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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2020

Angelique Kerber

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A. KERBER/C. Giorgi

6-2, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Time goes by. I was asking you always about Pennetta. This time I ask you about Giorgi.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No problem.

Q. So how did you see the match? Did you think she was dangerous in the third set when she was 1-All and had two breakpoints to go 2-1?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. I think it was really a tough battle out there. I mean, of course the first set I played good. She made a lot of unforced errors.

But in the second set she was much stronger, and she served really fast. She was going to go for it. And especially at the end of the second set she took the match on her hand. I mean, I was a little bit too passive, and she was going for it and took the risk and won the second set.

And in the third set it was, like, just one, two points which decide the set, I think, especially at the beginning of the set where she had the breakpoints. Then I served good for 4-1. She came back.

Then I was just trying to fighting and just playing point by point. Just trying to moving good and taking my chances a little bit better than at the end from like the second set.

Q. What do you think about her game?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's really fast. I mean, her game, I played few times against her before. It was not always an easy match, because you never know with her. You have to play until the last point, even you are up or, like, down, you have to play until the last point, because she's there. She's fighting, as well, and playing really hard and, yeah, deep.

Q. Between last night, today, we have seen a number of seeded players get knocked out. What's it like to look over the draw now and see some names we expected to see there that are not there as you progress?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I mean, I'm not looking too far ahead, to be honest. I'm just focusing on my matches, on my opponents, and on me.

You know, this is always a Grand Slam. You never know. You have to be ready for every single round. You have always surprises during Grand Slams.

But of course it was, yeah, a tough day yesterday with all the seed players.

Q. How are you feeling a few games into your tournament? How are you feeling for the rest of the next week hopefully?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I mean, first of all, I'm happy to be in the second week. Yeah, now it's the same like the first week for me. I'm trying to staying focused, trying to keep going and playing, yeah, from round to round better tennis. I have to, and I have to improve.

And it's good to, yeah, to won a match like today which was really close and, yeah, just two points decide the match.

Q. Does your ranking or where you're at influence how you go about arriving at this tournament? You have been 1, you have been 20. The last four years it's been a little bit up and down for you. What are your thoughts on that?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think this is a part of my career that I'm always, like, up and down and all the things that I'm going through.

But, yeah, the ranking is, like I think everyone said, it's just a number. I know that what I can, I know that I have to fight, to play good for every single round.

For me, it's really a special tournament. Always I'm coming back here, I'm trying to play my best, especially in the important moments. So, you know, I'm not thinking too much ahead or also not looking back.

Q. This is the fifth year that you have made the Australian Open fourth round, at least. Why do you feel you have been able to have done so well here? What is it you like playing in Australia?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I like Australia. I played always good here. I have great memories. I'm always trying to taking the memories with me on court. Also the support of the fans. It's always great. So I think maybe that's the reason why I'm playing good here always.

Q. I remember there was a tournament, maybe Wimbledon, where there were 10 seeds all were beaten, and you were the only one surviving. It was recent I think. Wimbledon maybe. You say you have ups and downs, but sometimes you have ups when everybody else is down.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't think -- you know, I mean, if you lose, you lose against a tough opponent. You know, it's not that the winner always deserve to win. It's like it's tennis, and there is only one winner who can get out of the court.

I think you have to play against good players. All are good, so doesn't matter what the ranking is. I think it's changed a little bit during the last years that, yeah, that there are not only one or two favorites. It's like the whole draw is dangerous.

Q. Does nervousness get a bit contagious when a lot of seeded players start losing? Does it go around the dressing room?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Like I said before, I'm really not -- because it's like I'm not looking ahead. You have to win every single round, and then you take the opponent which is on the other side.

I mean, every match starts from zero. Doesn't matter who against you play. You have sometimes a little bit bad days, good days. So it's more about caring yourself, working on your strengths and going for it. So it's nothing about looking around.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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