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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 14, 2018

Petra Kvitova

Cincinnati, Ohio

P. KVITOVA/S. Williams

6-3, 2-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was a pretty good match. How good does it feel to win?
PETRA KVITOVA: Not bad (smiling).

Yeah, definitely was one of the best matches I have played this year, for sure. It was big hitting today. We were really battling about every point, every game. It was really a great match from both of us, I think.

Yeah, I served pretty well today. I tried to return as much as I can. Yeah, I think it was fun to play Serena and was a good win.

Q. What were you telling yourself after you got broken in the third? Just opened it up. She had kind of cleaned out that second set and elevated her level and it looked like the momentum was with her at that point.
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I was still staying calm, because I knew that I could break her, as I showed it in the first set.

Obviously the second game of the third set I really fight, get the break back and hold the serve. Those two games were very important for me. Even I lost the first game in the third set and I was up, like, when she wants to, she really hit it big and it's really tough.

But I fought back and it was a great game for me to level it for 1-1 in the third, so it gave me a bit confidence again. I served well in the next game, so it's made me a little bit calmer then.

Q. What do you make of the way she played and her level?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think that in the beginning she didn't really feel the rhythm probably. I saw it from the baseline, pretty aggressive, so I put a little bit of pressure on her.

She started to play better in the second. She really hit it much more bigger than before. She served big, as well.

In the third was really, I think, like 50/50. I mean, it was just couple of points there and there, and that's I think that I kind of put few more returns back to the court. From the rallies, it was always pretty open.

Q. Playing Serena in the second round compared to playing Serena later in the tournament or final, does it make a difference?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I didn't play her in the final, so I don't know. I played her in semifinal, but, well, I think it's a kind of interesting second round (smiling).

Such a big tournament, so it's how it is, and, you know, we are both coming back from something. It's kind of fun to have the matches like this from the first rounds. I don't know. I'm just glad that I played Serena, I won, and it was a great match and doesn't matter which round was it.

Q. Of all the things about playing Serena versus playing anybody else, what's the most unique thing about playing her?
PETRA KVITOVA: It's fun to play, for me. I know it's -- it's not about the forehand or backhand or serve. It's like a mental game, as well, you know, still staying there and be focusing on every point. You need to play well, you need to serve well, because she's serving well almost every time. So it's just about the staying really very focused and every single point.

Q. Serena said at Wimbledon everyone always plays their best against her. Do you feel you always play your best against Serena?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, in the previous matches not really sure, but, well, I think that I need to play my best if I want to beat her. I'm pretty lucky when I'm playing these kind of players and always playing great. Not always, but most of the time. So it's nice that I can show the best tennis against the best players.

Q. What was the discussion with Jiri and David kind of the 24 hours before this match, once you knew that you were going to be playing Serena and she had won her first match?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, when you already kind of knew that there is a potential to play Serena, we kind of probably put a little bit more the game plan into the practices, like really hitting back. I practice with Lucie when she's really playing big, as well, from the serve and from the returns, so I got a great preparation for that.

Of course the match is always different, but I think that we really put the important things to the practice already before. And discussion -- well, going there, play my best, as always. But overall, I know there is no, like, weak shot of Serena. So I knew that I need to be there, I need to play longer, really have a great depth of the balls, that she doesn't really have time to do her job. That's what it is.

Q. What does this win mean to you?
PETRA KVITOVA: Definitely I'm very pleased that I found a way back to win it in the third set, even though I got broke.

Playing great first set for me, she didn't have a break, so it's amazing. So I do have very positive things from the match.

You know, playing Serena in front of the USA crowd always it's kind of fun. You know, playing against the crowd, it's not that great, but I did feel, you know, the energy from the crowd, so it was great.

Overall, I think it's a great win back on the hard courts going to US Open, so it's great.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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