	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

NATURE VALLEY CLASSIC

June 21, 2018

Petra Kvitova

Birmingham, England

P. KVITOVA/D. Gavrilova

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What parts of your game were you most pleased with today and how tricky were the conditions?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think the conditions were pretty tough for both of us today. Both of us, we did some double faults today. The serve was not really working the perfect way probably, especially on the grass which is kind of the big key every time. So, yeah, it was a bit tricky today. The wind was changing directions, so it wasn't really easy kind of, like, how to put the ball in. Overall, I think I'm pretty pleased with the game. I tried to not hit it, like, close to the lines but somewhere to the court. Sometimes the winds, that's paying off in a way.

Q. You spoke in the past about last year, it was pure happiness when you have challenging matches like this. Is it easy to feel that happy again or what kind of emotions do you have when you're back in business?
PETRA KVITOVA: I always feel kind of happiness when I'm playing on the grass actually. I do feel it here as well. Probably I thought I'm going to feel some pressure to defend the title, but I don't. It's kind of nice to have those feels and be more relaxed, which I do not expect. So probably that's why I'm kind of not really stressing too much about matches and the nerves in the matches. So that's good.

Q. Why do you think you don't have that pressure this time around?
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't know. Probably the mindset is just a little bit different. I'm taking it kind of not like a practice, but to see what I can improve and what's, like, is working already. That's probably how I'm, like, thinking on the court right now.

Q. Do you feel like you've got what it takes to go all the way through now in Birmingham?
PETRA KVITOVA: Not really actually. I had two nice wins, especially with Jo was a good one. Today was a fine opponent. I think it's not really her surface. I'm not really thinking like that. I do know I do have a very tough one next one, so we'll see.

Q. So you're back here in Birmingham. Do you like the place? Do you like the tournament? What's so appealing about this tournament?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I do. I love England, so it doesn't really matter probably which city it is. But I like Birmingham. We have a hotel in the city, so we can walk around. It's great restaurants as well. I had a walk just by myself yesterday, so it's really, pretty like, relaxed place for me.

Q. Do you like these sort of tournaments because they're smaller and you get more interaction with the crowd and the people?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, obviously, overall I think I'm enjoying the quiet places than kind of crowded one, so, yeah, I think I like it.

Q. I know you say that you felt less pressure as defending champion. Does it go through your mind that you are coming back here as defending champion?
PETRA KVITOVA: It came, but before I went here actually. Since I'm here, I don't really have those thoughts, which it's surprising me as well, but it's true.

Q. From when you first won Wimbledon, this grass season section, obviously the attention on you increases, especially in England, how have you managed that or learned how to manage that over time? The first time around, it was all very new. Now maybe you're more comfortable with it.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, it's a few years already finally. Yeah, after the first one was pretty, pretty tough. I didn't really know how to handle everything. The second one was little bit better with the experience which I had in the past. So I think the life was little bit easier after the second one after the first one. And, I don't know, this time I don't really care actually. As I said I don't really feel, like, those kind of big nerves as a defending champion playing on the grass. Maybe that's kind of the thing how I trying to beat all the expectation and attention. That's the mindset right now. I don't know obviously how we're going to be tomorrow or the next week or two weeks next. I don't know. I'm just trying, playing, and whatever happen.

Q. Do you feel at all embraced by the English fans?
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't. I'm not trying to buy it. I'm just by myself. I always like to be natural, not really acting anything. I feel the English people are the same. I like the humor of them as well. I don't know. I just do feel great in England. That's it.

Q. If it was up to you, I know it's not, what would you seed Serena at Wimbledon?
PETRA KVITOVA: Seeded?

Q. Yeah, to be seeded. If you were to pick a number between 1 and 32, what would you pick?
It can be not seeded, too.

PETRA KVITOVA: No, no, no, it will be seeded for sure. I would say 9.

Q. Why?
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't know.

Q. Good answer. Very random. I'm doing a story a story on Barbora Krejcikova who just won the French Open doubles. I don't know if you know her or know anything about her as a player. What are your thoughts on her?
PETRA KVITOVA: Actually I should know her a little bit more, but I don't really. We practiced in Prostejov when she was younger and I was practicing there. We meet each other there, but we really never like hit or had kind of talk or something. So it's pretty tough for me to say anything. She's Czech, obviously. What a surprise. I know she's been practicing with Jana. I think she's from Brno so they were pretty close. I think that she's playing kind of tricky game. I didn't really see her playing doubles, but I know from the singles a little bit when she's trying to change the rhythm, with the kick of the serve and slice and whatever. That's what I can say. That's not much. Sorry.

Q. I'm working with Jana. You obviously know the Czech tennis culture. Was it surprising to see a former Wimbledon champion working with someone who was ranked pretty low at that time and was more of an unknown player?
PETRA KVITOVA: That's true that it's not very often happening in Czech Republic. We don't really have that many Wimbledon champions. So it's tough. But I think because Jana was from Brno, as well, I think they were spending the time in Brno together. Jana's always been involved in the tennis. It didn't really surprise me seeing her as a coach and probably Barbora was looking for a coach, so perfect combo.

Q. What's your favorite surface to play on and why?
PETRA KVITOVA: Grass, because I won twice Wimbledon (smiling).

Q. We'll adopt you as English.
PETRA KVITOVA: Thank you.

Q. You're welcome. You said that your next one's going to be quite tough. You got two pretty informed players, especially Ashleigh. Just your thoughts on the next match up?
PETRA KVITOVA: Doesn't really matter who it's going to be. I played Julia a couple times this year, but not on grass, probably never on grass. It's probably not really her favorite surface. But with a big serve and big forehand, she can really play on the grass, but we'll see. Ash, obviously we played the final last year. She won Nottingham just now. She's very talented with a great touch on the ball. That's why she's so tricky on the grass. I do remember the final match of last year when I lost the first one and I need to really fight for the second. And the third I finally felt better on the court. I try to take something from the last year finals, but we know how every match is different and the situation is different as well. But you know she can mix it a lot. Good serve. She can go for the volleys, like, from the return and from the serve. That's what makes her special.

Q. Have you ever hit a backhand volley like that before, that spins back?
PETRA KVITOVA: It's normal now (laughing).

Q. That's normal? Very impressive.
PETRA KVITOVA: It's happen for the first time ever to me. Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297