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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 16, 2018

Petra Kvitova

Cincinnati, Ohio

P. KVITOVA/K. Mladenovic

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I think you could say that was slightly less stressful this time around?
PETRA KVITOVA: Do you think so (smiling)?

Q. You tell me. Did it feel...
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't really think it was stressful last night, before last night. I just really enjoyed every second to be out there playing on the center court, and I enjoyed myself today, as well.

I just didn't think that I played that good as I did against Serena, but I think kind of in the important things, closing out the set, I played solid, and that was kind of important. Even I didn't really hit many points on my first serve, I was still able to kind of win the first set and then I was more calmer in the second.

But obviously the first set was really up and down. I lost my service games a lot, and I didn't really help myself with that. But I'm glad the return went well.

Q. How happy are you that you have been able to kind of hit a good, solid level early in the tournament right off the bat, you know, against Serena obviously and then be able to follow it up with today?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I think every match is kind of different, and of course after big win against Serena when, you know, the crowd were there, kind of night session playing against Serena and then you step out after rainy day to kind of go there, and it's another match and different opponent, but you still kind of want to win.

It was kind of different fight today. I just need myself to get there and really fight, and I was telling myself to fight. And sometimes it just came naturally, but sometimes you really have to push yourself to kind of fight.

I did a lot of talking to myself today, pushing myself to just go for that, and I'm glad that kind of in the important points I went there, played aggressively than she, and that was important today.

Q. Is it safe to say that when you're playing on, you know, not stadium court on a rainy day where maybe it's not a full stadium that it's harder to find that fight than on center court against Serena in a night match?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yes, it is harder. I don't know if it's only myself or there are more players like this, but overall, yes. And of course I'm sorry for the people who are watching, the fans who came and they are raining. So it's not really great for them to kind of hide from the rain. We do have a lot of facilities to lie down and just wait for the match.

Yeah, but of course the stadium wasn't really full, and that's probably, maybe that's why, as well, I just need to fire up myself.

Q. How are the weather conditions for you?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, yeah, it was a little bit windy today from the one side to the other, so it was okay that we knew from which side the wind is coming, because sometimes it's just turning around and you never know.

Obviously we were happy that the rain didn't come in the second part of the match. Well, it wasn't really -- first part I'm not counting. But, yeah, so I'm happy that we finished it, and of course waiting all day long before, it's not the best, but that's how it is and the same for both of us and it depends how we are dealing with that.

Q. What's your main waiting activity?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I was sleeping, I was reading the book, I was eating. What else?

Q. A little bit of everything?
PETRA KVITOVA: Nothing.

Q. Do you still get excited when you sort of go deep in a tournament that maybe has been a bit tricky for you in the past?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I am, for sure. As I've been told on the court it's after six years. Yeah. So it's great, yeah, definitely. Cincinnati wasn't always my favorite venue to play because of the humidity and hot weather here.

So I'm very happy that I was able to win my second match and playing the third one. I'm still, you know, kind of playing and getting the rhythm before US Open. It's best to have a lot of matches to play under my belt. Didn't happen in Montreal last week, but overall I'm happy to get one more. So that's great.

Q. When you won Wimbledon, you talked about having a dream, having a vision of winning. Has that happened to you since?
PETRA KVITOVA: Unfortunately, no (smiling). I wish, but no, it didn't. Actually, I don't really have dreams about the tennis anymore. Probably I'm on the tour many years already, so, yeah.

Q. Speaking of being on the tour for many years, I did a small survey at the round table, and sorry to tell you this, but both Caroline and Angelique think you need driving lessons.
PETRA KVITOVA: Driving lessons? I do have my driving license.

Q. Next up, either Sloane or Elise Mertens.
PETRA KVITOVA: Who won the set?

Q. Mertens, 10-8 in the tiebreak. Thoughts on playing both those two players?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, with Sloane, we played, I don't know how many times, but definitely twice last year, Toronto and Cincinnati. So I'm saying, like, I'm playing her only in the USA, here in those tournaments before US Open? Of course that she were pretty on fire at the time (smiling).

So I think that she's playing, mixing it up, playing higher balls, slicing, a lot of running. She really reach a lot of balls. I just need to be patient, probably, and not really play her game but still need to play my game. But that will be probably the best case will be to find a balance between kind of going for the winners and playing some rallies overall.

And against Mertens, I never played. I never faced her. I know that she's in the great form. I mean, she won some titles this year, I think. Never played her. Not sure about her game. It depends on Jiri. He needs to find out.

Q. There is going to be changes in Davis Cup going forward. Are you comfortable currently with how the Fed Cup operates, or would you like to see some changes there?
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm very comfortable with our Fed Cup.

Q. I guess so.
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm not complaining at all. Like, from my side, when I found out today and saw all the kind of videos and the TVs, it's pretty sad for me. I think the Davis Cup now will lose kind of the best emotions the Davis Cup has.

From my side, I'm not really happy, but of course it's Davis Cup, so I can't really say anything. But just from my opinion, I'm happy that the Fed Cup is how it is and would like to keep it like that.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I know that on one side that's pretty tough to play Fed Cup for us when we are on the tour so many weeks, but on the other hand, we can skip some, we can play some if we are feeling comfortable. The best is playing home, for sure. That's why this Fed Cup is special for us, and I would like to keep it like that, for sure.

Q. Caroline spoke also about coming on to the tour as a rookie and there being sort of this new-to-the-WTA Tour rookie program to educate about the history of the tour, the fight for the prize money with people like Billie Jean King, just the legacy that you are continuing to pass to future players. Do you have memories about that and kind of the importance of that?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, it's long time ago, I'm pretty sure. I do remember I did something, but especially with the kind of physio thing that we -- they checked our body and kind of recommended do exercises and something like that.

But I don't really remember kind of this learning some history of the tennis. Maybe I did. Well, when you ask me something from the school, I don't remember, either, so it's kind of same thing with this (smiling). Sorry.

But I think it's good for the future to do that, for sure.

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