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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2018

Petra Kvitova

Cincinnati, Ohio

P. KVITOVA/E. Mertens

7-5, 5-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said on court that you had no idea how you were able to win that match. You have had about an hour since to reflect on it maybe. Do you have any other...
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, coach told me something, so probably finally I know. But, you know, mostly it was a big fight. I knew that Elise is playing really well. I think she won four titles this year or something like that.

Definitely she's a tough opponent. And when I gave her time and I didn't really play that aggressive, she was just going for that. I was the second player on the court, which I didn't want.

I didn't really serve well, but luckily I did have good second serve, which was very important for me to put it back to the court and play some rallies.

I really need to play more aggressive. That's how I made those important points, and I think that my forehand down the line worked pretty well afterwards in the third set.

So overall, I cannot really give her the time. That's it.

Q. We hear more on the men's side this discussion, "controlled aggression." I think you are a good example of a player that has that.
PETRA KVITOVA: Thank you.

Q. Is that something that came natural to you, or do you have to control the adrenaline, you want to go for the shot?
PETRA KVITOVA: I need to control it, for sure. I think I was born just to play aggressive. Just boom, boom, boom, whatever. If it's out or in, doesn't really matter.

But with those years on the tour, I just found out that if I want to be, like, top, that I need to kind of have the game B in the end of the day. But I think we were already talking about that, to find a balance between those aggressive shots and play some rallies, which I think was important today, for example, as well, because I catch a lot of balls and she put it pretty strong back. So it was really tough.

And that's how I was -- in some points I didn't really risk that much and just put it to the court, and I just played and wait for the important points that I can go for the winner. Definitely, I need to learn that.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the 'Elle' magazine picture that we saw.
PETRA KVITOVA: Oh. You just saw one, no?

Q. Two.
PETRA KVITOVA: Two? On the clay. I didn't see the clay one. I need to ask Katie, and she needs to post more pictures.

Q. It's a little different than the stuff we have seen you do in the past.
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah.

Q. What was it like for you?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I don't have the makeup on. Yeah. But it was interesting. We shoot it in Prague in the old club.

Yeah, it was kind of idea of do photograph for that kind of retro, sexy, whatever was it. I'm not pretty sure if it was sexy. It was retro, for sure.

Yeah, and the last day I had to lie down on the clay, which wasn't fun. I had clay everywhere, like in the hair, and....bleckh.

It was fun, and hopefully those pictures are different, for sure. Yeah, it's nice to do something else sometimes.

Q. Going back to the other question about fitness and kind of being, you know, disciplined enough to roll the ball in sometimes when you don't need to hit the big shot, was there a moment -- because your fitness has improved year on year, and you're as fit as you have ever been. Was there a match or moment or tournament that made you realize or trigger that, you know, that's something that needs to change, because if I was fitter, I would have won this match, or I would have done better this tournament?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think it was kind of the other side, when I found out that my fitness improved. Definitely knew that I need to improve the fitness, but even I didn't really be that fit before, I was always kind of managed to win it somehow with the, you know, as I said, boom, boom (smiling).

I found in probably this season or maybe last season that I could really catch more balls and put it back to the court. That's how I probably find out that my fitness, it's better. But the work which we did in offseason was probably the best I ever have.

And I see how the troubles are making my opponents, when I put one or two more shots back, they are pretty surprised sometimes. So that's gave me confidence, as well, that I really can reach a lot of balls. Like on the legs I do feel much better than I felt before.

Q. Do you enjoy the fitness work now?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, of course (smiling). Well, it's something which it's important. During the season we can't really do more. We did something after Wimby kind of to be prepared for the hard courts, but the biggest work we did in end of December. It was not really fun, like, yeah, it was really tough. Yeah.

Q. After playing Serena in your first match, do you have a process for kind of relaxing, coming down? Because you have to get back to work so quickly and play a totally different opponent in your next match.
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, that's true. But I think -- I think that if I'm, like, 20 and I'm playing Serena in my first match and I beat her, then for me it will be very, very tough to kind of be concentrate for the next one. Be honest, probably I'm going to lose.

