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U.S. OPEN

September 8, 2011

Angelique Kerber

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

A. KERBER/F. Pennetta
6-4, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I know that you go into every match thinking you're going to win. That's how every tennis player is. But are you surprised yourself that you got this far, a semifinal at the US Open?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually, yes. I come here and my goal was to get into the second or third round. Now I'm in the semifinal, and, yeah, it's unbelievable feeling.

Q. How do you explain it?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I mean, I practiced the last four, five weeks in Germany, and it was not easy there. Yeah, I come here with the good fitness, and also I play well in Dallas two weeks ago.
So, yeah, I come here and I feel good. Yeah.

Q. Andrea Petkovic helped you out, did she?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. We practiced together in Germany the last four weeks, and she was helping me for sure, also.

Q. How did she help you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: She was helping me in the practice because we practiced together, and also she told me, You can do it. You play very well. And, yeah, You need to play consistent your tennis and not think about something or not think, you know, that you can win or you can lose.
Just go on the court, play your tennis. Yeah, she helps me a lot.

Q. Was today your best match at this tournament, or you play better versus Radwanska who is a good friend of yours?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think every match was different and also tough. I mean, today I play also well. I was fighting until the last point, and I think that was the reason that I won today.

Q. What is your training situation in Germany? Do you have a coach that you travel with full-time? Where do you practice in the country?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I changed like five weeks ago. So I go to the Schuettler-Waske Academy in Offenbach and I practiced there. Now I'm here with the coach, one of the coaches from there.
It's the first tournament with him, so, I mean, it's good.

Q. What does a week like this do for you as far as the tournaments that you were planning to play? You're going to go from 92 to 32 no matter what happens. Were there challengers you were planing to play that you will pull out of now and try to enter bigger events in the fall?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think, yeah, now I'm -- for sure I'm here and I don't think about this right now. But I will play the next tournament of course Tokyo-Peking, and I think I'm there in the quallies now, because with my old ranking.
Yeah, and then the season is end, so I will prepare for the next, for the 2012, and we will see.

Q. How do you like being in New York?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. It's very nice city. I like it very much. I mean, the rain the last two days was -- yeah, it was not really good for us, for the players, but I like New York.

Q. Can you talk about playing Stosur.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Not yet. I mean, I will play with her, against her the first time. I will just enjoy the match. I go out there and I will enjoy it. I will play my tennis. I try to fight also, play point by point, and I will see.

Q. At the beginning of the year, if someone came up to you and said, Hey, guess what? You're gonna make it to the Open semis, what would you say?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I would think you are crazy, I think, maybe. Yeah, it is a dream, and I will play the semifinals. Yeah, the tournament does not end.

Q. How much has it helped you with obviously girls like Andrea, Julia doing so well, and Sabine, of course?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, of course a lot. I mean, they were playing the last month very good, and I know that I can do this also because we know each other like for a long time.
It helps me for sure.

Q. You said this was like a dream. Do you ever say to yourself, Hey, is this for real? Does it ever have a little sense of maybe a dream-like quality for you? Could you talk about that?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, for sure I wake up last night and I was thinking, It's a dream or it's real? I mean, also the quarters was for me the best highlight of my career, and now I'm in the semis.
Yeah, it's unbelievable.

Q. When you played Flavia earlier this year, earlier this summer on clay, what did you learn from that match that you took into this match today?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: For sure the fighting. I mean, I know she's a good player, and she played also very good today.
But, yeah, I go just for point by point and I was fighting until the last point. I think I take this from the last match.

Q. How do you explain that you were 4-2 in the second set and you lose six games, almost seven, because she had the point to go 3-nil? What happens?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I know.

Q. How do these women go up and down like that?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it was 4-2 and I start to think too much. Yeah, I was thinking, yeah, I mean, I'm now up 4-2. Just two games more I can win this match and go to the semis, and I think that was the reason why it's going down the seven games.

Q. You had a pretty vocal group cheering you on. What was sort of like your feelings about them? They really seemed to get into every point that you were going on. Do you like the crowd support here?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, for sure. They support me, and I feel very good on the court. I was enjoying also this, that they are behind me and supporting me.
Yeah, it's a great. It was a great feeling out there.

Q. Are they just fans or family? I just wasn't sure. Did you know them?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: They are some of them fans, and so there is also just my mom there. No family more.

Q. Have you played on Ashe before?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I played on Ashe, I don't know, three or four years against Serena first round, and it was a night session.
So I played there once, yeah.

Q. Is that gonna help you? Are you going to be nervous, you think?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I think I will be nervous for sure a little bit, but I will go out there and play my game, and, yeah, enjoy it for sure.

Q. We have to ask every single German player about her relationship with Steffi. Could you talk about that? Was she an inspiration? Have you spoken to her recently?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, Steffi, I mean, it's Steffi. She's a great player, and I think the best player in Germany.
Yeah, what can I say? I don't know.

Q. How do you think this run here at the US Open will change your life? You're going to be getting tremendous attention in the semis.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know yet. I think for sure it will be change something, but I don't think about it yet. I will see.

Q. Your parents are Polish, right?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yes, my parents are Polish.

Q. Caroline is a good friend of yours, right? Can you talk about a little bit the relationship between you and Caroline.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, we know each other for a long time. Yeah, we speak together Polish, so not English, not everything.
So, yeah, we are good friends.

Q. Have you checked your phone yet? How many SMSs have you gotten from friends?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually, I take my phone and there was -- after the match, after 10 minutes, I think I get 50 SMS, 60 e-mails. But I turn off my phone right now, so I don't know. It was too much (Laughter.)

Q. One month ago I ask Petkovic at the tournament at Carlsbad, What happened with Kerber? Her ranking drop down so far. She said, don't worry, she will soon be in 30s. Do you know how much you will improve after the tournament in the ranking?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, I don't know. I really don't know. I mean, I'm now 90-something. I don't know what my ranking will be after the tournament. No idea.

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