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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 21, 2018

Angelique Kerber

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A. KERBER/S. Errani

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel about that match, how you played?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it was a tricky match, especially because she was, of course, playing good. She had a lot of confidence after her matches here already.

I was just trying, you know, to stay in the match and trying to, yeah, not thinking about how she was playing, because she was playing with a lot of spin. Just trying to more going with my game.

Q. Do you have much experience playing on that court?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yes, I played I think few years ago few times on the court. So yes.

Q. Is it nice to have Hawk-Eye there now?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. It's nice to have Hawk-Eye, especially if you play not on the center court.

Q. Does it play differently than center?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's always different if you play on an outside court than on the center court because, first, of course, it's much smaller, you have all the background. It's a little bit different. It's always a different match feeling to playing on the center court or on court one or court two.

At the end, the court is the same. It doesn't matter where you play. You have to play good. You win your matches. This is important.

Q. You mentioned before you put last year behind you. Are there still parts of your game you feel are not where you want it to be at?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, I try to improving my game every week, every practice. I mean, there's still few things I can still improve, can still work on it.

I think this is always important, that you have something where you can really put your focus on and trying to, yeah, improving your game.

Q. Is there any specific reason why you're maintaining such a high standard of form? It's really been good this year.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Because I forgot 2017 maybe (smiling). I don't know.

You know, really I tried to starting a new season completely, just trying to taking all the experience that I took from the last two years, especially from the last year where I learned a lot.

Now I think, as a player, I have much more, yeah, experience, all the ways: losing, winning, also on court, off court. I think this also makes me feeling little bit stronger going to the tournaments.

Q. Do you like to have a schedule, knowing that as No. 1 you will go onto the main court? Now you may go out on an outside court. Do you miss the perks of when you were No. 1?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: To be honest, right now I really not thinking about this. I mean, of course it's always nice to play on the center court. I mean, there's good players, as well, here.

For me, it's more like I don't care which court. For me it's always important now to win the matches and focusing more on my opponent, on my game, on the next round. That is what is important. If you win, then you get the center court. This is always like this.

I mean, I know how to play on the center court. I know how to play on the outside court. It's just about your mentality, just focusing on not the schedule, more on the game.

Q. When you were winning everything in 2016, a lot of players in the locker room were saying how you showed everybody that you could win at a later stage in your career. Now that Roger is doing it in the men's, do you think you can play deep into your 30s?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know yet. I mean, of course I'm not saying no. I mean, I think the experience right now, they are really important, especially in this game style, how you play. You have to be really fit. It's always important. The tennis game change a little bit.

But of course, I mean, there are lot of good players in the women's, especially like Roger in the men's. They are a little bit older, but still playing, winning, staying in the top 10, the top 5.

I think it's about how you schedule your year and how you do, yeah, your routines.

Q. You mentioned you learned a lot from your losses. How did you deal with the loss against Halep in Australia? How did you view it?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it was a match that I was giving everything I could in this day. I mean, I give everything. She also. I mean, it was a tough match.

But, you know, of course I need few days when I came back home. I was thinking about the whole trip. But at the end for me it was more important to take the positives. I won so many matches in the January. I came back from 2017. That was more my focusing.

I know how close I am again to being up there. This is what counts for me. I know how it is to win matches with match point down, like I won in Australia when I won it.

Yeah, this is tennis.

Q. Coming back to this tournament, you're playing Pliskova next. How are you feeling about it?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Against Pliskova, it's always a tough match. I know how she's playing. I know what to expect. I know that I have to play good tennis again. It will be completely different match than today.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to play against her again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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