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U.S. OPEN

September 2, 2011

Flavia Pennetta

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

F. PENNETTA/M. Sharapova
6-3, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. That was a very nice win.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Thanks.

Q. Looked like you were almost celebrating a championship out there. How good did it feel?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: I was really happy, you know. It was great winning for me, and I think in the third set I was a little bit nervous when I starting to think too much about closing the match.
So I'm really proud of my game today, and I just want to enjoy this moment now.

Q. She was building back momentum in that final set, had gotten it back to tied, and then she goes out and throws down a couple of double faults.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, she's a good fighter, you know. You can never give up with her. You have to be focused until the last game, until the last point, actually.
But I think in 5-4 she's starting to feel a little bit of pressure, also. She has a lot of double faults. But during this season also she played really good, she had good results, but also with the serve she didn't serving like before.
So I think she just feeling the pressure.

Q. She paid compliments to you, that you played a very, very smart game out there. She made a lot of errors, no doubt, and gave away a lot of points, but you also earned some points out there. Are you happy?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, I think we played really good. We fight a lot and we run a lot both. You know, this match I'm winning for two or three points, no; it was not that much the difference. I just play very aggressive and everything was working really good.

Q. When she double-faulted to begin the final --
FLAVIA PENNETTA: I was happy. (Laughter.)

Q. How much confidence did you take from that?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, not too much confidence, but I was happy. (Smiling).

Q. What was your strategy coming into that match?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, I just starting to play not too much shots in the same position to try to move her a lot and try to let her run a lot, and I think it was working really good.
All the time when she move on the forehand she have a little bit of problem; with the backhand she can do whatever she want.
So also I starting to be really aggressive when she was serving. I try to just let her think too much and maybe make some double fault. That's what happened.

Q. You said the other day that you had been losing a lot of three-setters this year recently, and also said it's going to change soon. Then it did. It obviously did today. How confident were you that really at this US Open you get to a third set on the big stadium and all of a sudden the luck changes?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, like I say a few days ago when I talk to you, like everything can change from one day to the other one.
So I think this one is one of the best victories in my career, and is gonna be like this forever. Just try to think about what I have to do tomorrow.
So it's a good moment. I'm really happy right now. But it's just a match. It's over, and I have to be focused for the next one.

Q. You also said that coming to New York things weren't going that great, but you come to New York, a place where you've done well, and the good feelings come back on court.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yeah.

Q. That's part of things changing, just being at a tournament where you've done well?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yeah, I'm really happy to be in New York. I feel really comfortable here. Everything is really nice. I don't know why, but I love to be here in New York, and I think I always play really good tennis here.
That's why I was really happy to come back.

Q. Sharapova is a very dramatic player, very loud out there. Did it inspire you to find how hard you were making her work, or do you find some of that annoying and maybe just a bit of gamesmanship?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, I think it's just the way she play and she do when she play. Like some people just breathe, some people screaming. You know, when you are in the court you don't think too much about what she do.
You just think to your game and you don't feel nothing. You don't see nothing when you're out there.

Q. Peng Shuai next. Can you talk about that matchup?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, it's gonna be really tough. She's in good shape. She play really good in the last summer. It's gonna be tough against her. She's really aggressive in her game. She serve really good.
I have to be really aggressive and try to move her a lot. I can say a lot of things, but now I just want to enjoy this moment really.

Q. Would the Flavia Pennetta of five years ago on match point have went for an outright, down-the-line winner on the return? So five years ago, as a same player against someone like Sharapova, would you go for the winner down the line?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Maybe, yes, but I don't know if it was good or not. (Laughter.)

Q. As you said, you are going to play doubles.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes, at 6:00, so I have to go.

Q. How tough it is to play both doubles and singles?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's tough, but I love to play doubles. I love to play singles, doubles, mixed when I can.
Last year I play a lot of matches, and my body feel a little bit I think in the beginning of this year. But I'm healthy. I like to play with my partner, so I'm really looking forward to going on the court and playing these doubles now.

Q. These types of victories, are these the ones that make the work all worth it?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes. I can say yes. Can help you a lot, yes.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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