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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2008

Svetlana Kuznetsova

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your thoughts on that?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's pretty simple. I think I beat myself up out there, so I didn't do much, right things. I was just playing within myself, and I lost the match and this is it.

Q. She's beaten quite a few top players. What is it about her game that's so difficult?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: For me, it wasn't about her game. She played well, but I was not doing anything to win the match. And playing like this, I think I deserve to lose today.

Q. Were you not feeling okay, or was something wrong?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I was feeling fine. I was feeling fine. It's the way I was thinking on the game. The way I prepare for the game and everything, it wasn't right.
I've got to learn to do it right way next time during Grand Slams. It's lots of pressure. I got to handle it and got to play well and do it differently, you know. Otherwise, it will happen to me many times. You know, I got to learn a lot from this lose and definitely a very disappointed one, but I got to go with it. So that's it.

Q. You say you weren't thinking right. What were you thinking then?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, it's my problems, you know, what I was thinking of. But, no, I got to just take a different way. You know, Grand Slam is very hard. Lots of things around, which I really have to get more distance from that and just focus on the game, and that's it.

Q. Is it mental pressure that got to you?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, the mental pressure, I don't know. Because the pressure, you make it yourself. If I had pressure I put it on me myself, and I'm responsible for that and for this lose.
I mean, the way I've been on the court I didn't deserve to win today, is this is what happens. I got learn from it and just try to improve it next time.

Q. You handled pressure in Grand Slams so well before on many occasions. Why was that different?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Every day you live and every day you are learn, I think. Today was one of those days which my things didn't work, and I was not thinking properly about what I have to do. I was just playing within myself there.
I was not doing my right game and right strategy, which I had to play which I thought of playing for the match.

Q. She played with no pressure whatsoever. She seemed to be a lot more freer than you were. Is it just a case of her being young and not having experienced that before, that she was just enjoying the moment, and you were feeling the pressure because she was playing so freely?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, definitely I wasn't feeling that she was under pressure or not. This is the point. I was not playing against her, I was playing against me. This is the main thing. I've been there, and that's it.
About her, I don't know. It can go both ways. When you're young you normally play Grand Slam without pressure and you enjoy yourself. Actually, I maybe should have taken an example and just to enjoy the game. I was not enjoying my game today. Most of games I play well I enjoy the game, and this is what I have to do.

Q. Did you feel anything unusual before you got on the court?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No. I mean, you always got some feelings before the match, the way it was going. I definitely felt it was going to be a hard match, but I just didn't play good.

Q. Do you think she's a special young talent?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: She plays well, you know, but she doesn't have unbelievable shot. She's consistent and makes you play every ball.

Q. We saw you playing a very good final in Sydney against Justine. How tough is this loss to take?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: As I said, the pressure was there and definitely the expectation because I still know I have the game. I know it's there, and it's really disappointing to be on the court and not doing this.
So definitely it crosses my mind and I start to do the wrong things. So, no, I just have to learn, I have to go and don't let myself down. Just take positive things. It's not going to be easy.
This is a pretty tough loss because I think I've been in the best shape ever in Australian Open, and I just didn't make it work.

End of FastScripts

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