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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 16, 2019

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Cincinnati, Ohio

S. KUZNETSOVA/Ka. Pliskova

3-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You went down behind the court, sort of slipped, and the trainer worked on it a couple times. Doing okay?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, I didn't injure myself in some point. I didn't feel like it was one point. I just get tighter and it was difficult to move. Then when the trainer worked on me it was much better.

Q. How do you think you were able to pull that off in terms of coming back and playing the level you were able to find.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Each match I did, so with Sevastova first round, with Yastremska, with Sloane was a little bit more easier, I just hang in there. I guess it was good to have some time off, because I have been missing. Now I don't know. I think I'm just matured and I just trying to play point by point.

Q. You have had kind of a lot of struggles with your injury in the past. Curious what was the toughest part about that mentally and staying motivated?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, it was tough when I was coming back that I want to play. I had top 10 ranking, I think still, and my backhand was really sore and I couldn't feel it. In the match I kind of have forehand and no backhand. It was really frustrating.

Q. What does it mean for you to make a semifinal at a Premier 5 after everything?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's crazy. It's crazy. But I promised myself that I gonna take it differently. This is what works for me. I take the losses the same as the wins.

So, like, kind of if I give everything out there, so I go out the court and just be happy, because it's everything goes with tennis.

Q. You genuinely looked happier out there, like you were enjoying. Even when you lost the first set and even if you were frustrated, it never seemed like you were getting down on yourself.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: But why should I? I didn't do nothing wrong. She was playing amazing. She served ace every time I had a breakpoint.

Yeah, why should I? If other player plays better, what can I do? But I can be there playing each ball, so beat me. That's it. That's pretty simple.

Q. Have you always had that attitude?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, of course not. I'm 34. It's going to be my anniversary next year, 20 years on circuit. I better learn something.

Q. How do you think you got to this point?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I love to think a lot, maybe overthinking myself, for sure. But sometimes I find this space in the middle. So I'm kind of there right now. We will see where I get next weeks.

Q. You're up to around No. 82 after this win in the rankings.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yes, I'm main draw in the Australian if I get there (smiling).

Q. With all your visa issues, you're unable to defend your points in Washington, so a slide down the rankings. I know you said that you couldn't have expected this, but does that make it a little bit more bearable what you want through with that whole situation?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Look, I don't want to blame nobody for my visa issues. Happened what happened. I don't want to say, Oh, it's political.

Whatever it is, I don't care. And I cannot change it. I don't want to fight and spend my energy over something I cannot change.

I said I just come here to enjoy and play and give my best. That's it. And I think there is always reason for something. Things happens? There is reason. There is reason I didn't have visa.

Maybe one week or two weeks helped me back home, something important happen in my life and now I feel better. You know, you never know. I feel like this now. So it's easier for me to think this way.

Q. You said you overthink a lot. I'm curious, is that only in tennis?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I said sometimes I overthink. Let's put the words straight. I am really focusing to explain myself. The English is not my best language.

So what was the question?

Q. Is it only in tennis or in life?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Of course not. Of course not only in the tennis (smiling).

I like to think. I mean, you grow up thinking, so, yes.

Q. Russian women have had a lot of success in the last decade. Now Medvedev and Khachanov, even Rublev now, do you ever have any interaction with those guys? Do you speak with Medvedev?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yes, I just started sometimes. I was happy Medvedev was doing great in Canada. I texted him on Instagram. He replied and phoned me straightaway.

With Karen, I talk a lot. Text sometimes, yeah. He was, like, Oh, what's going on with your injury and this and that. He was pushing me to play. You have to play. I said, Look, I'm tired. I'm over 30. When you gonna be over 30 and play as much as I did, I will talk to you. Don't make me do that. But he was really nice, really cute.

And Andrey, I saw him when he was, like -- his mom is really good coach in Russia, the mom is great coach, and she asked me to look at him when he was maybe seven or eight. And he was crying, throwing the racquet. It was really looking really funny.

I said, Look, I'm not sure if he's gonna be really unbelievable, but his character always will be. But he was the same skinny -- he had this Rafa Nadal kit without sleeves and he had zero hands (smiling). It was really funny.

But he was still clapping there and just trying to get all the balls back. He's still the same in the character. He was born with that.

So I was really happy for him that he won. I believe that to beat Roger it's amazing, but also, it hurt me because Roger lost, so it was kind of... But I still did text Rublev and congratulate him.

Q. You mentioned Instagram just in passing, but your Instagram has been known as one of the most iconic on tour.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I heard that other day. It really surprise me.

Q. You don't realize how good you are at it?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I don't know. Everybody in Russia is obsessed with that. Me comparing to some of my friends who is like singles and stuff like that, I look like a newcomer there.

But I say that I'm trying to do something nice. And for me, it's the most difficult is to make Russian translation to English, because if I text in English they say, Oh, you're not patriotic. When I say something in Russian, they say, We don't understand it. Okay, whatever. Put a Google translator.

I'm trying. I'm trying. But it doesn't make any impact, you know. To make good Instagram you have to spend a lot of time, but it doesn't bring you anything. I'd rather spend this time on the court working and win matches and be better at it.

Q. Do other players ever ask you for Instagram advice? Do you hold classes at the US Open? I feel you have a lot to teach people about it.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I learn from my friends in Russia because they're great it. I had some peer group who helping me. No, lately I'm not, like -- before players used to say I was the most fun one in locker room. Now I just spend there just showering and leaving, because I'm not really communicative lately. I'm in my world. So nobody talks to me basically. Probably they think I'm outside a little bit of this world.

Q. What are you doing these days for relaxation when you're not playing?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I'm staying in my room. I have been only once to the mall. I thought finally I can buy me a laptop, and when I arrive to the mall it was closed. It was pretty bad. So I was just in the room. I'm cooking myself for breakfast and lunch. Dinner we stay here and talking to my friends on the FaceTime. That's it. Really bothering.

Q. This week you played a wide variety of players in terms of their game style. Next is Ash Barty. Can you talk about what you expect.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I mean, she's great player. I never play her in the matches. I practice her but way before. I think it's going to be so different matchup. I think she's really interesting player, like, she combines different styles and very interesting games. It's going to be really another test for myself.

But I just go out there with the same focus to fight every ball and to see what's going on.

Q. Obviously there is a lot of hard work that went into you being where you are in the semifinals, but do you get a bit of a sense of maybe there is a little bit of magic with you here in Cincinnati with everything you have been through?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Believe me, when you run kilometers on the court, there is no magic. It's just everything in your heart and in your head. Of course you're lucky when you have match points, but still, I've got to appreciate my effort.

Q. You mentioned not talking to players as much as you used to. I'm curious what you make of sort of the young generation of players coming up, what they're like compared to the girls on tour when you were coming up?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I was talking to Caroline, and she said they're different that we were. I felt we had more respect and more, like, when you see player already been, like, good, you, like, respect, you try to learn and you talk.

The guys now are different. But it's not only about players. And we cannot put all players under one philosophy or one of the same type. Some of them really respectful. Some of them are, like, showing off and thinks they are already No. 1 if they're not.

I mean, doesn't matter. If it helps them to play, tennis is interesting because all players are so different characters. If everybody will be the same, then it will be problem.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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