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MERCURY INSURANCE OPEN

August 7, 2011

Agnieszka Radwanska

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

A. RADWANSKA/V. Zvonareva
6-3, 6-4

Q. Are you pretty proud considering your shoulder? You never lost your serve. What does that say about the rest of your game?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, yeah, actually, I was very surprised about that. I was pleased with my serve today, so it was pretty impressive. But, yes, actually, you know, it was a very good match. Everything was working (Indiscernible).

Q. In the first game, you were feeling the ball great and then you basically couldn't miss a shot. Like what, two times you got frustrated, other than that everything went right, huh?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, exactly. I was playing very well, even when I had a really tough two matches in the quarters and semifinals. I really wanted to win this tournament. So I was really focused from the beginning.

Q. Sometimes after hard matches, you get to the final match and you think today's going to go great, huh?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I was playing very well in the semifinals. So I was just saying to myself I just have to play the same tennis, and we'll see how it will be. I really, you know, I didn't lose my serve. So of course the last game I was a bit nervous serving for the match, especially in the final with all the pressure, but, you know, I did it.

Q. Can you remember the last time that you played this well this consistently?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I'm not sure. But for sure those last two matches went really well. One of the best matches for sure this year.

Q. Are you surprised that you won the tournament considering how your shoulder has been feeling when you came in? Would you have expected this?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, yes. Of course knowing something is bothering you, you're not really thinking about winning the tournament. Especially of course since the US Open is pretty soon and some big tournaments as well, so you want to be ready for that.
But like I said, I know when it's enough, so I just keep fighting even if I'm in a little bit of pain.

Q. How did this compare to Eastbourne which was the last title I think you won? Just how do you feel about it. Is this a paper title for you?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes, it was pretty similar because playing the (Indiscernible) in the finals is always tough. So I had to play in a couple finals against her. So it's always very tough to come around. But I played very well today. So I'm very happy with my performance.
Winning a tournament with a lot of great matches against top players it's always very special.

Q. Can I ask you, what's was this the first time you've won a WTA title without your father coaching you?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No, not really. I was with my mom actually in Istanbul, and I won the tournament.

Q. How does the shoulder feel now, and are you confident it will hold up through the Open?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, it's pretty much the same. It's, like I said, I'm playing every day tough matches that are really helpful. I actually haven't had much rest because probably I'm going to play Tuesday already in Toronto, so just one day and not very much.

Q. Are you confident that it will hold up through the Open?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, you know, it's still three weeks so I'll see how it is and getting rest is the most important thing.

Q. Are you surprised you haven't reached a grand slam semifinal yet as good as you can play at times?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I was pretty close a few times, but, well, I was always against top players and it was always close. But I think I can do it, and if I play like that for sure.

Q. Yeah, because Vera reached Wimbledon final last year and US Open final and you beat her pretty handily today. So if you play her maybe in a big tournament, do you think it's going to be mental a little bit or experience?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I think everything is mental and experience because we're all playing kind of the same level. I think all top 15 players are playing the same great tennis and everybody has the same chances.

Q. (Indiscernible) who maybe you don't know, but played a lot of tennis and watched a lot of tennis, was here yesterday and compared your game to Martina Hingis. That's who you reminded him of. Is that a compliment do you think? Is that who you modeled yourself after?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I've heard that before. Yeah, of course it's a very nice compliment. She was playing great tennis. I think it's true. I'm trying to play everything, and it's not everything as powerful as others, so, yeah.

Q. When you win a title like this, what does that do for your confidence? You've played well in tournaments and feel good about your game. But actually winning the title, does that give you more a boost of confidence as you move forward?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes, of course. Every match especially playing against the top players and playing good tennis is a great experience. You know, I feel more comfortable right now with my tennis, so it's a great experience.
But of course, you know, now it's over and there is another tournament, another week, a different country, different courts. You know, we have to start from the beginning.

Q. Did you have the mocha before the match today?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Of course, what a question.

Q. Can you talk a little about that? You're an athlete and superstitious. Is it something that -- you said you loved it, but is it something you'll continuing to or are you not that superstitious?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I'm not really superstitious, not at all, actually. But like I said, first day I had this mocha and I won my match, so the next day, then I thought it was so hot and the iced mocha was so good, so I kept going. And of course, yesterday after my match I went for mocha and it was worth it, right?

Q. So when you get to Toronto first thing you'll find out is where Starbucks is?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I don't know. I think mocha was good here for San Diego, so I don't know if it's going to work as well in Toronto. I don't know.

