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CHINA OPEN

October 3, 2010

Maria Kirilenko

BEIJING, CHINA

M. KIRILENKO/S. Zhang
6-1, 6-0

THE INTERPRETER: Questions, please.

Q. Do you think that the match was easy as the score shows today?
MARIA KIRILENKO: The match was easy than the score?

Q. As the score showed.
MARIA KIRILENKO: I mean, the score wasn't too tough, I think.

Q. Yeah, so how do you think of your performance and also the opponent's?
MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, I think I was playing very good today, and I was changing the rhythm a lot so I was using different shots, you know.
The girl, you know, she just was a little bit like always she had the ball different, you know, places, and that's why it was a little bit difficult for her today. Plus it was so windy and she was struggling with the serve, you know.
So it's happens, you know.

Q. Some of the players complain about the schedule of the WTA Tour, that it's too tight and it causes some injuries. How do you think of the current schedule of the WTA Tour?
MARIA KIRILENKO: I mean, it's, you know, it's difficult to make a schedule and to make it to everybody's perfect, you know. Of course somebody will struggling with it, but it's, you know, you have to understand it, and, I mean, I'm fine with that.
I know that it's not easy, you know, because we are so many people in the draw. To make a good schedule for everybody, it's impossible, you know.
So just, you know, I'm ready like every day for everything.

Q. Can you share with us some of the experience of the photo shooting of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit, please? You do know you have a lot of fans in China so we want to know about...
MARIA KIRILENKO: You want to know how was it?

Q. Yeah, that's right.
MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, first of all, it was in the Dominican Republic, and it was very good weather there and very, very good place, you know.
It was -- yeah, we did it on the beach. It was a lot of people around who organized everything, and, yeah, I mean, first time I did it kind of this photo shooting with swimming suit, so it was, in the beginning, was a little bit difficult because, you know, you kind of showing your body.
Well, it was -- it took two-and-a-half days and I was there with my mother. So it was very enjoyable time there.

Q. Do you feel comfortable?
MARIA KIRILENKO: I mean, in the beginning it was a little bit, you know, difficult, but there was some get used to showing dresses, you know, some beautiful things, and then in the swimming suit, you know. Then you get used and more relaxed and then you going like a model. (Laughter.)

Q. (Through translation.) You've been paired with the Chinese player Jie Zheng in the doubles match, and her mini blog on the website, she said the exchange of the strategies when you are playing the match. This time when you came to China, did Jie Zheng tell you anything about where you can go and go shopping and to enjoy yourself?
MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, yeah, we had a good tournament in San Diego. We played really well, you know. Like I think after that, we become good friends with Jie Zheng. Yeah, it was talking about maybe to play some tournaments, as well. She told me after when we won the final, she said, Maria you get so popular in China after we won, so all newspapers writing that we won.
I mean, it's great, you know. I'm really like sad that she couldn't play here because of the injury. Yeah, I send her e-mail, you know, that I hope she will be fine for next year, and, I mean, it's difficult of course to miss the tournament, you know, in your country. Yeah, I hope she will be fine next year, I wish.

Q. Have you been study your opponent before the match today? And also, Zhang Shuai, the opponent, has defeated Safina last year in the first round. Do you know about that?
MARIA KIRILENKO: I can't hear you. Can you repeat the question, please?

Q. Have you studied your opponent, Zhang Shuai, before the match? And do you know that she defeated Safina last year the first round of China Open?
MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah. I mean, I knew that she beat Safina last year and she won couple rounds here. Yeah, but I never see her playing before, and I knew that last year she's playing quite good. She's going up in ranking. But to be honest, I didn't have any idea how she's playing, you know.
But, yeah, it was difficult, you know, when you don't know the player, how she's playing and difficult to play. But then, yeah, during the match like we start to play, and I found out.
But I think she's still, you know, it was maybe difficult for her to play today. You know, it's always difficult to play in your country, you know. Maybe it's a little bit more pressure, but she also had to defend some points. Well, she wanted to show maybe her best game, but, you know, it happens sometimes she couldn't. For sure, she's young and she has still a good future.

Q. As we know, you got a pretty quick win today. Maybe it's an easy game for you, but for your opponent, Zhang Shuai, it's a little bit like losing confidence for her in a game. How can you handle the situation being down in a game, and how do you adjust your form to win a game?
MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, I can say that I was playing very good today, you know. I was playing so consistent. And in the beginning, like she was playing also good, you know. We had some long games in the beginning, and then I just played one of the best games. That why it was difficult for her today.

Q. I don't know whether you noticed that there are four Chinese players on court today, and four of them play against Russians, just like your match. Is it just a coincidence, or is it there are a lot of Russian players in the tournament?
MARIA KIRILENKO: It's what?

Q. I said what do you think about this kind of a thing? Because, you know, it's just coincidence or you think it's just a lot of Russian players, good players, in this tournament?
MARIA KIRILENKO: I mean, yeah, we have 13 players in the top 100, so the Russians everywhere in the draw. That's why it's happen, yeah.

End of FastScripts

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