	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

ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2018

Petra Kvitova

Paris, France

P. KVITOVA/V. Royg

3-6, 6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. When your forehand looks really good, it's flying in, but at the same time, if you pull the trigger too early, it can lead to unforced errors, like sometimes it did today. How do you address that balance going forward into the tournament?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I suppose the conditions here are a little bit different compared to other tournaments which I played before.

The balls are really flying as well. It depends on the weather a little bit, as well, how the balls are flying.

But obviously I try not to hit unforced errors, right? But sometimes it's not that easy when you play opponent as I did today. You really have to go for it and try to hit it a little bit harder, because she catch everything.

Yeah, I try to be more patient in the end, which I think was paying off.

Q. How did you find the humidity today? It was quite sticky out there. How does that affect the balls, as well?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, not sure if that affect the balls, but I was sweating like hell today (smiling). Yeah, I didn't really feel humidity but I did feel, like, very warm weather today.

Obviously I know the forecast is rain in the afternoon, so you're right about the humidity. But I didn't realize it on the court, which is good, obviously.

The balls, when they are new, they are flying, but after few games, it stick a little bit, and a little bit more heavier. So it's not flying that much probably as I wished.

Q. I know when we spoke to you at one of the clay tournaments about how you think you're going to feel when you come to Paris, and you said I don't know, I'll see when I'm there. What was it like today stepping on the court a year after you came back here?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I didn't really have any flashbacks. So I just realize it after the match when I got a question from the journalist that I didn't really think at all about the last year stepping on the court again, which I was surprised.

On the other hand, I think it's good that I'm in a different time and that's important for me, for sure.

Q. You said before that going into Roland Garros what is really important is actually the physicality for you. And so getting the week off of rest out of Rome and coming in maybe a little bit more rested, how much did you feel the difference in that third set in particular down the end? Looked like it was a lot of hard work.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I wished I can be more rested, but that's how it is. Yeah, I think it was very physically tough today. She really hit almost everything. I'm not surprised she reached the fourth round last year here. She really likes the conditions here and played very well. She didn't really miss much, as well. So it was pretty tough.

Yeah, and the end was pretty physically tough, as well. The last, I don't know, four games were really like trying, and she did, as well. But I was just happy -- I tried a little bit go more to the court, be more a little bit aggressive than before. Otherwise we are still playing probably (smiling).

I just tried going for the net a little bit, which helped me in the last game, I think.

Q. You have played some big points at 5-All in the third set. How important was it for you to hit those big winners? Does your experience in playing in the big matches help you at times like that?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I think there are those difference between the players, as we see we really can play with anyone on the tour and anyone can beat the opponent. So in the important points, that's really deciding who gonna win the match, which I was lucky today I made it.

You know, it was really tough to break her serve. Even she doesn't really have that great serve, but she really, you know, put everything into the court. It's tough going from the return, very aggressive.

So, yeah, it was pretty important from the rallies to have those winners, as you said.

Q. You like it when your ball flies fast and you can hit winners, but is there a way to also explain, like, conditions that could help your game in some way? Because you have the power to hit through.
PETRA KVITOVA: Tough to say. Hopefully when the wet weather is here, it's still a little bit flying more than from the opponents. Sometimes it's just not enough.

But I think I work pretty hard to be ready for the rallies even it's not that flying and I cannot have those winners, which I think I showed it today, as well.

So I'm pretty satisfied with the work which we did, and hopefully it will pay off in the future, as well.

Q. You have great form this year. Are you working on keeping the consistency of level? Because you have played great tennis in the past and then had some bad tournaments. Can you keep the level high for the most important tournaments?
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm trying, but as we see my tournaments this year, it was second round in Sydney, first round in Melbourne, and obviously I won two tournaments, and in USA it wasn't really great either. It was very high or very low.

But I'm trying on the consistency, for sure. It's just a bit tough.

Q. You said today this match was physically demanding for you particularly towards the end. How will you prepare for the next round? How much will you rest and how much will you practice?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I need a good sleep. That's what I really need. I need to eat well, as well, obviously, to have some more energy back to my body, to rest a little bit better.

I'm not sure, I think I'm going to hit a little bit tomorrow but I don't think like too much. But just I played a lot of tennis in the last couple of months, so I hope that it will be fine.

Q. Czech women's tennis is so strong these days, I think. What is the reason?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I get those questions, like, very often (smiling). I'm not sure about the answer. I think it's kind of good, healthy rivalry between us, but I don't really feel so, because sometimes when we play Fed Cup we are, like, teammates, as well, and we are supporting each other.

Probably I think that our parents took us to the tennis and were pretty tough on us to really work hard. We should be talented, as well. So I think the tennis, it's very popular in Czech Republic. We do have, like, a lot of great legends and idols, so it was always very popular.

Probably we have good growing-up facilities and all the stuff what we need to be good.

Q. Jelena Ostapenko talked yesterday about talking about the pressure coming in as a young defending champion. You won Wimbledon at 21. Can you describe what the pressure is when people talk about pressure? What does it mean? How does that pressure show itself?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah. If she did tell, I know how she's feeling, probably. It's not great stepping on the court after winning the Grand Slam a year before.

Well, from my point, I felt like, okay, I need to do great again. Obviously I don't have to really win the Grand Slam but just going, really, and play well, because I did play last year well. But it's not like it is, right? So one day you're playing well and one day it's not that great and it suddenly depends on the opponent.

Obviously, like, the pressure probably is that you're feeling like tired and tight, and you can't really move properly as you probably playing without the pressure that you're just going there and you have nothing to lose.

But when you have the pressure, you have something to lose. Probably in your mind only, but it is how it is. You just want it a little bit more from yourself.

Q. You had a really good run here in 2012. Do you feel any closer to that form at all?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, not today (smiling). Tough to say. I don't really feel right now, but obviously I'm not sure if I did feel it 2012, either.

I did have great matches on the clay which I'm taking very positive. I think, like, for me this clay season it's great, and I'm just here to have some maybe more bonuses, which I already did today.

So I'm taking very easy and relaxed this tournament. It's just very bonus, as I said. So we'll see how everything end up. I'm just very happy to be in the second round right now.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297