Q. Do you feel confident now in the game that you have or do you think to yourself, well, so many of the girls Top 5 have so much more power? Or after today do you think I can take their power and use it against them and that's good enough for me?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I think every player is playing different tennis. You cannot compare anyone is playing similar especially in the women's tennis especially. I'm really playing now very good on courts. So I'm just going to keep going, and I just hope I can show some good tennis especially at the US Open.

Q. What did you want to do today? What was your strategy going in? What did you want to attack in her game?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: It's always hard to say about some tactics against the top players. Especially Vera, she's playing very well every shot, and she's playing aggressive going for it.
So like I said, if I'm going to play that good like in the semifinals, I would have big chances to win today. And I think I did it pretty much the same thing. So of course it was close. Every game was pretty close, especially I could close a lot of tight matches this week.

Q. Did you sense she was getting frustrated at all when you were running on down every shot? It seemed that she had to hit three winners to get one winner. Do you sense the other player got frustrated knowing she had to go for the line?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, you know, it's like I said those courts are not pretty fast, and you really have to go for it and hit the ball very well and do really good points to make the winners. She's also a good runner, good mover, so I would have to do the perfect shot to make a winner today.

Q. You only lost one match the last two years here. I heard you talk about the speed of the courts and the faster courts you'll be on later this month. Do you think the conditions here set up well for your game?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I think so. I'm playing very good every year, and yeah, I really was playing good on these courts. Since the beginning I think I was playing better and better every match. Yes, I think the conditions were working for me.

Q. Last week you were talking about after Wimbledon that you were dissatisfied with your game. You only took a few days off and went back to work. So would you compare your feelings then to where you are now today?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I cannot say I was playing bad before, but I couldn't close those tight matches. I already had a lot -- especially like in Indian Wells and in Roland Garros against Sharapova and then also at Wimbledon. A lot of good matches, but it was always something wrong with me in the end that I couldn't win just one or two points.
That's why I'm very happy that I had a lot of tight matches here and I could win all of them. So I think I'm very happy about that.

Q. Did you change something mentally? Are you telling yourself something different towards the end of the match?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Not really. But I think, you know, you just have to be focused on the last point because even when it's like set point, the match is not over yet especially when the other girls are really good fighters. So the one point is the most important thing. I was in trouble a couple times before, and I didn't win those points that I should have won, so, yeah.

Q. Did losing in the finals last year leave a bitter taste? Did you use that as a fuel kind of like you know what last year I came so close, this year I'm not going to let it slip away again?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, yeah, of course. Last year was also pretty close. But, you know, you cannot really compare anything. This is another player, another top, good player and even if I lose today, I would be anyways happy to be in the final again.
But, of course, it's better to have a chance and to take a title for the second one. Of course, I had this in the back of my head, but I said it's just a different match.

Q. What were you feeling after that match point after you won it? What was the first thing that came over you? Was it relief, excitement, joy?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I was just very happy. Winning a tournament is the most exciting thing for the tennis player, so of course I was very, very happy about that, especially having a good game and a good match. It's just great to be there again and win.

Q. You mentioned the slow courts here favor you, right? You seemed to do very well on them because of the speed of the court. Do you think your match-up with Vera also favors you in that she is a tremendously accomplished player, but she's not one of the harder hitters on the tour? Did you figure you could run down anything against her?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, yeah, those courts are not the fastest courts. But, yeah, I was just feeling good. From last year I remembered the courts were not that fast, and even with my shoulder I could win matches not serving over the 100 miles per hour. So that's why I was keep trying and I already had covered matches with my shoulder.
But, you know, she's a good player. And also injured in the quarterfinal or semifinal it was so close that I could lose those matches. I just like those courts and that's it.

Q. On Friday in the quarterfinals you lost 6-0 in the first set. You admitted afterwards you thought about retiring for a few minutes. The next time you are working through an injury -- you obviously came back and won this tournament -- but next time you're working through an injury, will you think about that? That 48 hours later you're a champion when you were thinking about retiring?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, retiring is like you have to be really, really bad to shake a hand before the match point. That's why I always tell myself, okay, I'll try one more game, one more point then one more game. Then you see even with this kind of injury and pain, you have still a chance to win. It's very tough to just walk over. It's very tough.
Of course, I will -- if I think that I would retire in a quarterfinal, of course, I will know that I can win this tournament. But like I said, just fighting to do what you can do so, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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