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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP WOMEN'S OPEN

August 13, 2010

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

CINCINNATI, OHIO

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/Y. Wickmayer
7-5, 3-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk a little bit about the key differences in your game between the first and second sets before the weather delay. You came back from 5-1, down two breaks.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well honestly, I don't think there was a big difference in my game. It's just the fact that it was really tough conditions today, and this isn't the first match, so I'm kind of getting more tired every day.
So the beginning of the match I just didn't move well enough and she was quite aggressive, so it wasn't enough from my side. After coming back in the first set, I guess I didn't have any power and energy for the second set. So I started really badly and not focused at all.
So, you know, she had a few breaks, and after that, it's really tough to come back.

Q. Have you ever been in a match with this many momentum swings? You each won big stretches of games in a row at different times.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, you know, in girl's tennis we have so many breaks. Like we can break each other, I guess. Every single game it's possible. So I guess I had...

Q. How do you prepare for a match like this? You knew it was gonna be very hot and humid. Is there anything different you do for a match under these conditions that maybe on indoor match, for instance, you wouldn't do?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yes, of course. First of all every changeover we using ice towels, we use ice packs, a lot of water, fluids, you know salt and ice massage after each match, for example, something like this, or a cold bath.
If it's winter or indoor tournaments I would never do this, for example, yeah.

Q. You will next play Bartoli or Sharapova. Have you thought about that?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I've never played Sharapova before. I've played Bartoli once in Tokyo last year and we had a tough match. In three sets she beat me.
But well, Bartoli is really a good fighter. I think she has something special in her game, her technique is special also, and that also is different from other players.
And, well, Sharapova, you know, like physically I don't know what to expect, because I've never played against her. I've just seen her play a few times and that's it. I know she's very aggressive player, so I have to be even more aggressive.

Q. After the weather delay in the third set, you won the first five games and broke her twice. Did you do anything differently? Was there something you saw in her serve that enabled you to break her really quickly?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Um, no. I went out there, and since the first shot, since the first point, I was there in the match. I was focused on every point.
Like first and second I wasn't 100% there in the game, so I could like, you know, play unbelievable and then make a double fault or just some mistakes and didn't move well.
So in the third every single point I was there and doing my thing.

Q. When you're down 5-1 in the first set, what are you thinking? Are you still thinking you could pull that set out?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, you know, maybe it sounds weird right now, but I still felt like I can come back because I have -- I had few matches like this where I was down with two breaks and like 4-0 and I come back and won the set.
But at that moment I just thought -- because she was serving, so I just thought, Well, I just try to break her, then try to hold my serve, and I just tried to find my game for the next sets.

Q. Do you think that there's a connection between a player's off-court personality and their playing style on court? For example if someone is laid back off court, is it hard for them to be aggressive on court? What do you think?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: No, I don't think it's connected, because I know some of the players, they're really nice off court, they smiling and they so nice to you, but on the court she want to kill you. They just want to kick your ass. (Laughing.)
So it doesn't really matter.

Q. Talk about your return game. It was very strong today.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah, it's been good since the first round here. Today I was serving pretty well, and yesterday at the end of the match. My two first matches I wasn't serving so well, so I had to compensate with my returns.
So it was working pretty good since the beginning of the tournament. My serve get better as well.

Q. With so many of the top 10 players now out of the tournament, do you give yourself a good chance to win the tournament now?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I actually give myself a chance with the top 10 players here. So I just came here, and I knew that except two Williams, everyone would play here. It's just the preparation for the US Open. I mean, it's as tough as the US Open, so I had to be ready every match. I knew it's gonna be tough.

Q. It could be potentially be you and possibly three Grand Slam winners in the semifinals. Does that put pressure on you, or do you just try to put it out of your mind?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: No, no pressure. I just try to play every match and try to show a good game.

Q. You're on a very long win streak now. You won Istanbul, and you're in the semifinals here. Is this the best tennis you've ever played in your pro career?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, I made semifinal in Indian Wells in 2009. But, yes, so far I guess, you know, I've won so many matches in a row. So maybe, yeah.

Q. How is your energy level? Do you think you have enough energy to do two more matches in the heat?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know. We'll see tomorrow. (Smiling.)

Q. In the finals in Istanbul you were also 4-Love down against Vesnina in the final set?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Uh-huh. No, she was 7-5 and 4-0 in the second serving.

Q. And she had serve for 5-0?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yeah.

Q. In the third were you down, too?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: She was up 3-1 and serving, yeah.

Q. You returned very well, and yet Wickmayer is known for having a rather difficult serve. Was it quite easy to read today?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Um, yeah. Well, honestly, sometimes she was serving at the same place or just body to me, so...
Or I think she was just kicking the serve mostly. Like she wasn't really going for ace or something like this, so it was pretty tough to return. But I don't know, it just worked well today.

Q. When you have a run like this of win after win, is there something you feel in your game that you can put your finger on that explains the wins, or is it just the way the games come?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know. You know, every match is different. Every match I play a little bit different. It depends on the opponent.
Yesterday I guess I was just lucky a little bit maybe in the third set, because she was, you know, always up in the score in the third set and she had so many chances to break me.
You know, I just tried to stay there, so...

Q. Wickmayer seemed to be getting very angry with herself during the match. Do you notice those things when you're playing, and how do you deal with that?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Well, I've known her for quite a long time, and we're pretty good friends also. She's very emotional. She always used to be like this.
So it doesn't mean if it's nervous that she's gonna give me the match. I just try not to think about it and try to focus on my game.

Q. Have you always had that kind of mentality, that when you're in a sort of 5-nil down position that you believe you can come back, you don't get down, or is that something that you've learned to do?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: No, I think I just have it like since I was a little girl. Yeah.

Q. Did you notice something about her getting a little -- not dizzy, but at 5-1 in the first set she told us she really didn't feel good on her legs, shaky.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: At 5-1 she said?

Q. Yeah.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know.

Q. You hadn't noticed anything?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: No. I mean, she was running still. I don't know. She just called the physio when it was already 6-5, the end of the set, so I didn't -- I don't know anything about that.

Q. Growing up did you admire any of the Russian players on tour right now still?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Um, who's right now, no. I like Myskina before. I don't know how to explain it. Just something I liked in her game, something about her.

End of FastScripts

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