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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 3, 2018

Petra Kvitova

Wimbledon, London, England

A. SASNOVICH/P. Kvitova

6-4, 4-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What wasn't working for you today?
PETRA KVITOVA: What was or wasn't?

Q. Both.
PETRA KVITOVA: I think, like, most of the things wasn't working. That's probably the answer for that.

I don't know. I just didn't feel well obviously. Was a first round. The nerves were there again. I don't know. I just tried to kind of fight with myself. Probably was the biggest opponent which I have.

Yeah, I tried. I changed it in the second set when I got an early break. In the third, I think it was just too quickly when she was on the board, and I just couldn't handle it any more.

Q. You said in the warmup maybe you wanted slam success a little too much. Do you feel there was an element of that today?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yes, again (smiling). Probably I wanted too much again. I just made a joke that probably I going to skip the Grand Slams for the next years. I will see how everything is going (smiling).

You know, when I was kind of younger, I played better on the Grand Slams than the other tournaments. Now is the time when I'm playing better on the other tournaments than the Grand Slams. So I make a promise that I going to be very patient and I going to try to break it again for the other side.

That's probably how it is, of course. It's about the Grand Slams. But it's just not really working for me right now. But it's fine. I going to try it next time.

Q. When you feel the nerves like you felt today on the court, how does that make you feel? Do the legs get heavier? The hand shakes? Decision making cloudy?
PETRA KVITOVA: First of all, I probably didn't really have a clear mind. I kind of thinking little bit too much than I should. Of course, the hand is not moving that easily as it should be, so I'm tight. I didn't move that well either, so...

I'm just trying to wait for some good timing that everything settle down. That happened in the second set, but it's came again, and she was on the board afterward. I couldn't really do anything with that. I just let her play.

Yeah, I'm not playing that aggressive. I don't really have a good length on the balls as well. I can't really swing it as much as I wish I can.

Q. Why do you think it is you're finding the Grand Slams more difficult in this phase of your career than when you were younger? Putting more pressure on yourself now?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think I didn't really care that much before. I do care, unfortunately, now. It's depends if it's unfortunately, right?

So, yeah, probably that's why.

Q. Before the tournament you said you didn't know too much about Sasnovich. Did anything surprise you about her game today?
PETRA KVITOVA: Maybe surprised me that she could play okay on the grass. Of course, I let her play her game, which I couldn't really push her that much as I wish I can. The conditions were pretty tight today, as well, with the wind a lot.

Yeah, I think that she's just the kind of player who is moving around the court and putting everything back to the court with a good backhand. Yeah, when I didn't really put the pressure on her, she could just do whatever she wanted. She did great dropshots as well. I don't think I won any one of them, so yeah.

Q. Is it just the first rounds that are the biggest struggles for you in the slams? Is it the pressure at the beginning, the nerves in the first match?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think it's the first rounds, second rounds, and third rounds, as well (smiling). After that, it's fine.

Well, obviously I think the first rounds are always tough. But I don't think it's just me. I think it's all of the seeded players, the favorites of the matches. I don't really feel special, but...

Anyway, I think I already won the biggest match, so that's probably why I'm smiling.

Q. You've been able to come in with a bit of a light mood and crack some jokes. There have been players that come in after a first-round loss at a slam and been much darker. Are you angry, really disappointed, or is it easier at this stage of a career to let a first-round loss go?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I have to. I don't want to break down anyway. As I said, I already won the biggest match of my life and career, so it was, like, more than one Grand Slam.

Of course, I'm sad. I wanted to win very badly, maybe too much. Yeah, that's why. As I said probably in the Birmingham, somewhere, that I already have great season so far. Everything what I going to win now is just the bonus. That's how I acting right now. I'm not acting actually. Sorry (laughter). It's how it is.

Q. What, if any, physical problems might have contributed to the result today?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, until yesterday, I felt good. Just today I was pretty tight. Everything is just little bit the nerves. It's nothing really special with the physical kind of movement, of the body or anything. It's just the tightness in my body.

Q. Physical tightness, but no specific injury?
PETRA KVITOVA: No.

Q. Is it just Wimbledon and the special significance it has for you that makes you nervous? Do you have these same kind of feelings when you go to New York, Roland Garros?
PETRA KVITOVA: Who knows? Probably in Wimbledon it's a little bit more than the other Grand Slams because obviously I know I can play well, which probably is bad. But it is how it is. Yeah, I think it's the worst one.

Q. US Open last few years for you has been the best one.
PETRA KVITOVA: Thank you.

Q. Are you looking forward to hard courts?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I'm not really thinking about the hard courts yet. I'm really looking for some time off right now. I have lot of tennis so far in my hands and on legs, whatever. Then I going to think about the hard court season and about the US Open probably in the end of the August. We'll see.

Q. Where are things in the criminal matter back in your hometown? I know somebody was arrested. What happens next procedurally? Will you need to testify at some time in the next few months?
PETRA KVITOVA: You're asking for what?

Q. What is the status of the prosecution of the individual who was arrested?
PETRA KVITOVA: I have no idea right now.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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