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QATAR TOTAL OPEN

February 28, 2020

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Doha, Qatar

A. SABALENKA/S. Kuznetsova

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well you had a good run in this tournament. In future tournaments do you see yourself going deeper, despite there being a lot of opposition, a lot of talented young players?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, you know, it's extremely hard every tournament and every player's very dangerous, you have to play every match as a hundred percent.

It will depend a lot on the draws, because if I'm seeded it's one way, if I'm not it's different. So I don't see it any different as I seen it before, just focusing on each match.

Q. Do you see the tournaments very close, the competition is very close in the tournaments now between the younger generation? There's a lot of close contests between the top hundred than when it was probably say five or six years ago?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I always said this, that now it's the level is raised a lot and it's very hard. Like sometimes I say it's no players who really kind of maintain their level, like no first round losses, there is not many players like that. But it's because that tennis is very high level for me right now and it's very competitive sport, we're getting better and better, so that's great for the game.

Q. Can you just talk through the match today, what do you think was the thing that you weren't able to do to kind of bother her enough when she wanted to kind of hit that big ball and be aggressive?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean today I was a little bit slower than yesterday and I didn't serve so well, so it was quite a big change. I mean, I just need to get back and be used to playing back-to-back matches against top 10 players.

For me she played unbelievable today and I was not at my best, she was just better. And it's a game, it's much like that, but still like this I saw some chances, but I just had to be more consistent in the game.

Q. And you said in terms of your serve that you were struggling. It seemed like your percentage was quite high. So what in terms of what wasn't it doing that you wanted it to do?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Maybe serve harder, you know, and today she surprised me on being so much aggressive. I knew she would, but sometimes I started -- like I was a little bit confused with my game plan. Like I had a game plan and I couldn't complete it.

But still, I mean, it's like it works in the life, somebody do it better than you one day and next day it could be different. So it's a positive week for me and I hope to work and to do better next time.

Q. How different do you feel confidence-wise or in terms of how you see your game and where it is right now sitting here after the semi-final than when you came into the tournament?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean it's quite a change. I was a little bit disappointed in the game after Australia, because I got sick and I couldn't provide a great result. And then you're like flying all over the world and you're not doing well, so it was very disappointing.

In St. Petersburg I already felt like I was playing better. I was worried about my shape and after pre-season I felt great and after my illness I felt pretty bad.

So now I'm getting back to my game and it feels great. So I'm just looking forward to play more matches.

Q. Can you give us an update on your coaching situation, like what I think Javier was with you here, is that the plan going forward or what's kind of the status?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: We already made the agreement and we agreed on November that I would work with two coaches, which is Javier Piles, who worked with David Ferrer for many years, he's fro Valencia. And my second coach is Gustavo Marcaccio, he an Argentinian guy, he was in Australia and he did the most of pre-season with me. And Javier was here and St. Petersburg and then they would switch now. So States I do with Gustavo and clay with Javier. And, I mean, I think it's quite good decision, hopefully it will work.

Q. Any more Grand Slams in your kitty this year? I mean, the 2004 and 2009, that was quite a long way back, but this year do you see yourself in with a chance again?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Of course, why not? They never, they always told me I'm black horse, so I can still be black horse. I always been, when I won French, when I with won U.S. Open, why not?

You never know, the level is tremendously high, I know I am capable of beating top 10 players, but I need to get better. I see things to improve, I already improved a lot from my past years. The level of the game raised a lot and it made me improve my game, because with the level I used to play, with the game strategy I couldn't be winning many matches now.

So I think I did a few good things in pre-season and it's working for me very well and I'm pleased with that, but still I need to get some things up.

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