WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 18, 2022

Petra Kvitova

Press Conference

P. KVITOVA/O. Jabeur

6-1, 4-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk through the match a little bit and how you felt in the two sets that you dominated? What was the difference in the second set?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think that, first of all, the first set I was dominating. That's what I kind of felt. Yeah, I think that Ons didn't start very well, even on the serves.

Yeah, in the end of the first set actually I was getting tight again, but the beginning was a little bit on my side. The second set I think that she holded few games on the serve, and I was tight. I came back from the break down. Was tough one, for sure, but she made it.

Yeah, I knew what I have to play. I was still trying to stick to the tactic, but sometimes it's impossible against Ons to still be on it.

Yeah, I think in the third set, the first game was there, and I think that was the key for the rolling in the third one. The last game was very, very tight. I was really pleased with my serve then.

I mean, overall was a great match. Even the second set, even I lost, I think it was good rallies, amazing shots from Ons, and, yeah, big credit to her, for sure.

Q. When you use the word "tight" in this description, do you mean you were tight or do you mean the match was tight?

PETRA KVITOVA: No, I was really tight in the last game. I have no idea, actually, because I was leading 5-0. Sometimes I get a little bit shaky, as well, like legs. I mean, in the third set it was pretty intense match, and I knew I have to be precise in every, every shot and step. I was moving a lot, as well, with her dropshots and then slices.

Yeah, I think that energy were going a little bit down as well, and overall was tough to serve it out. Even I was 5-0, I was still, Okay, mentally. Anyway, I'm glad that I made it in the last one.

Q. When your legs are getting a bit shaky, what are you telling yourself?

PETRA KVITOVA: Just don't think about it. It's a bit tough, because they are not really holding it, but, yeah, if they are like shaky, it doesn't mean it's cramping or anything like this, but I know that they are tired.

It's something which, I mean, of course I had experience about it, but is nothing -- it's not really nice, especially when you are serving, because you need, you know, power and energy to jump it pretty high and smash it. Yeah, sometimes it's challenging, but you just have to adjust the tactic a little bit, as well.

Q. Beating a top-5 player and making the quarters here at a big tournament, how big is a result like this for you at this point in your career? Are there more objectives that you want to achieve?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think it's a big boost for me, for sure, after the season what I had. I know I won Eastbourne, but it was on the grass, my favorite grass. It was pretty fast, faster than Wimby. But, yeah, but, I mean, it's great to have three matches like this.

So I'm really glad for it. The first round was really tight, down from the match points. I think always these matches are important for the tournament, for the confidence, as well.

That's what I'm trying to do. Even Ons turned a few match points in that first match of hers. Yeah, it was a bit challenging.

I mean, this is great, for sure, being in a quarter again after a year, beating great players. You know, Jil and Sorana is not really my favorites, but I made it, and that's important.

With Ons, it's always challenging. Every match here it's a big challenge because this is such a tough draw, and from the first rounds we are seeing really difficult matches and long ones.

So, yeah, I hope it's helping.

Q. You mentioned the three wins this week and talking about match fitness, which is something that you can only get by literally winning matches, so how are you feeling on that? You mentioned the shaky legs today, but just in terms of, yeah, how you are feeling going through these matches, because the last match and then even the two sets here, pretty heavy score lines. It seems like things are clicking.

PETRA KVITOVA: Hmm, yeah. Sometimes they are clicking (smiling).

Well, as you mentioned, the fitness from the matches are something which you have to just work for it and hope that you can win some matches in a row, which is building your fitness then.

Obviously I was working on my fitness, because I couldn't play with my wrist. So I was really, all the time fitness, it's boring as well. So I'm glad that I can play, of course.

I mean, the first round in Toronto was not the best. Without the matches, I didn't really play, so it's important that I stayed and I played here and having a couple of matches. So I hope that this will help not only confidence-wise but, as you mentioned, fitness-wise.

Yeah, I hope it's clicking. I mean, it's strange, because Cincy is not really like my favorite, favorite, but I'm playing decent results here, so that's good (smiling). I try to play good tomorrow, as well.

Q. Yesterday Iga came in here and she said that she hates the Wilson balls here.

PETRA KVITOVA: I love it. It doesn't matter, but we are not changing it. That's important to have the same balls like Toronto, here, US Open, especially for my wrist. It's tough to adjust all the time, every week different.

Actually, if it's Penn everywhere, I don't care either. But not really changing it, it's really helping us. Me, sorry.

Q. What do you like about the actual ball itself?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, it's pretty flying, I would say. Well, it's tough to say it after three wins, right? I like it overall. It's flying to the court, so that's important (smiling).

Q. In general, you mentioned Cincy isn't really your favorite. What normally don't you like about it?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I mean because of the humidity here. Hot and humid is not really my fav. But, yeah, it's weird because with Jil in the third set, I was really done. Somehow when I didn't think about it, it was just going that way.

Yeah, maybe because I know that I can, I'm just playing very risky, and it's just going to the court. Or I don't know. Yeah, it's tough conditions for me, but maybe I'm taking it as a challenge on the other side. Yeah, who knows, right? It depends how I wake up probably.

Q. In your on-court interview afterwards, you started like apologizing to Ons for hitting so many lines. Explain your logic there.

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I saw Ons how she is, you know, not really happy about my lines. I saw her calling it, like, to see it.

I mean, I can't say -- I was just going for it, so, I mean, you know my game is in and out. What I can say? It is like this.

But I think that she was pretty unhappy actually with the breakpoints and putting on the line. But on other side, it's like it's still like part of the court, so what I can do, right?

But I think that she had some amazing shots sometimes as well on the line and kind of beautiful passing shots. So, I mean, that's happen. Yeah, so I apologize even Ons by the net. Yeah.

Q. After Eastbourne when we spoke, you said obviously it's been a very hard season and hasn't always been fun this year to be a professional tennis player for Petra Kvitova. So right now, what is the joy, what is the pleasure that you take out of a day like today, a week like this week, or does it have nothing to do with the results?

PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I don't really see the fun, in a way. I think like those matches, it's important that I do have still the fight inside me, like fighting for the important points, even not important points.

That's I think it's means a lot in this stage of my career. Yeah, but it's still not really fun, like overall, the traveling and packing and hotels. It's just really tough to be professional tennis player.

I know that people just see how we are playing, having a match and that's it and we are traveling. It's not like this. Like, you know, I don't have to explain it.

Yeah, it's fun when I'm winning, of course, having like good feeling from the matches and knowing that there is still the fire inside. I think it's very important to know.

Q. At any point this year have you had to check whether the fire inside is still there?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, not really. I mean, it depends how I feel, but I'm not really thinking about it too much. Either it's there or either it's not. I'm just taking how it is.

In the first round in Toronto it wasn't really there, but I was, like, maybe the next week it will be there. So I never know, you know.

Q. You mentioned that your game is kind of in and out. I'm wondering, over the course of your career, how did you come to accept that's how it is?

PETRA KVITOVA: I think I already accepted many years back, I think. Even I was 20 it was always like this. Playing risky game, of course, it is how it is.

But I tried like over last years tried to be more consistent, which I think was pretty working as well to kind of have like plan B to maybe play more rallies. Even today I played few if I couldn't go for the risky shot or for the winner.

So I think, yeah, it's lifetime process, and, yeah, I'm just good with it.