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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 23, 2019

Petra Kvitova

Miami, Florida

P. KVITOVA/D. Vekic

6-4, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How much did that mean to you after playing her a few months ago?
PETRA KVITOVA: It's much better feeling than the few months ago definitely. I knew what to expect. I know that she played well in the St. Pete, did well today. Better condition today than St. Pete, obviously.

No, it's different conditions there. Not playing indoor. Wind little bit, sun. I think it was great tennis, long. It was a big fight. I'm glad that in the third set I stayed on my serve, you know, just one break over there. I'm really happy that I got the win.

Q. After the second set, another Petra with three minimum. What were you thinking to yourself in between the second and third?
PETRA KVITOVA: I came off the court, I need to calm down little bit. I don't know, straightaway I came and I break her serve, which helped me a lot. Then, of course, to play good game on my serve, that's help me a lot, too, to be leading in the third.

I think was a couple of games where really was very, very tight, especially the first set, an hour, just 6-4. It was a big one today. Yeah, luckily I did a good job in the third.

Q. You've never hit No. 1. If you get into the finals, there's a chance. Is that important to you? How would that rate in terms of accomplishments?
PETRA KVITOVA: Right now is not really important to me. Important was that I won today. I did have few chances to be world No. 1 already in my career, and I didn't just make it.

But I'm still here and still fighting. We'll see what the future bring. But for now, I'm really fine. Actually I already achieved big things before, and since my comeback, as well, so I'm really satisfied with everything already.

Q. You said in February that your mobility in your left hand or fingers is not 100%. No sensitivity in the tips of the fingers. How do you compensate for that? What does it feel like when you hit the ball?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think I just already get used to. It will be never 100 anyway. My movement, it's not great. Those two fingers are, I don't know, gone as well. I just do what I can. Sometimes, of course, it's not great when I play tennis. I'm trying enough to compensate it.

Actually I don't know how I compensate it. I just try not to compensate it that much. I have the same racquet as I did before. I didn't really change anything. I'm really glad that it's still working.

Q. What does it feel like when you hit?
PETRA KVITOVA: It feels okay. It's no pain, that's good.

Q. You play Caroline Garcia. What is it about her that makes her a tough opponent?
PETRA KVITOVA: She is for sure. We had one practice here actually before the tournament. Was so windy so I'm not really counting that.

Yeah, it's while ago what we played each other. She is a tough opponent, for sure. When she's on fire, she's on fire. It's really difficult to do anything against her. But need to wait for my chances again. I mean, she has a great length of the ball, she play aggressively, with the flat shots. She's a good mover, as well. She's very athletic girl.

It will be big challenge, for sure. I think that she's on the way back to her great form as she had two years ago I think when she reached the top 10. She played amazing in Asia. It will be nice one.

Q. You talked about liking some tournaments more than others. With a week under your belt here, where does this tournament rank for you? Moving up?
PETRA KVITOVA: So far, yeah. I mean, so far it's great. I enjoying the time here. For sure it's something different. It's nice to be in a different place. We are used to knowing those places around the world. But this is new. It's nice.

I really like it. I'm really enjoying it. I think it's a big part of enjoying the tennis tournament.

Q. At Indian Wells you said your last match, you were a little bit out of it mentally. Does it help having to fight through like you did today, lose a set, come back?
PETRA KVITOVA: Definitely. I think sometimes you need kind of these matches when you are not playing great, which I didn't think I played great, and still get the win. My serve was just, I don't know where the serve was, but not surely on the court. Yeah, for sure mentally it's great to win the match like this.

Hopefully kind of this experience will help me for the future.

Q. We found out that Serena pulled out with a left knee injury. She's on the other side of the draw, but any comments on how that could affect the tournament?
PETRA KVITOVA: Actually didn't know it before. Yeah, I think that she is not risking her health, which I think it's very smart, yeah. I don't know what other comments are.

Q. Do you hope you get to play her more? We don't know how much longer her career will be. Is it important you get to play more against her or it doesn't matter? Happy to have won the last one?
PETRA KVITOVA: Actually if I play her, means we both going to be deep in the tournament, so why not? It's always great to share the court with her, for sure. I like to play her. I like the game. I like the facing those breakpoints, game points, facing big game, big champion. So yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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