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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 22, 2019

Petra Kvitova

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

P. KVITOVA/Hsieh Su-Wei

3-6, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Hard work, wasn't it?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, it was. It was a tough one today, for sure. She really didn't give me anything for free. It was a tough first set. I'm glad that I was able to came back in the second. Anyway I didn't play great at the end of the first.

Q. What are you most pleased with?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think I'm pleased with my kind of mental focus after losing the first set, that I was more calmer when I come back and play from the beginning of the second set.

I still kind of felt that I can do that somehow. I don't know. It was something weird. It's not really happening often to me. But I headed there, and that's helped me a lot today to kind of feel that I can do that or I can battle to the third.

Q. You looked pretty heavy-legged in the third set. How difficult was it to, especially against her, get through that final set and not give up that break?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I am glad you mentioned 'against her' because with her, you have to be really, really low. I really had to. I mean, she didn't give me any high balls. I really had to be very, very low, bend my knees, whatever I really needed. Played some longer rallies, as well.

Yeah, I'm a bit tired right now, to be honest. I have a final tomorrow, so I don't know how I going to recover. Hopefully I have a few hours to do something with me.

Q. There was a rally in the second set, you gave the face when you won it, looked to your team. You gave an expression.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think I made few faces today. I'm not really sure which one you mean. I think I get a little angry to myself. I was like really angry, yeah. Sometimes it helping me, actually, to be honest.

Q. Can you describe the mental challenge of facing her.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, going to the court knowing that you don't know what will be there, what kind of shot will be there, how she going to return or she will not return, if she going to miss or making the winners.

She likes to play down the line a lot. Something that not really happening many times compared to other opponents. Knowing that, of course, you have to be prepared mentally and physically as well, as I mentioned, being very, very low. That's what I really had to do today, as well.

I was going for the volley sometimes, otherwise I going to play forever those rallies against her. I'm glad the volleys were really working today.

Q. What encouragement did Jiri give you throughout the match, coming out two or three times?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, he's great that he's just staying positive, which is the best. Even sometimes I am negative, he's always putting lot of energy to me. Especially in the third set when I was really fired up, I think he came and fired me little bit more again. Staying positive, which is always the key of me, of my game, that's what he did.

Q. Only February, but you're into your third final of the year.
PETRA KVITOVA: That's nice (smiling).

Q. What does that mean to you?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, yeah, it's a bit weird, to be honest. I didn't really expect anything like that. Well, to be honest, I didn't expect anything, which I already achieved this year. For me, everything is just bonus.

As I mentioned, the tennis, it's a bit like escape this week. This is unbelievable to be in the final when I'm escaping from something. Yeah, very interesting.

Q. Looking ahead to your final opponent, either Bencic or Svitolina, talk through that. Good records against both.
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, we played against Belinda in Australian Open. The score looked a little bit easy, but it wasn't easy at all. I saw her playing some matches. She's really on fire, playing really well. I think the surface suits her game, as well. I think it's pretty fast. That's what she likes to play.

Elina, we played Singapore, but it's different conditions. Definitely she likes to play here, we can talk about. She's playing different game, so it will be very interesting match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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