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ROGERS CUP WOMEN

August 11, 2011

Andrea Petkovic

TORONTO, ONTARIO

A. PETKOVIC/P. Kvitova
6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Were you surprised by how easy that was, how one-sided that was?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: I was. Yes, I was expecting a really tough match, but, you know, it's tough. The conditions were not easy at all. They were really tricky.
And she didn't play for so long. I know how I feel the first two matches when I come back after one or two months, and I had the advantage that I played Carlsbad last week. I had a lot of matches, so I was already in it.
And as I said, her tennis with her very flat strokes in that kind of conditions is really, really tough. So I was happy with how consistent I played, because, you know, great players like Petra, they come back in one or two points. So it was really important for me to stay, to have the full intensity throughout the whole match.

Q. Are you surprised how well you're playing, given that you were sick in the final of the San Diego Open? You've responded so well.
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, well, sometimes it's not so bad when you get sick. You know, you relax a little bit, and also I gave my body the time to recover. You know, I didn't force too much.
I tried to really, to be 100%. Now I'm maybe 55, but I'm getting there slowly.

Q. You have been mentioning focus and intensity a lot in the past conferences. You did pretty well out there being focused on every point, except maybe for that bee thing that happened at one point. Is that something you're working on, to be focused on every single point?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, yeah. That was definitely something that I tried to improve now after Wimbledon, because I was playing -- you know, I was playing really streaky. I played well a couple games. Then I dropped my intensity. And now that's the thing that I really try to work on, to have 150% intensity in each and every point.
I think I have the athleticism to do it, and I have the body and the fitness to do it. So why not, you know, take it as an advantage to the other players. That's what I really try to do now.

Q. You had a very good game today. People are going to expect you to go far now in this tournament. Which player would you fear, if you fear one, in this tournament right now?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Oh, there are a lot of them. I think everybody who is still in there is somebody to fear, you know. I mean, not to fear. You're not like going into the match scared of the other one, but to respect, you know.
I have a huge respect for everybody. Also, when I played Eugenie in the first round I had a lot of respect for her, too, because, you know, it's -- I just saw -- right before, I saw the match where this guy, I think Chvojka, what's his name, he played against Dolgopolov and he's ranked, what, 350 and he put out a great battle.
Nowadays it's not that easy anymore. You just have to try to focus on what you work on and what you have to improve and really try to black out all the other players.
But there are so many: Maria, Serena, everybody, Vera, Agnieszka. You just have to try to focus on yourself.

Q. I saw on Twitter you posted a picture of you talking tactics with Ana Ivanovic. You admitted later you were gossiping, but does it help having that kind of personality on the tour, makes it more enjoyable, less of a daily grind, and actually helps you out on the court?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: I think so. I also have my times where I have little depressions where I'm not in the best mood, but I just -- you know, every time when I feel bad or when I am not in the best mood, I think of it like this.
I want to do this another seven or eight years, and if I want to do this another seven or eight years, not enjoying myself would be impossible for me.
And I do the sport because I love it, and I put all my heart and all my passion into it, and so why not enjoy it? And, you know, Ana is a great friend and we laugh a lot when we see each other. We can differentiate. You know, we can go out on court and try to kill each other but then hug at the net and love each other the next second.
It's just the job that you have to do. On the other hand, having friends is one of the most important things in life for me.

Q. Please keep tweeting like that. We enjoy it.
ANDREA PETKOVIC: I try.

Q. Do you feel like you're gaining momentum as the tournament goes along?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, I feel like I gained momentum already in Carlsbad. I was feeling really well out there, and I really believed that I had a shot at, you know, winning the tournament.
I got a little sick unfortunately, but Agnieszka played a great match against me. So I don't know if I would have won even if I was 100%.
And today it's so tough. Even if you feel like you are gaining momentum and you feel like you're playing great, there are still the other girls who are playing great as well and who are improving all the time.
So I think it's just the most interesting time for women's tennis right now, and I'm really honored and I have so much respect for, you know, being able to be a part of it. So that's really a big honor for me.

Q. And you really must enjoy being in Canada a little more now?
ANDREA PETKOVIC: I am. You have to follow me on Twitter. I got a great jersey, and I also got the history back behind the jersey, why I got it, because Sidney Crosby, he's also born in the same year as me, '87, and he has the 87.
I actually saw when Canada beat the USA in the Olympic games finals and he shot the golden goal, I think? Was that him? So that's why I got him, because -- yeah, I don't know.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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