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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 15, 2018

Angelique Kerber

Indian Wells, California

D. KASATKINA/A. Kerber

6-0, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is it about Daria's game that's so difficult to handle?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I think, yeah, for me and for my game, it's difficult how she's playing. But, I mean, I think from my side I was not able to play my game like I played the last few weeks.

I couldn't find, yeah, the rhythm. I mean, today again it was really tricky, like, start -- yeah, when we were warming up, it was wet, the courts.

It was, yeah, I was playing the first match, but I was not playing the last few days, so it was also tricky condition for me.

And, yeah, I make a lot of mistakes, easy ones, and not my day at the end.

Q. Do you feel that this court which is really slow is not helping your game or so against such a player?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. I think for sure it's maybe not the favorite court for me, because it's really slow and it's -- like I said, every day it's different day.

But at the end, I mean, yeah, I'm lost in the quarters, so finally I will just try to take the positive things from all the last days and, yeah, looking forward with positive things.

Q. Would you say this is the best that she's played against you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know, because the opponents always playing like the opponents are playing. So I was not able to play my best tennis today, but of course I think she played a good match. Also, the last matches she played good. She beat good players.

So, yeah, I mean, it's tough to say if this was her best match against me.

Q. You play such a physical game. How were you feeling coming into today's match and knowing that she's serving so well and returning so well, especially against Caroline yesterday?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, physically I'm feeling good. I knew before that can be a tough match with long rallies, but finally I did too many easy mistakes before the long rallies.

And, yeah, I can just learn from this match, and, yeah, doing it the next time better.

Q. We have talked at times about the difference between last year and this year and the aim is surely consistency. I appreciate it's rather soon to take away the positives, but do you feel that that consistency is coming with the adjustments you're making to your game now?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It is coming, and I played already so many good matches this year. This one I will try to forget as fast as possible, but still, I mean, I know how my game plan is. I know what I need to do. I'm always trying when I'm on court to improving my game.

Yeah, I have this in my mind, and sometimes you have days like today. Yeah, especially when you have a game like I have.

Q. Is it easy to mistake her for a kid? I mean, she's 20, but yet she's been around and she's obviously not, you know, kind of a new-comer. She's had good results. Is she somebody who is not to be taken lightly just because she's 20?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, I mean, she already is few years on tour. She had already few good wins on her belt, so that gives her of course much more confidence, especially in the last few weeks.

But, yeah, I mean, she has still a lot of years to go. But, yeah, I mean, she's playing good. Yeah, we will see how far she can go here.

Q. Do you find it difficult sometimes to sort of set your own expectations, especially when a set gets away from you that quickly? How do you stop that panic?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, actually I just try to, after the first set, to forgot about that and just starting from zero and playing point by point.

You know, I think at the beginning of both sets, the first few games where I had my chances, I didn't take it. And I think that was then the key that, yeah, that I couldn't find the way back, especially in the second set.

Q. How soon will you head to Miami to prepare for the next event?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know what I do now (smiling). But I will go to Miami, yes, but I don't know when, how, and don't ask me this half an hour after the match, please. I don't know (smiling).

Q. Regarding the clay season, I hear some players on the men's tour thinking, okay, we're going to cut down this season because I can't do it for my body or that's not my type of surface.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Maybe I should do this, as well (smiling).

Q. I wonder if -- because, you know, Wimbledon and the grass season is maybe the best for you coming? Have you ever thought about, okay, I'm going to let alone the clay?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, I was not -- maybe I was thinking, but, you know, I will just play the big tournaments on clay and this is it. I mean, I have four tournaments on clay, and that is it what I will play on clay.

I mean, I just can play this year better. I think I won one match last year on clay, so I think it just can be better this year.

Q. Talking about the clay, the clay in Stuttgart is very, very different. Obviously it suits you.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah.

Q. What is it about that particular element of the surface?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, the clay, especially because it's indoors, so it's always different if you play indoors than outdoors. And, yeah, it's a little bit faster than Rome and Madrid, especially.

But, yeah, I mean, my home tournament, so this is what makes so special for me. And then there I think I don't care if it's clay, hard, or grass. I just love to play there.

Q. You talked about needing to forget this quickly. What do you do to get yourself to where you can move on?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I think I will just now try to get rest for a few days. And for me it's always when I'm coming to a new tournament, I already forgot the last match that I lost and I focusing new. I start the tournament from zero, and this is what I will do.

I mean, I think that I will go in the next few days to Miami and then it's -- yeah, I will forgot the match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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