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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 6, 2019

Petra Kvitova

Madrid, Spain

P. KVITOVA/K. Mladenovic

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. It's becoming nearly a topic, but you are not a clay court specialist. You can win Wimbledon for instance, but Madrid suits your game. Is it the attitude or is that you are playing clay in the Czech Republic?
PETRA KVITOVA: I always thought it was a attitude here in Madrid. Last year, I won at Prague. This year I won at Stuttgart. So I'm not sure how it is counting.

Overall, yeah, I think trying to play well on all surfaces which I think is really showing and even today, it was a pretty difficult match. I fought hard in the end and that is what is counting. And the clay and the conditions here are a bit different compared to other venues, so I always needed time to fight it out.

Q. Petra, can you talk through the match a little bit today in terms of the different challenges in each set and how you were able to kind of hang in there and it felt like in the second set and then kind of get that tie-breaker?
PETRA KVITOVA: (Smiling) Yes, I'm glad I won the tie-break. That is my kind of issue sometimes, but overall it's been pretty tight. And the first set I was up, I started pretty well and she came back. But then I took her serve again and it was a bit easier. In the second, I started very well as well but she just came back and played a bit better than the first set.

Those two games when I was down 5-4 and 6-5 was very intense on my serve and I'm glad I didn't give her the chance which was my strength, I think.

In the tie-break, yeah, it took a while to win the point on the serve (laughing) and yeah it was pretty tough. I think in the end of the tie-break, I'm pretty proud of myself that I kind of went for it and I hit a winner from the return and I played a backhand down the line as a winner and a great return in the end. So, I'm glad that I was able to go for it and playing positively.

Q. How much are you enjoying your tennis right now? It seems like it's sort of flowing through your game?
PETRA KVITOVA: Did I enjoy the tennis today as well?

Q. Maybe not today.
PETRA KVITOVA: I thought so (laughing).

In general, I'm really enjoying it. Bu today was pretty tough. I mean, as you said, I'm not enjoying the tennis right now. Of course, it is about the results as well. That's normal in tennis.

Today, I had to fight and, on the other hand, I'm glad that I had this match in the tournament and I had to fight through this. It was similar game or matches I played in Stuttgart against Anastasia. Hopefully, it's given me a bit more freedom for the next round.

Yeah, I mean, of course, I didn't have to play tennis at all. It's a pleasure to play tennis and after a couple of good results it is always better (laughing).

Q. Azarenka and Garbine are out. Who are your toughest rivals for this tournament?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think every round is tougher (laughing). But I can't really say one name. I mean we are seeing a lot of new faces winning the tournaments for sure. On the clay, I think Simona Halep is a great one. Now Maria Sakkari can play on all surfaces as well. I think Kiki Bertens is always very dangerous on the clay, so many of them I think, and my next opponent for sure as well (laughing).

Q. The circuit in general, you are playing a lot of tournaments in Asia, in China and other places. But do you feel that we also remind of you in Europe, or are you conscious of that? Or what is your opinion? We miss you sometimes in the European televisions for instance.
PETRA KVITOVA: Why are you winking to me (laughing)?

Q. I work in Eurosports!
PETRA KVITOVA: I work in Eurosports (laughing). Well, I wish we can play more tournament in Europe for sure. I mean, I'm from Czech so I would love to play more tournaments in Europe. But it's how it is, unfortunately. We have to move to USA, to Australia, to everywhere around the world. But yeah, to be honest, if we are shown more in the TV as Eurosport is, it would be great for everyone, not only in Germany but also in the Czech Republic as well.

Q. For those of us watching from the outside it seems like okay, Petra's forehand, she's left-handed. Kiki's backhand is maybe...
PETRA KVITOVA: Yes (laughing).

Q. ..a good pattern for you to go cross-court and because of the differential there. I'm curious when you are playing -- and maybe you have that in mind -- are there challenges there? Did she do a good job of neutralising your attempts to go to that side? What do you think?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think the first problem was I didn't feel that good today. I was a bit struggling with my forehand as well, so maybe that's why it's took me a while to have some more winners.

But overall, of course, when we played a cross-court, her backhand to my forehand, wasn't nothing to do anything, like we could play and then it was waiting for my forehand down the line, which I didn't play the best today. So I think that was kind of the key of the rallies and to get the timing and rhythm on the forehand. But she was mixing a bit. She played kind of high balls as well, she played some drop shots. She didn't play drop shots (laughing) no, she played slices (laughing). So it was a pretty intense match, I think, and I had to fight especially with myself today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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