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SHISEIDO WTA FINALS SHENZHEN

October 26, 2019

Petra Kvitova

Shenzhen, China

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. With Bianca here, Ashleigh, Naomi, does it feel like this is a bit of a new era for women's tennis?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I just realized yesterday that I'm the oldest one of them, which feels pretty weird (smiling). But I going to take it. We spoke with Simona, she's just one year younger. We made some fun of it.

But we'll see. I mean, yeah, there are for the first time, not Naomi, but those are here for the first time, not the last time probably. We going to see them often, I think.

Yeah, I mean, the new faces are coming. It's normal that the generation is just changing.

Q. Does it make you feel part of the older generation?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, it doesn't feel that, but it's probably how it is.

Q. You are the most experienced in terms of WTA Finals experience.
PETRA KVITOVA: Thank you (laughter).

Q. Do you feel that could give you an advantage because it's your seventh time in the Finals?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, it seems a little bit better when you say like this.

Not sure if the experience it's better or no. Of course, I mean, I probably had everything what's coming with the WTA Finals. I had to pull out once. I won it once. I been in the final, whatever happened.

It's something every final is just different. Being just in the top eight, that's makes the differences. But, I mean, I won it like my first Final without any experience. I'm not sure if it's about that.

Q. Do you have the flu?
PETRA KVITOVA: I just have a cold from yesterday, yeah.

Q. You might be the oldest player in the tournament - sorry. Not only the most experienced, but you probably are the most popular player in the tournament in China. People here love your tennis and personality. We know you're good friends with Li Na. Talk about the connection with China.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, that's the nicest thing I just heard here finally (smiling).

Yeah, I'm not sure if it's true, but thank you for saying that. I don't know. I mean, I do have lots of Chinese friends, for sure. I'm very glad for that. I don't know how they become, if there was the friendship with Li Na or just playing well in China, especially in Wuhan before.

But definitely it's nice. I hope they will come and support not only me but, of course, our sport, that there will be a full stadium for the great field what we have here.

Q. You have Naomi first. You met her at the beginning of the year. Thoughts about that matchup?
PETRA KVITOVA: It's a bit funny that we played in the first month and the last month of the season.

Yeah, I think she is back in her great form, which she showed in Asia. Definitely she going to be confident, playing well, serving well of course. The surface is a bit slower, so it will be a little bit different.

I'm really looking forward. I lost to her last time. I'm really looking forward for the match and hopefully for the good revenge.

Q. You also landed in the group with Barty and Bencic. Talk about the different challenges your group presents.
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, of course, Ash, we played many times already this year. I think she will like the surface which is here with her slice and the good serve when she's changing her variety a lot. Will be kind of her advantage, I think, little bit.

Belinda, we just played in Beijing. She made it for the 'last call'. I'm very happy for her. She really tried it very hard. She's a good person, as well. We just practiced yesterday actually.

But, yeah, I mean, she's playing different technically, as well, than the other players. She likes to change a lot. She's playing more flat. But she can variety, as well. So a lot of variety in our group.

Q. As somebody who played the WTA Finals so many times, they obviously switched the calendar around so the Finals is actually the final event of the year. How much is that change good or bad? Seemed to have given you extra time to come in here early.
PETRA KVITOVA: From my opinion, doesn't really make that big differences. It's nice to have the WTA Finals in the final, for sure. On the other hand, we have longer season because of that. But this time we are not playing the final of the Fed Cup, so for me it's shorter than normally.

Q. You obviously had an amazing start to the season. What will it take to re-find that form this week? Is it a matter of feeling 100% healthy or tweaking a little part of your game? What do you think?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, definitely being healthy which, of course, I had some troubles during the year. Finally I feel okay, so that's important, except my cold. But it's okay.

I think playing well in the beginning of the season, I just got some confident in the beginning of the season, especially in Sydney. Then I played well in Australian Open. It's because of that I think, as well.

This time, I mean, I played good tennis in Wuhan and Beijing, as well. Hopefully the confidence will be there, as well. This is different. The surface is different. Playing indoors, which I like. We'll see.

Q. What is for you the speed of the court? Is it fast, taking the spin or not?
PETRA KVITOVA: It is slow. Sometimes it's bouncing pretty weirdly anyway. There are sometimes some spots where it's pretty slicing, but then sometimes bouncing pretty high. Depends probably of the shot.

Overall it's pretty slow.

Q. How do you reflect on this season as we're getting towards the end of it? Obviously the injuries in the middle of the season, tough to control that aspect. Outside of that, when you were on the court playing, how did you feel about your tennis and the way you handled your season?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think was a good year, for sure. Ending here, of course it's showing everything. After everything, I've been in the final of a Grand Slam, which I couldn't really dream of it before. That month was, like, something which I couldn't expected before, so it was unbelievable for me.

Of course some injuries came. That's how it is. I mean, everybody is dealing with something. Mine was a little bit bigger.

Overall I think I played a good tennis, not only in that month but I won Stuttgart on the clay, I've been in the final of Dubai, playing well in Asia right now. I missed some good tennis in USA, but that's how it is.

Never mind, I'm here. It's the best in the end of the year, so I'm really enjoying it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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