WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 24, 2020

Marie Bouzkova

Press Conference

M. BOUZKOVA/P. Kvitova

2-6, 7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk about what the key was to win that match? Because she played very well for about 90 minutes there, and she said she didn't think she played a bad match at all. So talk about getting that win and what the key was.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, she started really strong. You know, Petra is such a power player. I was trying to hang in there at the beginning, but I think as the match went on I was feeling more confident and feeling better and better on the court.

In the end, I was serving really well, as well. So that helped me a lot.

Q. How difficult was it to get used to the pace and just the angles, just the way she plays? Was it a little bit of that, of just kind of getting used to playing Petra before you could kind of begin to play your own game?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, for sure. Definitely took me, you know, almost an hour, you know, to get used to how she's playing.

You know, she obviously plays so fast, and she has very good angles, as well. So it's not only the power but as well the opening up the court so well.

Yeah, it took me a while to adjust to her game, and then, yeah, I think as the match went on I started to play my game, as well. In the end, it was really a battle, yeah.

Q. Did you get to play her during any of the Czech exhibitions? Oh, no, you weren't in Czech. Never mind. You didn't play the exhibitions.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: No, I have never played Petra, not even in practice. It was our first really meeting today.

Q. When we last caught up with you in Lexington, I believe you were about ready to give a speech in your college class. How did that turn out for you?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, luckily it turned out well. I finished with an A, so happy with how the class ended up, yeah (smiling).

Q. Speaking about the match today against Petra, is that the ideal type of match for you to have so close to the US Open, to play someone of her caliber?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, of course. I mean, without any doubt, you know, it's very special win for me. Even more that we're here getting ready for the US Open, and as you said, being less than a week from US Open.

So, yeah, I really enjoyed the match today. I think it gave me a lot of experiences, and, yeah, was a special win for me as well because I won the US Open juniors on that court. So, yeah, I was very emotional in the end.

Q. Is there something that you can pinpoint to specifically why you were the better player today and to be able to pull out a quality three-set win?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Well, I don't think -- the match was so close. I saw when it was 2-All in the third, we were, like, tied with the points, like 75, 75. I don't think it was a better player today. It was really about few points here and there. Luckily I was able to take those points.

But, yeah, I felt like I never stopped believing that I could take it at least to a third set, and then I was starting to serve better and better. As well, defending better and trying to be aggressive, as well. So in the end all the pieces kind of fell together.

Q. During your on-court interview, you described Petra as an icon in Czech tennis. With that in mind, can you just give us a sense of what that means in terms of describing Petra as an icon? And also, mentally going into that match, a lot of people might struggle with playing somebody who is kind of the standard bearer of Czech tennis. So mentally, how did you approach it and how did you continue to have that belief despite her playing so well?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, well, I was trying kind of to force myself to believe it, you know, to go out there and be a competitor, not just a fan of hers.

So I think that was the most crucial thing in my preparation, you know. I was feeling well. I was practicing all these months really hard, trying to get ready for these kind of matches, you know, the big matches against the big hitters.

Yeah, I mean, I don't even want to know how many times I watched her in the Fed Cup when I was 10 years old or I think I was even her ball girl. So just to have the courage, I would say, to go out there and try to win. Yeah, it was the most difficult part of this match, for sure.

Q. Do you remember where you were a ball girl for her at?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Well, I was ball girl for, like, four years on all the Fed Cups and Davis Cups, and honestly that we have such a strong Fed Cup team, there were a lot of finals and semifinals I was able to be a ball girl, so I'm sure she was in one of those matches that I was a ball girl.

Q. We'll have to go back and try and find the footage. That would be fun.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah.

Q. Looking ahead, you play Anett Kontaveit next. Talk about the challenge of playing Anett.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, of course, another big hitter. I guess a good preparation today with Petra to play against Anett tomorrow.

Yeah, I'll try to do the same as I did today, try to hang in there but look for some, you know, aggressive shots, as well. You know, just enjoy as well, and hopefully I'll be able to recover tonight.