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WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2010

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

LONDON, ENGLAND

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/R. Vinci
6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. How was your match today?

ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Thank you. My match was good. Of course I'm very happy that I pulled it through, especially I remember this match last year we play against each other and I lost tough match.
So I tried to take everything from last year's match. And we also played a lot of times in the past, so I just tried to play good tactically. I think I did it well.
I'm also glad that it wasn't like a stressful match, anything like that; I just play well.

Q. How do you find your game suited for grass, which is a special surface?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know. I don't really understand grass yet. Everyone is saying that my game is perfect for the grass, but we'll see. I don't know.
I'm just playing match by match, every point. You know, I want to win as many matches as I can, but I don't know yet.

Q. What are your big weapons when people say your game is perfect for grass?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I'm sorry, who I'm playing next?

Q. Caroline.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: That's why you're asking me. I'm sorry. I'm just joking.
Well, I don't know. I think I'm playing well now. I'm kind of not at the top of the level, my best level, but I think I'm ready for this tournament. I feel pretty good.
I don't know. Just go out there and fight and try to win matches, that's it.

Q. Playing against Caroline next, how do you see that match?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, for sure it's tough one for me, because we played so many times and I just beat her once in juniors; and then the last three times I lost against her three times, I think. Yeah.
So I was actually laughing at the last match, the third one I lost. I was like, All right, okay, three times. Nice.
But anyway, I'm gonna do my best. Of course every time I go to play against her and every opponent I try to do my best, and I want to win against anyone. So I just gonna fight and I'm gonna do my best on every point and fight.

Q. How do you mentally prepare knowing that the last couple times, as you said, you've been losing against Caroline?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Um, well, I think, for me, I have nothing to lose, because I already lost three times. So if I lose a fourth time, I don't think I'm gonna be that upset. I don't mind. Just I want to play a good game.
Of course I will try to win this time, and I want to win this time. But anyway, I respect her as an athlete. She's a great player. I'm just gonna focus on my things to do.

Q. What is it that is so hard to play against her since you've been losing last three times? What's she so good at?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, you know, there is a ranking. Also, she proves that she deserves to be there. Like she was No. 2; I think now she's No. 2, No. 3, or whatever. She's one of the best players. Of course I think she has everything to be there.
Just I don't know. You have to play at your best level every single point, which I couldn't do before. Maybe I could do like this few games, and then after I was losing concentration and control and everything and I was just making mistakes.
I will try to keep it that way during the whole match.

Q. Do you have a secret weapon in your bag that you can take out this time that you didn't have before, maybe do something different in the match compared to the last three?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: No. I think actually I think I had everything already before against her, but I just couldn't -- you know, as I said, I was playing a few games like I have to play against her, and then that's it. I was losing concentration and I couldn't keep it during the whole match.
So I just tried to do the same things, but during the whole match. Just be aggressive and just play my best.

Q. When you say that you have to stay on top of your level all the time during the match, some opponents have described her like playing against a wall. Do you feel it on court as well?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, she's that kind of player who's defending very well. Also, she can be aggressive, make winners; her serve is okay; she moving well.
But anyway, I mean, you have to play at your best level, at your top, in the future with everyone, basically. So if I want to be as good as them, I have to be -- you know, I have to do it. So I will have to start one day.

Q. Is it harder or easier to develop yourself as a player given that there's been so many great women players from Russia? Is it more or less pressure?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know. I don't feel any pressure at all. Maybe it's for best more me, because since I was young I was -- you know, it was so many good Russian players.
I just wanted to be like them, or I wanted to be even better. So it's also motivated me a lot to play even better, work hard, and to beat them as well. So maybe it actually pushes me a lot. So no pressure at all.

Q. In some smaller countries it's not expected that the best women players will get up to top 10. But for Russia, I would think the bar, the level, is pretty high, because you've had Grand Slam champions and No.1 players, right?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Um, yeah. You know, if they take Russian ranking maybe I wouldn't be -- for example, if I'm 30 or 25 in the world or something like this, I wouldn't be No. 1 or 2 or 3 in Russia, I will be like 10 or 7, which makes it quite difficult.
But anyway, you know, if you want to be No. 1 in Russia, that means you gonna be top 5 in the world, which is good. Then I think it's a good motivation for me, too.

Q. So that's what you're aiming for, to be maybe top 10 and then top 5?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, I don't really care what's my ranking in Russia. You know, I'm just -- I want to be...

Q. I mean in the world, not in Russia. Top 10 or top 5 in the world.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, well, of course I want to be as higher as possible, so that's why I work hard. That's why I'm here, fighting every match. So, yeah.

Q. When you're at home, do you get questions about is it time for you now to be one of the top players, especially with - Svetlana hasn't been playing that well this year and Dinara has been hurt and now Dementieva is hurt. Do you hear a little bit of that?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, no, not really, because I'm never at home, so... (Laughing.)
Well, I heard it quite a few time before, which was strange, because I was like 15, 16, and people, when I finished No. 1 juniors, people expect me to be straightaway, like, I don't know, top 50 or top 20 in the world.
I was really young, and that's why I put a lot of pressure on myself. And especially in Russian they did put a lot of pressure. They were expecting me to be the best, beat everyone, like this, easy, and go faster.
So that's why I struggled a while to get through that. It took me a while to get good ranking in the pros. I mean, not a while, but still, you know, I think I could have gone much faster maybe in the rankings and the results.
But anyway, it went quite fast.

Q. Now you feel like you have to be more patient with yourself and then the results will come?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, now I'm more relaxed and I don't care about what people say. I just try to do my -- what my team tells me and to do good job and play well and just thinking about this.
I don't -- I stop thinking about results so much. So I don't know. I think when the time is right, it's gonna come. My work will pay off. So I just -- I don't know when it's gonna happen. I'm working hard, playing well every -- I mean, trying to do my every match, and then I will see.

Q. But when you get questions about Caroline, who's close to you in age, do you think if I really play my best I can win matches like that now?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, of course. I believe in myself. The thing is when I start to do this. But I can't do this, this I know. But just, um, that's the question one.
But anyway, I feel like I'm improving and I'm working on it, so it's gonna come. Doesn't matter what age you are. I mean, if you No. 1 at 25 or 30, anyway, it's good, I think.

End of FastScripts

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