QATAR TOTAL OPEN

March 1, 2021

Anett Kontaveit

Press Conference

A. KONTAVEIT/J. Brady

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Fantastic victory over one of the seeded players in Jennifer Brady. Very dominant performance, 6-1, 6-2. Were you surprised how easy the victory was for you?

ANETT KONTAVEIT: Yeah, I didn't know what to think before going on court and playing Jenny. I know she's in great form, and she just -- I mean, I watched her matches from home from Estonia, and I was really cheering for her.

Yeah, I didn't really know what to expect in this match today. You know, I think the score might make it seem a little easier than it was. It was still competitive, especially in the second set, as well.

You know, I'm definitely very happy with my performance today. And, yeah, it was maybe a little unexpected, yeah.

Q. In terms of breakpoints, you created seven. You took four of them. You conceded not a single breakpoint. In terms of all aspects of your play, I suppose in terms of your rating yourself, would you give yourself a 9 out of 10 there today in terms of performance?

ANETT KONTAVEIT: Yeah, I give a very good rating for myself today (smiling). I thought I did a very good job. I didn't miss a lot of easy balls. I felt like I was playing a really solid match and managed to be really aggressive at the same time.

Yeah, I think I give myself a 9. You can always do a little better (smiling).

Q. In terms of taking down a player of the caliber of Jennifer Brady, I suppose you'll be looking at going to the next round of the draw with eager anticipation and excitement in terms of who will be up next. You can really look back at Jennifer Brady's victory and take that with confidence going into the next round?

ANETT KONTAVEIT: Yeah, I think everyone gives a little bit of confidence. That definitely gave me some confidence just exactly, I mean, thinking about the way I was playing today, and yeah, I'm ready for next matches.

Really there is no easy matches here. I mean, the draw is small and everyone is tough. It's going to be tough, but I feel ready for the challenge.

Q. A player who is higher ranked than you coming in from a fantastic performance at the Australian Open, she's seeded as well here, how did you prepare for this match mentally?

ANETT KONTAVEIT: I think, you know, you prepare for every match in a similar way. You know, I don't think too much about if the player is higher ranked or not.

I feel quite good in my game and I feel like I'm playing well, so I feel like I can take on anyone.

Q. You were one of the unfortunate ones who had to go through the strict quarantine in Melbourne. How did you cope with that, not being able to get out and be outside and practice for two weeks?

ANETT KONTAVEIT: I mean, it wasn't easy. It wasn't something we have done before. Yeah, it was just a very new situation.

I did feel like once we started playing we were playing quite a lot, and, you know, it just sort of -- in the end I felt like I didn't have the same energy as I probably would after, I don't know, training for two weeks, for an example.

So it wasn't easy, but, you know, I got to go home after Australia and I had almost 10 days at home. I felt like it was exactly what I needed to get ready again, prepare a little bit, practice, and sort of get my fitness back as much as I could.

Q. If you had been able to start at the Australian Open with the regular practice schedule like many of the others, do you think you might have gone deeper into the tournament and not lost to Shelby Rogers in the third round?

ANETT KONTAVEIT: It's difficult to say what would have happened. I mean, Shelby played a great match, and I'm not trying to take anything away from her, because she really did play very well against me in the third round. You can't predict what would have happened or what wouldn't have happened.