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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 19, 2008

Svetlana Kuznetsova

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Straight-sets win. How happy were you with your performance today?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, pretty good. I think I played better first set, but in the second she played a little bit better, and I missed few, but it was pretty good still, and I'm confident playing out there. It was good win for me after playing her in Australian Open.

Q. Was the difference just focus?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. I just was more dictating my game and I was more focus and more calm.

Q. When you go out for a match like today, any memories of the Australian Open or is it a new match, new tournament?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Definitely new match, new tournament, but I think some signs of Australian Open, I remember that I didn't do this well or that well and I still was close in the match. When I do everything right, this is the result which comes.

Q. You only dropped one set so far this week. Overall, are you happy with how you've played?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, pretty much. This set which I dropped, it was pretty up-and-down match, and I think I been focused on that much more last two matches and I played good.
If I look at my draw, I remember played all girls at least two years younger than me there, and I'm not that old. I'm only 22. They're like all 19, 18 and all teenagers basically. Still it's great new people come and always tough to play them because pressure is always on me.
I'm pretty happy with the way I played, and I'm looking forward for after tomorrow's match, which both players are going to be extremely tough.

Q. Do you have any preference to who you play?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, both of them play similar game. Maria is more confident for me at the moment. She is, I guess the favorite tonight.
But Daniela has always played well in this tournament. No preference.

Q. Can you look back at last year's final against Daniela, kind of what worked, what didn't?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I don't think I played any good. I don't think so. I think if it's going to be happening after tomorrow that she wins it's going to be very exciting match for me to play.

Q. How do you guard against those moments? You've talked about you played a good tournament, but then you had a couple drops here and there. What kind of things are you trying to do to keep more of that even keel?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: You know, I try things to distract me during the week of the tournament. But it's very hard, because you're a player and you cannot be 30 weeks a year focusing on one game. It's really hard. Especially, I'm young. You know, I have so many things in my mind to do.
But still, you know, some important tournaments, you got to take everything apart and focus on the important stuff.

Q. As part of your preparation, will you watch the match tonight?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think I would watch a little bit, either on TV or there. It's going to be interesting match also to watch not just because I play them.

Q. You ever look at yourself on YouTube? I was looking yesterday. I saw you do some karaoke.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Oh, my God. This is disgusting. I tell you, I watched this. I sometimes -- I want to make my friends laugh and I show to them. They're like, Oh, my God.
Because these guys, they lied to me. They should not put this, first of all, like that. They told me, You can yell or do whatever. We're not going take your voice. They say, Just open your mouth, so I wanted to show emotions and then I go to the final with Justine, and first thing I see on the TV, it's me. I'm like, Oh, my God. I was like, Oh, no way. I was so embarrassed.

Q. Did you see the other ones?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I saw I did one with you in Sydney. I saw I did that one somewhere.

Q. No, I'm talking about...
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Karaoke? Yeah, I saw -- actually, I did two karaokes. And I did once -- two at French Open. Second one was a little bit better. I been improving. Because just lower the net here, it's impossible to fall, you know. It's impossible to do worse, actually. I improved.
Then I did one in US Open, but I never got to see this one nowhere. I love Serena's one, how she shake booty. That is hard. She got my trophy. Believe me, she teach me that. But I don't think I'm going to do.

Q. Did you see Novak's one?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. I don't like that. I tell you, for me, the trophy is Serena's.

Q. So when you go out on the town, do you do karaoke or not?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No, no. I'm embarrassed. Last time in Moscow I went with my friends to outlets and singers to the karaoke bar, and I was like, You guys just embarrass yourselves. I'm done with that. I'm just going watch and laugh about you, but I'm not going to do that myself.

Q. I asked Lleyton about it last night, and he makes it sound like they lied to all of you to get you to do that.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, yeah. This is the thing. You don't start to say that I want to sing karaoke and I'm good at that. Not at all. No, no, no. I'm experiment person, and I like to try new things. I say, Okay, I'll do it.
Once in Miami they wanted me to climb something. I climbed. They wanted me to do snowboard in Dubai. Well, actually, the snowboards in Dubai, I asked to do something different. I do that. You know, new things should be there on the tour so people don't get bored how we do press and how we warm up.

Q. So karaoke is dead for you now?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, I got to practice on my own maybe at home so somebody can teach me so I'm not going to be that embarrassed.

Q. If you had a choice of a song, what would it be?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Oh, my God. I wish it would be Ayo Technology of 50 Cent. But he talk so fast I need some lessons first. Like if I would take some lessons, I can do anything. You know, I don't want to go out there and embarrass myself. Still, it's fun, because people write their comments, like, It's disgusting, she embarrass herself.
I'm like, Hey, why don't you guys try to play tennis for all your life, 10 hours a day and then go do ice skating, for example? Who not going embarrass themself.

Q. Did you watch Monica last night on TV?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I was going to watch but then I had dinner and I prefer dinner.

Q. She had a tough night.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: How did she do?

Q. She only got 15s out of 30.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I never watch the show in my life. So what -- like, I know the dance.

Q. The high score is a 10 and she got 5s, and that's pretty low. Very stiff.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Stiff? Maybe she need more practice. Be nice. I know that also like R & B singer Mario did this dance. I think I saw a bit of that. But it's so much better. People come from singing and dancing and do it all their life, and then tennis player who knows only backhand and forehand and mentality and concentration and serve, I send you tomorrow to catch birds. It's impossible.

Q. In Australia Scott Draper is on the show at the moment and doing very well.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, you know, some people have some different talents, but most tennis players, I'm sorry, but I don't think much good at that.

Q. Todd Woodbridge didn't do so well.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Alicia also didn't do well.

Q. So you're next?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Dancing? No.

Q. What do you prefer, singing or dancing?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: This is worse. This is both worse. I would choose neither one. Stay home and mind myself laughing about other people.

Q. You said you improved the second time you did karaoke. Maybe that third time with a bit of practice it'll be really good.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, but I don't want put myself through the risk and embarrass myself one more time. Because the second time I was like, No, I'm not going to sing, guys. You have to put somebody else.

End of FastScripts

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