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U.S. OPEN

August 31, 2010

Svetlana Kuznetsova

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

S. KUZNETSOVA/K. Date Krumm
6-2, 4-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How hot was it out there?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: How what?

Q. Hot.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Hot? Yeah, I mean, it was hot. Yes, it was. But I felt it mostly in the first set, you know, when you get used to it. But then I was fine. You just adapt and you play.

Q. How does the heat affect your thinking, your movements, everything?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Not at all. Only the sun a little bit for sure, but the rest was fine.

Q. When the draw came out and you found out that your first round opponent is Kimiko Date Krumm, how much did you know about her, and what kind of a play did you expect from her?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, I mean, it was very hard to play somebody you never played before, especially, you know, that she's good. You know, it's not like junior or somebody. It's a player who played before, and I didn't realize that she plays very different game from everybody who I've played ever.
And I know as well that Dinara lost to her twice, and she's uncomfortable to play against.

Q. Do you want to talk more about the type of play? You said it was so different.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, it was different because her swing of the racquet is very different. First two games I was just trying to understand how she managed to -- what she manage and how she manage to do that.

Q. She seemed to change speed, spins, a lot more dropshots, that type of thing, than you see most of the time, which is mostly power now.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it was nice to play for me, because I can play any type of game, you know. It was fun to do different things. To go forward doesn't bother me, you know. And to play fast and then slow.
It was interesting. It was good experience.

Q. How did you turn it around in the third set?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I just start moving. I think I slowed down a little bit my legs, and without my legs I can't play. This is what happen with me in the second set. I just lost two breaks of serve, and that's it.
It was a little bit -- for me it was hard to serve very well against the sun, but then I just get used to it. I convince myself I have to get back and play better.

Q. Were you pleased with the way you played, particularly at the end? You were playing more and more consistently.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, for sure I'm very happy with the third set.

Q. How does that compare to previous years, like in 2004, 2007 when you were here?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I don't remember. (Laughter.) I just don't remember.
Every year it's a new year, and it was a very tough match today. Definitely don't want to lose first round. I had a pretty tough opponent to play in the first round of such big tournament, especially I never played her before.
I'm just happy with the win, and definitely I have to work on about my second set.

Q. Did you surprise Kimiko play so well, she so fit? Did you surprise?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: You know, I try not to think about her age, otherwise it get to much in your head and I think I'm 25. I mean, it's just frustrating. And I have all the respect for her to come back and play at highest level.
But, believe me, it's not key point -- key point playing against her not to think about her age, because it's pretty tough.

Q. Do you think you can play at this level at the age going on 40?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I have respect for her, but I hope I will be home. (Laughter.) I love tennis a lot, but I don't want stop young as she did. I just want to keep playing for another few years, and then just do my best and then just be home. Because I love home too much.

Q. Were you asked about the conditions out there, how hot it was?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah. It was hot for me. Heat bother me a little bit in the first set, just when I started. Then I was fine, you know. I just adapt and I play, because physically I feel it was fine.

Q. Hotter than other times you've played here?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Maybe. But this year was hot everywhere. I mean, just in Russia it was so hot and Cincinnati was so hot. You just -- you go along and you say, Okay, this is what I have to deal with.
But for me it was harder to deal with the sun than with the heat.

Q. On the point of the conditions and the heat, are you happy with the rules that exist for taking a break if it reaches a certain temperature? Are there any additional rest breaks or rules that you think would be good for tennis to have?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No. I think the rule's all right. The only thing is I didn't understand. Like I played -- I don't understand -- it's a heat rule, it's 10 minutes' break before third set. But I'm not sure -- I think today we didn't have this heat rule in. I think chair umpire didn't set it before the match, but it was very hot.
And then, I mean, I think we had the right to take it today. But I played Maria in Cincinnati, and she could take 10 minutes break at 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. match. This for me doesn't make sense.
I think it's the right thing to have it, but it's very weird situation when you have it and then you don't have it.
Like I would say then it was not possible, shouldn't be possible to take it then, and today it should be possible. I didn't need it. I mean, it was fine.

Q. I think what they said on TV is that matches like yours that had already started before the temperature hit a certain mark could not take it. But at this point, you know, today, new matches for this afternoon will be able to take it, I believe.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yeah, and it's the same rule. Like they cannot stop the matches when it gets too hot. The matches which already on the court they should keep playing, and the matches which didn't go on, they shouldn't go on before the weather get cooler.
There is few situations like these 10 minutes' break didn't work in my favor when I played Maria. Then the break I played with Serena once in Australian Open. They're not allowed to stop the match, but they stop it and they close the roof because she complain about it was too hot for her.
I'm not sure how the rules should work, but sometimes, I mean, they change it up to what they think they should. I don't think it's right.

Q. You said it was very hot in Russia and Cincinnati. How did the heat today at its hottest compare with your other experiences of heat recently?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I think in Cincinnati during the day it was hotter than here. In Moscow as well it was hotter.

Q. You didn't play on Ashe today, but can you talk about the speed of the court there? Do you think it's faster on that court than some of the outside or other courts? What's the wind like in there?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: I don't complain I didn't play on Ashe. I didn't play on Ashe when I had to defend my title. (Smiling.) I was not happy then not to play on Ashe because I was playing bad.
But today, I mean, I think this court is faster than other courts. You know, the crowd is very close to you, and maybe because -- the court seems to be smaller and faster.

Q. Than Ashe?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Yes. Maybe because everything is very close maybe that's why it's faster. But is different.
This is a court you need few games to get used to playing.

End of FastScripts

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