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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2019

Jiri Vanek

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously it was a great year for Petra outside of the slams last year but at the slams was difficult for her last year. Is there some sort of change in the approach you have had to the tournament this year?
JIRI VANEK: I mean, I don't think she really change. Always Petra put too much pressure for herself, especially in the beginning of the tournament. You know, offseason we didn't change nothing. Actually, everything was the same but probably she bring some confidence from Sydney, of course.

We didn't spend too much time here on the courts. Straightaway we hit once, 20 minutes, before the first match. Probably helps her, like, I just tell her, Still continue, you have to think like you're still in Sydney and just continue to play Sydney more matches. Probably helps her a little bit.

Q. She's often talked about how nervous she is in the first and second rounds. Once she gets through that stage, is she completely different?
JIRI VANEK: Yeah, I think so, for sure, because in the beginning probably she's thinking too much about herself, how she's gonna play, she play good or she play bad. Probably too many emotions for her.

Now we just came here and everything was so fast after come here from Sydney and probably was not too much time for her to thinking about that stuff. I think that was the key.

But you never know. We can come for another Grand Slam, it's going to be different story again (smiling).

Q. Do you think that it does help at all that when you talk about her not thinking as much, usually at the slams though there is that day off in between where a player's mind can wander a little bit. How is she handling the days off? Are you guys hitting the practice courts? Do you even come to the site? What's the situation?
JIRI VANEK: No, we decide we not practice between the matches, not at all. We just keep her like stay in the room or just go visit the city and not come here for the tournament to see other player.

Probably it's help her, like three years ago I remember when she was first time quarterfinal -- last time quarterfinal in US Open, and because of US Open, then you spend like one-hour drive to the courts, and then she saw that, Ah, maybe I don't have to hit between the matches. Then we continue like that.

Especially here, she was for sure she have so many matches after Sydney, and we need to keep her relaxed a little bit. After first two rounds she said, Okay, we do it the same way.

Q. About her possible next opponents, she was telling us that the loss against Maria in 2012 here was probably one of the most painful losses of her career. I'm just wondering if it is Maria, she's up at the moment, looking ahead to that match, how do you see it in terms of the matchup with Petra?
JIRI VANEK: At that time I was not with her, so it's good, and I don't want to think about what was in before.

For sure, Maria is a great player, a great name. For them, both of them, I think it's gonna be big match. They both play, they, like, both of them, they like to play pretty aggressive. So it's gonna be the same game plan for both of them.

I don't want to thinking about how was it before and how it can be. Just go there and show her best, and probably if Petra gonna play this way how she played today and days before, she has a good chance to make it.

Q. If it's Ash, how tricky is it to play the same player twice, like, within ten days or so?
JIRI VANEK: You mean with Ash? It's tough, for sure, but, you know, in tennis sometimes it happen. Sometimes happen you play final and next day you play first round at different tournament the same player. Petra played with Ash, she played like twice final. Twice was great match; twice was fight in the three sets.

So we will see. It's gonna be tough, anyway.

Q. On the tour, you were able to come on court and help Petra with coaching. You can't do it at the slams. But I know the Grand Slams are thinking about changing the rules maybe. What do you think is the best thing to do? Should coaches be allowed to come onto the court? Could they be allowed to coach from the stands? What's the best thing?
JIRI VANEK: Actually last year I was thinking about for sure in woman's tennis they help them. In men's tennis they are more stronger, more tougher maybe like on the court.

But this year we try to prepare in Sydney. We said in Sydney, I am not going on the court. Doesn't matter what. She said it's okay, and she survive, especially in the final, 1-6 first set, then 7-5, 7-6. We said is preparation for Melbourne. It help her a lot.

Now I'm like, Okay, maybe it's time that I don't want to go on the court. So is the best thing what you can do, I mean, if your player somehow survive by himself, you don't have to help him all the time when she is in some troubles.

Q. Petra's a very strong person. Maybe she's okay with that.
JIRI VANEK: She's okay with that. She's okay with rules. If somebody say nobody goes, then nobody goes. If somebody is allowed, then she call me. But normally I don't think she's the person so she need it all the time.

Q. It's only two years since Petra wasn't sure whether she'd ever be able to play again. Tennis moves fast. How amazing is it she's been able to be contending for slams?
JIRI VANEK: I don't want to say it's miracle, but for us it's just amazing. Two years ago we didn't know what is gonna be. Nobody can tell us what is the best, I don't know how to say, the best thing to do with her, because different injury and even the doctor doesn't know like when we can start to hit with the balls, normal balls, soft balls.

So everybody was learning, me and fitness coach, as well, from her. But she was at that time, she was so strong mentally, and she show us, she tell us, Don't worry, guys, I will come back and I will be strong. And maybe this thing can help me in the future.

We just follow her and now we try to give her back her, like, positive attitude.

Q. Is she a different person now? Did it change her as a person?
JIRI VANEK: This year than the last year, you mean?

Q. I mean with what happened to her.
JIRI VANEK: I mean, yeah, I think now she a little bit taking, the tennis, it's not taking too much serious like before. For sure she's doing everything 100%, but also I think she's thinking like she can be somewhere in the hospital for a longer time, and then she will not be able to play tennis anymore. But I think that's most important for her.

Q. General question about coaching. In team sports, the player doesn't choose the coach. In tennis, any individual sport, the player chooses the coach. Does that make the relationship between the player and coach at all difficult, if you disagree with the player, for example?
JIRI VANEK: Yeah, tennis is the worst, because let's say the player is like the guy who is owning the team, and normally the team pay you normal, the coaches. And you are more stronger, you can decide which player you want to have on the field, let's say.

But -- tough question (smiling). No, no, it's up to the player always. Sometimes a player can be not nice to their coaches. They take it like they pay you and I own you almost, and it's up to the coach if you have, if you are strong enough, to tell them what is wrong, what is not wrong. Sometimes you are quiet.

With Petra, we have everything clear and she's totally nice.

Q. But what happens? There must be sometimes when you disagree with her about something.
JIRI VANEK: Sometimes maybe, you know, the woman how they can look if they are not happy if you tell them. But anyway, after one or two hours she's always okay and we discuss. I try to discuss even if it's bad or good. If we have trouble between us, I try to discuss with her and then explain how I mean it and that's it.

Q. In terms of kind of, in match coaching, do you prefer coming on the court during changeovers, or what they have done sometimes in the qualifying at the Grand Slams, players can walk up to the side of the court where the coach is sitting?
JIRI VANEK: No, I don't like. Maybe it's the best thing, if you allow to coach, then coach can sit there all match. Oh, why not on like Fed Cups? I think that's the best decision you can make. Or not coaching.

Q. In this Grand Slam, the players that are left in the draw are all very experienced. They are high-seeded, very strong. Maybe that hasn't been the case in slams recently. I'm wondering, do you see it that way, and if yes, why do you think it's happening with this slam?
JIRI VANEK: You can see especially in women's tennis so many, like let's say first 30 players in the world, first 40, everybody can beat anybody. In men's tennis, there are more like, let's say those four, five first guys, they keep winning all the time.

Then the Grand Slams, I'm thinking a lot of girls, they take too much pressure on themselves, and especially they pass first two rounds, they improve a lot and then they are tough to beat them. Especially here, all the girls yesterday they survive from, was losing and they survive, and they are more stronger now, and then it's gonna be tough to beat them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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