But with those years and with the experiences, I think I'm more mature, as well, working on my mental side, as well. So I'm glad that that didn't happen, even it was on the kind of different stadium without that many people, but I was still managing to win.

So I think it's about the experience and the amount of kind of attitude in the court, as well.

Q. Yesterday the ITF changed the Davis Cup format.
PETRA KVITOVA: I already talked yesterday, Ben, about that. I'm sorry (smiling).

But I'm on the side of the players we just saw on Twitter. I don't think it's a good idea to change it.

Q. Next plan is for Fed Cup.
PETRA KVITOVA: Of course. We are always next. No, I'm not for that, so -- but nobody asking me.

Q. Going back to your fitness routine, do you do any mind/body work like yoga or tai chi?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I do have, like, my kind of exercise which I'm doing every day, which is kind of to make my body healthy and not be injured.

And then when it's, like, a gap of preparation, of course, that we are doing, like, a kind of weights or running or sprints or jumping or whatever we are doing.

Q. Nothing where you're just still, stretching, like yoga?
PETRA KVITOVA: No, I don't like yoga. It's boring for me. I like to sweat more than just breathe, breathe.

Q. When you won Wimbledon, Martina had a discussion with you about not being satisfied, right, prior to and don't be satisfied with getting to the semis and something like that?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, but it wasn't that year which I won. It was the year before. That's fine.

Q. But regardless, in terms of being hungry at this point, where are you?
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm very hungry. I didn't eat yet (smiling).

No, I think I was -- I was, even before, hungry, but it didn't happen. I had a great run in China and I won Zhuhai. Unfortunately then the sad thing happened and I was very hungry to just come back and play tennis. That was probably the biggest motivation I ever have in myself. So I was really putting a lot of energy to that.

And now I have been playing and I'm hungry to do well again, so I'm not satisfied at all. Even doesn't matter what's happening in life, but probably we are not always, like, we are not satisfied. It's kind of mental side of athletes and of the people who really want more and more.

So if you reach some stage, you always want more, which is same case with me.

Q. Does it surprise you, Kiki Bertens, she's obviously been, you know, a great clay-court player, you played the great Madrid final. Then she does well on grass and is doing well on the hard courts. You could play her next. Does it surprise you she's been able to find a form that is successful on all the surfaces?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think it surprise me. Yeah, I think one year I played her on the grass, and it was 6-2, 6-1, something like that.

Yeah, she improved a lot. I don't really -- I'm not really following that. I don't know which kind of side of her game she improve the match, but overall she's serving big, and that's -- of course when we are serving better, then we are making a little bit easier points and it's just tough to break.

But definitely, I mean, it's one of those players who really get improved a lot the season.

Q. You haven't reached this stage here in, like, six years. I'm wondering, when there is a tournament, you feel results are not going your way, and you come here and do this run, does that give you bigger hope for US Open?
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm just surprised, probably. It wasn't really my favorite place to play here, unfortunately. It's not because of the fans but it was because of the humidity, which we do have, but I don't know.

I just probably feel that I'm kind of improving on everything, like, on the clay, as I played this year, or I won some great matches on the hard court, as well. I just do feel that my consistency of the game and my level of the game, it's a little bit higher.

So I'm glad that it's paying off even here when I don't feel good. So I do have my asthma, so in this kind of condition it's not really great. I'm still able to kind of play those rallies, as we did today, I'm exhausted, but my breath was fine, and it's probably connection with my fitness as I improve that, as well.

Q. You have had better results at the US Open than at Wimbledon for the last four years or so.
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah.

Q. What's gotten better about your approach to New York?
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't know. It's probably, if I'm going to New York, I never have that expectations to play well there. So don't tell me anything, okay, about the US Open, guys (smiling).

Yeah, it wasn't always my favorite city or place to play. I find it always very crowded and the humidity, weather, it was just -- I don't know. It wasn't just suits my personality. I always like more Wimby when it's quiet and everything.

But it's changed. So, yeah, I'm changing as a person, as well. So probably that's why.

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