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WUHAN OPEN

September 28, 2018

Anett Kontaveit

Wuhan, Hubei, China

A. KONTAVEIT/Wang Qiang

6-2, 2-1 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously not the way you want to make a final. But down Love-2 early on, what changed in your game? From then on it looked like you were hitting the ball incredibly.
ANETT KONTAVEIT: Yeah, I think I started a bit slow, and she came out playing really well. Yeah, from then on I really found my energy, found the rhythm. I thought I started playing better and better.

Q. Did you at any point notice she was injured or hampered even before she took the medical?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: I was trying to just focus on myself, yeah, not let her medical timeout and everything bother my game. I was just really trying to focus on myself. Yeah, I think my main goal was to keep the focus on.

Q. Rewinding back to your opening match, quite the escape against Sloane. Talk through a little bit what you think was the key in terms of getting through a tough match like that. Seems to have set you up well for this week.
ANETT KONTAVEIT: Yeah, the first one was a really tough one. Yeah, I had to work really hard. I was just trying to stay in there with her and compete as well as I could.

Yeah, I think a win like that can give you some confidence like it did. Yeah, I think I built on from that win really well.

Q. What are you most pleased with this week in terms of your game?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: I think I've been really competitive and really tough. I think that's what I'm most happy about. Really fighting for every point. I really stayed in there with everybody.

Q. You changed coaches mid-season, which is sometimes a tricky thing. What was that like for you? How well is it working and why?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: It's working really well now. I think when you make the change, of course in the beginning there's some things to get used to. Different coaches see things different ways. But I think it's really coming together. We're really starting to understand each other really well.

I'm really happy right now with that.

Q. This is your first final of the year. It is exciting. How do you want to end the year, beyond the final?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: From the beginning of the season, the goal has been top 20 for this year. Yeah, it's my first final this year. Of course it's really exciting. My first final in such a big tournament, it's definitely special.

But, yeah, I'm going to have a good match tomorrow. Again, a tough opponent either way. I'm just going to try to enjoy it.

Q. The Wimbledon chairman said today they are willing to reconsider rules about coaching on court. Do you think that's a good idea?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: Yeah, I mean, it's been different from the WTA tournaments and the slams.

I don't know. It hasn't really bothered me that I haven't been able to call the coach on court. It makes you a bit more independent. I don't really mind.

Q. You kind of struggled getting back-to-back wins for a little bit before this tournament. What do you think was the difference? Why do you think you weren't being able to do it through the summer hard courts, and now it seems to be coming together?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: I think my game was there the whole summer. Yeah, I just had some really close losses. This week I've been really turning them around. Yeah, I think the first match maybe gave me some confidence. I think I built well on that.

Q. Talking about who you could play tomorrow, either Ash or Aryna. How well do you know either of them as people and players? Talk through what the particular challenges will be against each.
ANETT KONTAVEIT: I've never played against Aryna. I've seen her matches. She's playing really aggressive, yeah, takes the initiative so well. She's had a great season. If I played her, it would definitely be really tough.

But also Ash is such a talented and good player. We've played each other a few times. Not very recently, I don't think, but before. I've always had a lot of respect for her since the juniors because I always thought she's really good.

Yeah, it's going to be a tough challenge either way. Of course they're both really good players. I mean, yeah, they're in the semifinals, so they're having a really good week.

Q. After the match you talked to Wang Qiang. What are you talk to her?
ANETT KONTAVEIT: I told her I'm sorry that it had to end this way today, and I congratulated her for the previous week and this week. Yeah, I really hope she gets better. I really felt for her today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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