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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2011

Vera Zvonareva

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

V. ZVONAREVA/L. Safarova
6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. A big second set. How were you playing that second set?
VERA ZVONAREVA: I was just trying to fight for every point like I was doing in the first set. I had some chances to go 4-1 up when I was up 3-1, Love-40 on her serve. I think there was a moment where maybe I was not aggressive enough, and I let her dominate a little bit before I was dictating the game, and then I let her step up and go for her shots a little bit.
So that was the reason she was able to get back on the scoreboard in that second set. You know, then I maybe started playing a little bit too passive and just doing the same thing over and over again, so I couldn't close it out.
But then in the tiebreak I started mixing it up a little bit more. You know, I came with some good shots when I needed. I made those shots. Overall, I think it was a very good match.

Q. Have you played a tougher tiebreak?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Oh, I'm sure, yeah. I did in the past. I actually remember I played against Anastasia Myskina years and years ago. It was the longest one in the final set. It was 21-19 or something. It happens. It's tennis.
I think I played a lot of matches and tough tiebreaks already.

Q. But you didn't win that tiebreaker against Myskina.
VERA ZVONAREVA: No. But tennis, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose (laughter). You learn from it and you try to make it better next time.

Q. Now when you're playing these tiebreakers, you've had a very good last year. Seems like you're more composed, know what to do to win the points.
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I think I'm just a different player than before. I'm more experienced, more mature. It's not only about tiebreaks. That's about the whole game.
I think I know myself better and I know what game I want to play, and it helps me during the key points.

Q. As the rounds progress, do you think sweeping out the cobwebs more and more?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Definitely. The level of my game, if you would compare today's match to my first match, I think I was playing a different level already. I still think there's still room for improvement. And there are those situations I have been in today where I had my chances and didn't use them, and then we had to go into this long second set.
That's something that I will definitely have to improve for the next matches. I will definitely have to step up and keep my game throughout the whole match, especially at this stage of the tournament.

Q. You've been amazingly consistent at the Grand Slams in the past year. Just want to talk about that, how you've been able to go round by round, not panic, play the game you want to play.
VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, you know, I don't know. I think once you spend so many years on the tour and you really learn from it, also you really understand that here it is, here is your Grand Slam, that's where you have to give your hundred percent, that's where you have to fight.
Nothing is easy. Every single opponent is very tough. You just try to fight through every match. This kind of tournaments, that's what you train for, that's what you practice for, and that's basically your only chances. I think I'm really enjoying it. I'm really enjoying that challenge, and I think that helps a lot.

Q. Wozniacki said in her press conference it's time we all moved on and stopped asking you two whether you deserve your ranking. Are you getting tired of those questions, too?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, you just asked me another one, no? (Laughter.)
Well, maybe it is, yeah, time to stop, so then I don't have to answer it over and over again.

Q. Is it tough playing in the heat?
VERA ZVONAREVA: For me not. You know, I never had problems with the heat. I really prefer when it's hot and I don't feel cold. That's not an issue for me at all.

Q. Outside of mentally, can you just talk about your technical improvement? Seems like you have more options in your game now, too.
VERA ZVONAREVA: It's not that I didn't have options before; it's always that I had too many options, but I didn't know which one to choose. Now I think I'm working on, Okay, I know what I need to do in that match. Just stick to it; do it; don't try to do too much with the ball.
Because I have all the shots in my game. I can go cross-courts, down the line, short, deep. You name it, I can do it all. But once the ball comes, you have all those options in your head and you're like, Okay, which one do I choose?
Sometimes I choose all different ones, and maybe they're not the best against this opponent. Why should I do it? So now I'm just trying to stick to what I have to do in this particular match against this particular opponent and try to really, you know, put my head into it and don't let myself make all those different choices.
Even though I like to play and I like to mix it up, now I'm just trying to stick to the plan.

Q. Can you talk about Pavlyuchenkova?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Never played Anastasia before. There's not much I can say at the moment. Definitely she's a great player already. Very young, but I think very established. I think she proved herself to be very tough opponent over the course of the last two years.
So it's going to be tough challenge, but that's what I like. You know, I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. Do you like playing the younger Russians?
VERA ZVONAREVA: You know, I like to play against tough opponents. That doesn't matter where they from, what their age is. It really doesn't. You know, you have a good challenge and you try to go out there and try to show your best.
If we have even more Russian players, I'm just happy. We have a lot, but even more are coming. That makes me very proud of my country.

End of FastScripts

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