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PILOT PEN TENNIS PRESENTED BY SCHICK

August 24, 2007

Svetlana Kuznetsova

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Second day in a row a match ends for you with retirement. Are you okay with it ending a little early today though?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, yeah, it was hot out there. But I was just now sitting with my coach and I said, I never had twice it a tournament somebody pulls out. But it was not like they pull out in the middle of the match. Both times I was winning the match and I was comfortable playing.
Yes, I guess she was feeling very dizzy, but I was not also feeling my best conditions. For me it was weird because as long the match was going through I start -- I knew I was feeling better than her, you know.
In the start I was suffering a bit with the heat with breathing, and then I was going better and better and better. In the end she just didn't feel good.

Q. Do you have that sense when she's not feeling good to just jump all over that killer instinct, if you will?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, I knew I had -- it was one important point when I was Love-40 on my serve and then it was 30-40 and I made a winner down the line. She dropped her racquet and went to sit in the shade and waved her hand to her mom.
I saw that was tired and I knew I just have to hang on there. I seen that and I was feeling better every time. I knew I had to hang in. I knew I felt much better than her. But it's always hard to play somebody that's injured or not feeling good, so I had to stay focused also.

Q. This will be your fifth final of the year.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah.

Q. What do you have to do to win one final?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, you know, I just have to go there and play and accept whatever it is. I've been playing well this tournament. I mean, I wish play better, but still it's lots of work to be done and just go there and play as a regular match.
I lost finals which I shouldn't have been losing and I was not playing my game in the finals, so I think I should play my game.

Q. Do you worry about getting over-tired for the Open, or is that not a factor?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think not, because -- I think I'm going to be fine because Open I'm playing on Tuesday and I would have Sunday off, Monday training. It's okay. I train a lot in Barcelona and I feel I am in shape. I'm not -- like you're tired of the nerves normally, not training a lot.
I think it's okay. I don't think it's going to be big problem for me. I haven't been playing a lot this summer.

Q. Do you get more excited to play Elena considering you guys are from Russia, you're similar, you're careers are similar: Same amount of money and same amount of singles titles. Do you find yourself more pumped up when you play her?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I have more titles, no?

Q. Yeah. Eight to seven I think it is.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. No, but nothing like that. I mean, I'm much younger. She's definitely different age, and I have not been -- normally when we grow together we play a lot with each other. But I have not been playing with her because she been much older and she become pro much earlier and she start playing better much earlier than me.
Me, I'm more like with Dinara Safina and girls like younger and I have not been playing her. It's always good to play another Russian opponent and it makes it even more harder for you, so it's always good.

Q. So are you saying she's old at 25?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: She's older. She's very young but she's older than me. In tennis three years makes big difference, you know. Like I'm 22 and I see girls like 19. I'm like, Oh, God, they're just babies, like I was three years ago.

Q. Can you talk about your physical fitness. I mean, you seem to be in really good shape this year and you were saying you didn't feel as tired as she looked.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. You know, it's weird because sometime it's weird in tennis. Sometimes I go to the tournament and my fitness coach is like, Oh, no, forget it. Like he won't say like this to me, but after the tournament he will say, I thought you were in so bad shape. I was in so bad shape I make the finals of French Open.
Then he says to me, You good shape and I not doing well. But now I think it's getting more together. I feel good on the court and I feel I'm moving well. I been working a lot, but I still know there is so much to work on and I can improve so much more.

Q. Are you a Yankees fan or are you just color coordinated.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's the same thing every time. I love color and I love hats. This hat is matching the color the Fila collection now and I'm happy about that. I'm a very big fan of the hats, so I have many hats.
I like New York so it's NY. And, no, I don't know anything about -- I mean, I'm not fan of baseball. I love in Europe. I don't understand that much.

Q. What did you Elena say to you when she came over? Did she apologize for not being able to carry on?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No. It was very funny. She came to shake my hand and she said, I feel like throwing up. And I said, Okay, so go away from me. I'm like, So move out, you know. I was like, Okay. Move away. She was like, she smiled.
So then I shake the umpire's hand and I come to her and I said maybe you need a bag or something. I understand it feels weird when you get this heat.

End of FastScripts

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