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WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2011

Petra Kvitova

LONDON, ENGLAND

P. KVITOVA/V. Azarenka
6-1, 3-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What were you most proud of your performance today?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think it was nervous match, for sure. I'm happy how I played because it was tougher mental, for sure. Yeah, it was good.

Q. Is this the best of your tennis life so far?
PETRA KVITOVA: I think so. Yeah, of course it's something unbelievable be in the final in the Wimbledon.

Q. When do you remember first thinking about Wimbledon, and what were your thoughts as a child perhaps?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, what I remember is that Martina Navratilova won here. This is my first memories.

Q. What did it make you think about yourself?
PETRA KVITOVA: You mean, like what?

Q. Perhaps dreaming of being here yourself one day.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, yeah, it's something special for me, of course, be in the final. I don't have like memories or...

Q. Martina won many times. Do you remember when?
PETRA KVITOVA: I know when was the last one. It was before 21 years. But first I don't know.

Q. How much has Martina meant to you? Has she helped you over the years?
PETRA KVITOVA: No. We spoke about just here and we met. She told me, Good luck, well done. She was happy when I saw her.

Q. Is this the first time you met, just here?
PETRA KVITOVA: No, it was last year here.

Q. Will you go to her for advice now, how to cope with the pressure of being in a final at Wimbledon?
PETRA KVITOVA: If I what?

Q. Will you go and ask her some advice, how to cope with it?
PETRA KVITOVA: If I ask her?

Q. Yes.
PETRA KVITOVA: I don't know if she can tell me something about the final, so...
I will just enjoy the final, for sure. And I don't know.

Q. You are focused on this tournament, on tennis, on now winning the final. Is there anything you can tell us about you as a person away from tennis, what your passions are?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, so I'm happy if I'm with the family, of course, at home. Go to the cinema with the friends, reading book. I don't know what else.
Yeah, that's it.

Q. What kind of books do you like?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, crime, yeah.

Q. When you started The Championships, were you confident that you could win Wimbledon at the very beginning?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, no, I didn't think like that I could win in the Wimbledon. I was good practice in the Eastbourne and I won some matches. It was important for me.
And when I came here, I just play match after match and nothing more.

Q. So this is a surprise for you to be in the final of Wimbledon?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah.

Q. What distracted you more in the first set? Was it the alarm that went off or your opponent's grunting and groaning?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I mean, at the beginning was so close, the games, three games, I think. And after when I break her, it was like, I don't know, I play good and she was a little bit down I think.
But I thought after first set I will be still up, but she play very well and she came to the game again. It was tough after.

Q. What about the alarm that went off? I think you were just about to serve.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, yeah, no, I didn't have a problem with this. But she has, so I don't know why, but...

Q. I remember you playing in Italy in Fed Cup. You looked so, so young compared to this girl here going to a final in Wimbledon. Have you changed something in your culture? You are more mature now.
PETRA KVITOVA: No, I didn't change anything. So I just improve myself in the tennis and mentally and everything, fitness of course, so...
But nothing special.

Q. What are your thoughts about Maria Sharapova as a player and her experience coming into a possible final?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, of course she has experience. She won here already, so she knows how it going in the final at the Wimbledon.
She has an advantage with this. But we played already and I lost, so now I have to beat her (smiling).

Q. Could you tell us a little bit about your serve. You're left-handed and not afraid to come to the net. Is this something you specifically work on as a weapon for yourself or just something that happened because you have a good serve?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, yeah, I think it's about I have a good serve. That's why probably. And I'm not afraid of going volley because we practiced with my father when I was young.
And so it's me. I like volley, but sometimes it's tough.

Q. Does it give you an advantage today when so many women play from the baseline? Victoria came to the net once or twice during the match. Do you feel you have an advantage style-wise today at Wimbledon?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I mean, this tennis is still from the baseline, and I play also mostly from the baseline. When I can, I go for the volley.
But, yeah, it can be an advantage.

Q. Do you work very hard on your serve or is it natural?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I didn't have good serve, so I had lots of work with this.

Q. You said that Maria has more experience; she has a win over you. What are you going to have to do on court in the final against her?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I don't know now. But, of course, I will enjoy it and try my best.

Q. Do you think you have any advantages stroke-wise against Sharapova?
PETRA KVITOVA: Left-handed, I can say.

Q. What have you enjoyed in watching her over the years?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, she's playing so hard and she has a big serve, but she doesn't go on the net also. She's moving well, and that's it.

Q. Are you a natural left-handed, do everything with your left?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, natural. I'm writing left.

Q. When you're not playing tennis, what are your hobbies in Prague or wherever you live?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I wanted be teacher, but it's so far away. I don't know what I do.

Q. You go to a cinema? You like dancing? Shopping? What do you do? You don't play tennis, you have three days, what do you do?
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm with the family at home for sure, speak with them, invite my brothers, go to the cinema with the friends.

Q. When did your serve get good and how did it get good?
PETRA KVITOVA: When?

Q. Yes. You said before that your serve wasn't so good and you worked a lot on it. When did you do your most work on it and what did you do to make it better?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, it was probably about the techniques. So but you have to ask my coach for it. I did only what he said. (Smiling.)

Q. What was that? When did you suddenly develop a good serve?
PETRA KVITOVA: We are together with the coach three years already, so it's three years ago.

Q. Are you distracted when you play against noisy opponents?
PETRA KVITOVA: No. I don't care about the noise.

Q. How do you block it out?
PETRA KVITOVA: I just focus on my game and not for her, so...

Q. Did your coach give you a very hard time about your serve? It strikes me when you were smiling about your serve, you seem to have gone through a lot of agony on your serve. Was your coach hard on you?
PETRA KVITOVA: My coach is same like me probably. So, yeah, we are like friends. We spend a lot of time together.

Q. On Saturday afternoon, what would it mean to you to lift the trophy?
PETRA KVITOVA: I cannot speak about this because it's not here. So I can say after.

Q. The three other semifinalists all are from Europe but have moved to the United States. You obviously have stayed at home. Why have you done that? Did you have any interest at all in moving or are you happy staying put in Czech Republic?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I'm happy when I stay in Czech, for sure.

Q. Did you have any interest at all in moving, as the other three have done?
PETRA KVITOVA: You mean?

Q. To the United States.
PETRA KVITOVA: No. Well, I can. But, still, when I'm at home I don't want traveling. When we are practicing in off-season, we thought about that I can practice in Florida or somewhere.
But it's only one month when we can be at home.

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