I mean, I never played before against my ex-coach. Yeah, it was a new experience, for sure.

Q. On the matchup with Sharapova, you have played a lot. Is there a match that you both played that kind of stands out to you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: We played a lot. We played in Stuttgart, which I remember. We played in Wimbledon. Also a really tough, long, three-set match. Yeah, we played a lot of matches which I remember were really close and tough.

Now we have another match ahead. Yeah, I'm looking forward to playing against her. This is the matches I'm looking forward to have, especially at the beginning of the year. I had a lot in the last few weeks. I will try to continue my run and playing good like I played also here like the last two matches.

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